News

Clear, actionable comes to the forefront

FDA has approved panitumumab (Vectibix, Amgen) for use in combination with FOLFOX, an oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy regimen, as first-line treatment in patients with wild-type KRAS (exon 2) metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC).

Ten recent policy reports show a consensus on reducing the role of fee-for-service pay structures, says Paul Ginsburg

The lawsuit details violations of the Mental Health Parity

New guidelines will spur a critical and fundamental shift to patient involvement

Ability to access medical data outweighs privacy risks

Fast-changing population trends will force novel approaches to care delivery

Timely and accurate diagnosis, as well as patient access to local resources, are key to managing Alzheimer’s, according to a report from the Alzheimer’s Association.

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is taking a stand on trying to reduce the incidence of hepatitis B (HBV) by recommending that individuals who are at high risk of infection should be screened.

With global disability concerns rising, Voltarra Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Menzies Research Institute at the University of Tasmania in Hobart, Australia, have initiated a phase 3, randomized multicenter clinical trial to assess the efficacy and safety of VOLT01 for controlling knee osteoarthritis (OA).

The risk of an injury was greater among older adults in poorer health

Injecting botulinum toxin injection into the epicardial fat pads prevented recurrences of atrial tachyarrhythmia in the postoperative period in patients with prior paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery, according to results of a study presented at the Heart Rhythm Society meeting in San Francisco.

Patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors have the most common epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation (exon 19 deletion) lived longer if treated with first-line afatinib (Gilotrif) compared to chemotherapy, according to data presented at the 50th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), in Chicago.

Pirfenidone (Esbriet), an oral antifibrotic therapy, was able to reduce progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and reduce the risk of mortality, according to phase 3 trial results presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference in San Diego.

FDA has approved vedolizumab (Entyvio, Takeda) injection to treat adult patients with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis and adult patients with moderate to severe Crohn‘s disease.

To balance priorities, consider the 2014 requirements

As payers continue to pursue narrow networks, addressing legal issues early on is critical

Funds will go toward testing models designed to deliver better care outcomes and lower costs

The fixed-dose combination of tiotropium and olodaterol (T+O FDC) has the potential to become a viable once-daily chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) treatment, according to data presented at the 2014 American Thoracic Society (ATS) International Conference, in San Diego.

Clinicians should not start or continue statins in patients with sepsis-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), according to a study published in the May 18, 2014, New England Journal of Medicine, along with accompanying editorials evaluating the research’s goals and outcomes.

Nintedanib, an investigational small molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI), slowed lung function loss in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), according to the results of 2 pivotal phase 3 trials presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference in San Diego.

Value-based payment models require collaborative efforts among stakeholders

A mathematical model to predict-and a portable inkjet technology to produce-exact medication dosages tailored for specific patients, an advance in personalized medicine that could improve drug effectiveness and reduce adverse reactions, has been created by Purdue University researchers.

The authors of 2 articles that were published last year in the BMJ are now withdrawing statements they made about the adverse effects of statin drugs.

FDA has decided not to approve acute heart failure drug serelaxin (Novartis).

Consistent with treatment guidelines, more rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients are starting glucocorticoids early in their disease course, according to a study published online in Arthritis Care & Research.

Applying a value-based design to high-deductible plans would encourage chronically ill patients not to forgo necessary services

Kids exposed to antibiotics in the first year of life had double the risk of developing early-onset childhood asthma, according to a study published online in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology.