News

Enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans climbed this year, despite the fact that payment rates were frozen

The biggest challenge health insurers face each year is convincing members to get their flu shots.

Blue Shield California will no longer pay for the use of Avastin to treat metastatic breast cancer.

Cigna recognizes potential of Medicare Advantage market

The recent approval by FDA of an adult cancer therapy is 1 example of how children’s cancer research benefits patients of all ages.

FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, MD, recently released a blueprint containing immediate steps that can be taken to drive biomedical innovation, while improving the health of Americans.

Tracking and preparing for the approval of generic products is 1 of the key components of proactive formulary management. Unfortunately, forecasting FDA approval of the first generic inhaled corticosteroid products is difficult.

According to a recent study, $5.8 billion was spent in 1 year on the unnecessary prescription of brand-name statins.

Middle-aged women with RLS may be at higher risk of developing high blood pressure, according to a study published online October 10 in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.

Vivus has resubmitted its New Drug Application (NDA) for Qnexa (phentermine/topiramate) to FDA.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina will cover 85% of the EHR software and setup costs for 600 physicians in eligible independent practices and 100% of the costs for 39 eligible free clinics over the next five years

Aetna, Humana, Kaiser Permanente and the UnitedHeath Group will provide data for more than 5 billion medical claims to the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI) to offer new insights into healthcare costs, utilization, and intensity.

Cigna will acquire FirstAssist Insurance Services, a travel and protection insurance company based in the United Kingdom, from Barclays Private Equity. The acquisition will add a new product line to Cigna's global portfolio, enabling the company to expand its individual business.

Health Alliance Plan (HAP) will acquire Midwest Health Plan (MHP), a for-profit Medicaid HMO with 74,000 members based in Dearborn, MI

A 10% weight loss in patients age 60 to 64 may be able to provide Medicare savings of $8 billion over 10 years and $35 billion over their lifetime, according to Kenneth E. Thorpe, PhD.

Annual premiums for employer-sponsored family health coverage increased 9% from last year, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation/Health Research & Educational Trust 2011 Employer Health Benefits Survey. That's more than four times the average increase in workers' wages and nearly triple the rate of inflation.

An FDA Drug Safety Communication sent to healthcare professionals states that Dasatinib (Sprycel, Bristol-Myers Squibb) may increase the risk of pulmonary arterial hypertension.

FDA has approved sitagliptin and simvastatin (Juvisync, MSD International GmbH Clonmel), a fixed-dose combination prescription medication that contains 2 previously approved medications in 1 tablet for use by adults who need both sitagliptin and simvastatin.

FDA has approved tadalafil (Cialis, Eli Lilly) for 3 indications: ED, the signs and symptoms of BPH, and ED and the signs and symptoms of BPH in men who have both conditions.

Drug companies sponsoring human trials of possible new medications have ethical responsibilities to study participants and to science to disclose the results of their clinical research, even when product development is no longer being pursued.

New molecular entity: Ticagrelor tablets were FDA approved to reduce rate of thrombotic cardiovascular events in patients with ACS.

Dapagliflozin is a sodium glucose co-transporter inhibitor under review for FDA approval for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. Despite the availability of many antidiabetic agents in the United States, type 2 diabetes remains inadequately controlled in many patients.

FDA is requiring the zoledronic acid (Reclast, Novartis) prescribing information to now include a warning not to use the drug in those with renal dysfunction.

It's flu season again, which always focuses public attention on the reliablity and availability of the nation's vaccine supply.

In sexually active partners, early treatment with antiretroviral therapy compared to delayed treatment decreased the risk of genetically linked HIV-1 transmission to the uninfected partner.

Axitinib, an investigational selective inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors 1, 2, and 3 significantly extended progression-free survival compared with sorafenib in patients with previously treated metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

Diarrhea-associated healthcare utilization and treatment costs for US children <5 years of age

Recent FDA action (through September 2011) related to golimumab expanded label, meningococcal and Hib combination vaccine, desvenlafaxine, rivaroxaban anticoagulant, deferiprone oral iron chelator, glucarpidase experimental treatment, doxidopa, QLT091001, NP-001, cyclophosphamide, resminostat oral pan HDAC inhibitor, TXA127