News

Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) Trade Press Scientists are working to develop breakthrough therapies for pancreatic cancer, one of the deadliest cancers affecting men and women.

Because there was no approved medication treatment for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) until mid-October, 2014, physicians primarily focused on non-pharmacological treatments to help patients improve. Even with FDA’s approval of nintedanib (Ofev) and pirfenidone (Esbriet), physicians will continue to recommend certain therapies that generally ease symptoms and improve patients’ quality of life.

While physicians laud FDA’s approval of nintedanib (Ofev) and pirfenidone (Esbriet) for treating idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)-the first approved medications to treat the disease in the United Sates-they don’t know how to use them.

Antiviral drug oseltamavir (Tamiflu, Roche) shortens the length of flu symptoms by about 1 day, and reduces respiratory infections that sometimes develop by 44%, according to a study published in The Lancet.

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) has issued 6 new funding announcements offering up to $138 million in support for studies comparing how well different approaches to care work for patients given their particular circumstances and concerns.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently issued a final rule that updates requirements and strengthens program integrity efforts.

Reforming reimbursement

Payers recognize a growing need for more comprehensive payment methodologies that adequately represent the true market cost of health services today.

Two recent studies show that members who obtain health insurance through state or federal insurance exchanges use more specialty and generic drugs than their counterparts in commercial plans.

After six years on the job, FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg, MD, is resigning from her position. Her tenure has ushered in personalized medicine and faster approval of several drug classes.

Non-medication strategies were effective in hospital patients with delirium, according a new study published in the February 2 edition of the JAMA Internal Medicine.

In what may be the biggest breach in healthcare, as many as 80 million records of current and former Anthem customers have been hacked, The New York Times reported.

Ibrance is a potent and selective inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) 4 and 6, which complex with a regulatory protein, called cyclin, to control cancer cell cycling. The FDA has approved it for use in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer.

Given the spending growth projections for biologics, successful managed care organizations must find a way to ensure appropriate adoption of biosimilars, according to a study published in Health Affairs’ February issue.