News

FDA pipeline

New statin approved for the treatmentof various lipid disorders

In these tight economic times, hospitals and managed care organizations are looking to eliminate unnecessary costs.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways affecting 5%–7% of the US and European populations. It accounts for nearly 400,000 hospitalizations and 5,000 deaths per year. Acute asthma comprises those asthmatics with severe symptoms, despite attempts at appropriate control. Typically these patients will present to a local emergency department for evaluation and treatment. This review examines the pharmaceutical treatment options made available to these patients in emergency settings, including their risks, benefits, side effects and overall effectiveness. (Formulary 2003;38:537–543.)

Lumiracoxib (Prexige, Novartis) appears to be the next COX-2 specific inhibitor that will be marketed in the United States. Currently, lumiracoxib is being studied for the treatment of osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and acute pain. Lumiracoxib has been shown in vitro to be more selective for the COX-2 isoenzyme compared to rofecoxib and celecoxib, but clinical head-to-head studies between these agents are lacking. Small controlled trials, presented in abstract form, have shown lumiracoxib to have comparable efficacy to diclofenac and celecoxib in osteoarthritis. It has an adverse effect profile similar to other COX-2 inhibitors and superior to traditional NSAIDs concerning gastrointestinal safety, but cardiovascular and renal safety data are still not available. While existing clinical data on lumiracoxib are minimal and only published in abstract form, research is ongoing, including comparing lumiracoxib to ibuprofen and naproxen in the largest arthritis trial undertaken to date. When the results of this study are published, lumiracoxib?s efficacy and safety profile will be better understood. (Formulary 2003;38:528?536.)

Coleman-Stephens v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue tax court okays depression exemption; insurance scams; 2003 Hay Benefits Report tracking the health care cost shift

As prescription drug spending grows, employers ? who pay a large part of the bill ? want to know if they are getting their money's worth. A critical review of scientific literature on some common diseases provides the answer.

Part 5 of a 7-part series: Subtly influencing coworkers, employees with borderline personality traits can prove a real challenge for management.

Strategies must prepare MCOs for the changing face of the American population

Physicians connected to health plans deliver better care, enjoy faster reimbursements, and have a lighter administrative load

Slew of recent lawsuits impact states' awareness of unfair practice allegations

Consumers and providers need to work together to improve overall healthcare

What kind of executive are you? Take the test.

Ranked by total HMO enrollment as of 7-1-2002

Students who aspire to become medical directors because they think it's a laid-back desk job are in for a rude awakening. Unlike the clinical executives of the past, today's medical directors and chief medical officers (CMOs) have enterprising issues on their desks, sprawling out to the remotest edges in the continuum of care.

All of the computer information technology in the world does no good if you don't have the discipline to act on what it's telling you to do. Not only does Kent Clapp, chairman, president and CEO of Medical Mutual of Ohio, apply this principle to running his own organization, he believes it's equally relevant to healthcare consumers.

Returning to the workplace after a diagnosis and treatment of cancer raises many issues for employee and employer alike. Two experts in the field explain why the challenges may not be as daunting as they first seem.

Estrogen plus progestin therapy does not prevent mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in women aged 65 years and older, and it increases the risk for probable dementia in this group, according to researchers from the Women's Health Initiative Memory Study (WHIMS).

Individuals with diabetes are more prone to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, because their low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is similar to that of the general population, they do not usually receive statin or other cholesterol-lowering therapy.

Cyclooxygenase-2 selective inhibitiors, better known as coxibs, may not be cost-effective for treatment of chronic arthritis pain in patients at average risk for ulcer complications as compared with nonselective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), according to a study recently published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. Using a coxib versus a NSAID cost an incremental $275,809 per year to gain 1 additional quality-adjusted life-year (QALY). For patients with a history of bleeding ulcers, however, the incremental cost per QALY gained decreased to $55,803.

Fondaparinux (Arixtra, Organon/Sanofi-Synthelabo) is at least as effective and safe as the low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) dalteparin for the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) following major abdominal surgery, according to results from the Pentasaccharide in General Surgery Study (PEGASUS). Fondaparinux is the first and only synthetic selective Factor Xa inhibitor indicated for the prophylaxis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

Current medical therapy for chronic stable angina (CSA) is targeted at reducing the frequency of anginal symptoms and improving exercise tolerance by increasing myocardial oxygen supply and/or reducing myocardial oxygen demand. Pharmacological therapy for CSA is limited since traditional agents provide pain relief by reducing the work of the heart or dilating arterioles in an attempt to enhance supply. Combinations of these agents can induce profound reductions in blood pressure that limit the aggressive dosing needed in some patients. Metabolic modulators seek to overcome this issue through a novel mechanism of action. Ranolazine (Renexa, CV Therapeutics) is a partial fatty oxidase (pFOX) inhibitor that increases the amount of ATP produced from glucose and increases the ability of the myocardium to retain functionality despite a reduced oxygen supply. (Formulary 2003;38:461?476)

Patients with diabetes are at extremely high risk for cardiovascular disease. Because glucose control is associated with only modest reductions in macrovascular complications, efforts must be made to specifically target other cardiovascular risk factors. Diabetes is associated with a characteristic lipid profile: low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and high triglyceride levels with or without high low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels. This profile is also found in patients with early-onset coronary heart disease and correlates with increased atherogenesis. Multiple clinical trials have demonstrated that lipid-modifying therapy in patients with diabetes decreases cardiovascular risk. Management targeting all lipid abnormalities may represent the best treatment strategy since many patients with diabetes do not have elevated LDL-C levels. Combining lipid-modifying agents is also an attractive option for normalizing multiple lipid abnormalities. (Formulary 2003;38:478-497)

Managed care is especially vulnerable to cybersabotage because of consolidations and corporate growth.

What is predictive modeling and how can you leverage it

Protect your company from a crime that's on the rise

Impediments are present for new technology adoption, among them are cost and turf

IHN longevity