The deliberate disconnection of Change Healthcare to ring fence a cyberattack entered its seventh day today. Prescribers are finding ways to get pharmacy claims processed, and UnitedHealth Group says disruption to the dispensing of prescriptions has been minimal. But independent pharmacies want more information and protection from financial consequences from pharmacy benefit managers.
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Positive Results for Xolair For Food Allergy Protection. But Will the Protection Last?
February 25th 2024Researchers say the open-label extension of their study suggests the response to Xolair (omalizumab) will be a durable, but an accompanying editorial says that “protection will most likely disappear” after treatment is stopped.
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Beyond Hair Styling: Stylists As HIV PrEP Messengers
February 24th 2024Duke researchers tested a program that involves hair stylists in raising awareness, possible uptake of HIV preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) among Black women, a group that is disproportionately affected by new HIV infections.
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FDA Updates for the Week of Feb 19: Cancer Approval Revoked
February 24th 2024The FDA has removed the approval of Pepaxto in multiple myeloma. The agency approved Amtagvi, the first TIL therapy for a solid tumor, as well a new biweekly dosing of Tecvayli for multiple myeloma. The agency has set actions for several products, including a first-in-class lung cancer therapy, a bispecific antibody for advanced multiple myeloma, and another for Dupixent for COPD
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Women Leaders Rally and Urge Health Insurers to Comply with ACA Birth Control Coverage
February 22nd 2024A coalition of women, including members of the Democratic Women’s Caucus (DWC), Pro-Choice Caucus Contraception & Family Planning Task Force, and Senators, took the lead in rallying over 150 House and Senate Democratic colleagues, after the large group of lawmakers wrote a letter yesterday to America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) President and CEO Mike Tuffin addressing that AHIP’s “members are not complying with the Affordable Care Act contraception coverage requirement.."
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A Quarter of Public Sector Health Plan Spending Goes Toward Covering Specialty Drug Costs
February 22nd 2024Because of expensive specialty drugs, pharmacy expenditures accounted for one-quarter of healthcare spending by public sector health plans, according to a new report by two public sector health plan groups.
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