News

Generic drugs approved by FDA (through June 2010): Venlafaxine hydrochloride extended-release capsules, Meropenem for injection, Adapalene 0.1% gel, Aztreonam for injection, Oxaliplatin for injection

On June 11, 2010, FDA announced in a drug safety communication that the agency was currently evaluating whether the use of the angiotensin II receptor blocker olmesartan (Benicar, Daiichi Sankyo) (also sold in combination with hydrocholorothiazide as Benicar HCT) was associated with increased cardiovascular mortality.

Transparency has become the lead philosophy governing biomedical research and regulation. FDA and the National Institutes of Health are requiring more disclosure of financial relationships between industry and scientists and physicians.

A systematic review assessing the comparative effectiveness of oral antidiabetic drugs for preventing patients at high risk from progressing to type 2 diabetes has found glitazones, biguanides, and alpha-glucosidase inhibitors reduced the relative risk of diabetes by as much as 63%, whereas insulin secretagogues had no effect.

New analyses from the phase 3 CLARITY (Cladribine Tablets Treating MS Orally) study reveal improvements in disease-free activity and the annualized relapse rate and a reduction in the use of healthcare resources in cladribine recipients compared with placebo in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).

A recent landmark phase 3 trial in patients in remission from recurrent hepatic encephalopathy demonstrated that rifaximin at a dose of 550 mg twice daily is significantly more effective than placebo in maintaining remission and reducing the risk of hospitalization. Rifaximin's approval by FDA in March 2010, offers clinicians the first pharmacologic treatment for hepatic encephalopathy in more than 30 years.

In an on-line article published in the journal Ophthalmology, researchers reported a possible adverse association between certain selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) and the development of cataracts in those aged >65.

A systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the effects of rosiglitazone on cardiovascular morbidity and mortality confirmed the finding of increased odds of myocardial infarction with rosiglitazone.

Hemophilia is a rare congenital bleeding disorder, resulting from a deficiency of factor VIII (hemophilia A) or factor IX (hemophilia B). Deficiency of either of these factors interrupts normal hemostasis resulting in an inability to form a stable fibrin clot to halt bleeding. This article reviews the etiology of hemophilia, available pharmacologic approaches to bleeding episodes, and treatment options in the presence of complications.

According to several presenters at the recent America's Health Insurance Plans Institute, coordination, communication and challenges are now the industry's driving forces.

Federal officials are pressuring insurers to keep premium rates under control for the coming year.

Most allergies are due to a combination of genetic factors and environmental exposure. The first step in coping with allergies is to reduce exposure to triggers.

In this environment, payers must provide added benefits while holding the line on costs.

Clinician handwashing protocol varies widely. Standardized measures for monitoring handwashing are lacking and tracking costly hospital-acquired infections in relation to hand hygiene is spotty at best.

Patients who do not follow their medication regimens cost the U.S. healthcare system an estimated $290 billion a year, or 13% of total healthcare expenditures.

The Commonwealth Fund supports research on practical healthcare issues to drive improvement, while also sharing data publicly. Lately, its task has been formidable.

Approximately 75 million Americans have two or more chronic conditions, Often the sickest members of a population, they experience a serious disconnect.

The restaurant industry is the second largest private-sector employer which also represents a significant portion of the uninsured population.

A far-reaching provision related to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act involves the 1099 tax reporting requirements and how they are expanded in the healthcare reform.

Medicare Advantage plans have maintained their value in the eyes of the marketplace.

The effect of new Medicaid expansion under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will depend largely on federal and state actions to roll out the provisions and encourage enrollment.

A pilot study of resveratrol in 10 older adults suggests that the compound may be beneficial for patients with impaired glucose tolerance.

In patients with type 2 diabetes, treatment with exenatide once weekly for 1 year results in sustained improvements in glycemic control, body weight, cardiovascular risk markers, and markers of hepatic injury, according to a pooled analysis of 2 large clinical trials.

A post hoc analysis of 5 clinical trials of liraglutide suggests that it was significantly better than active comparators on a composite end point of glycated hemoglobin less than 7% without hypoglycemia or weight gain, reported French investigators.

Liraglutide is more successful in reducing glycated hemoglobin levels to 7% or less regardless of baseline glycated hemoglobin level compared with sitagliptin in adults with type 2 diabetes, said Melanie Davies, MD, MB ChB, professor of diabetes medicine, University of Leicester, United Kingdom.

Patients who are not well controlled on metformin may get better control of glycated hemoglobin levels and weight using once-weekly exenatide than by titrating insulin glargine.

Data from phase 3 trials of an investigational once-weekly injectable human GLP-1 analog?taspoglutide?show that it compares favorably with currently available agents in terms of glycemic control while offering favorable gastrointestinal tolerability and equal or superior weight loss.

A new Harris Interactive poll shows a majority of American parents believe they, rather than the government, should have the final say in which vaccines their children receive.