News

The outcry from physicians, pharmacists, and patients over disruptions in supplies of vital medicines to treat cancer, pain, and other serious conditions is drawing attention from the White House, Congress and the broader healthcare system.

Switching hospitalized patients able to take medication by mouth from intravenous to pill forms of the same drugs could safely save millions of dollars a year.

Pharmacogenomics can change the way patients are treated.

Patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV) who were more adherence to their pegylated interferon and ribavirin treatment were more likely to achieve both an early and sustained virologic response.

When an anthracycline is not used concomitantly with adjuvant trastuzumab to treat HER2-positive breast cancer, cardiac toxicity is reduced.

Specialty pharmaceutical research and development spending is expected to increase with the focus on "biobetters", biosimilars, and novel therapies.

The rheumatoid arthritis payer market has experienced increasingly competitive forces, prompting RA drug manufacturers to experiment with new contracting initiatives to gain preferred formulary placement.

Recent FDA Approvals (through October 2011) related to Xarelto, Combivent Respimat Inhalation Spray, Exparel, Byetta, Onfi, Euflexxa, Cialis, Clindamycin injection, Ferriprox

New molecular entity: Ezogabine was FDA approved for use as an add-on medication to treat partial-onset seizures associated with epilepsy in adults.

Recent FDA action (through October 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

Crizotinib is a new kinase inhibitor recently approved by FDA for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer who express the anaplastic lymphoma kinase gene.

Among the long-awaited provisions in PPACA are the additions to the Public Health Service Act that allow for the introduction of biosimilar medications to the marketplace.

Two Drug Safety Communications providing updated warnings regarding potentially serious interactions when methylene blue or linezolid are co-administered with certain serotonergic psychiatric medications were released by FDA on October 20, 2011.

The Obama administration has moved one step closer to defining the healthcare services insurers will have to offer in exchanges.

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.

FDA has approved bupivacaine hydrochloride injection, USP (Sagent and Strides Arcolab), a local or regional anesthetic, for use in surgery, dental and oral surgery procedures, diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, and obstetrical procedures.

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.