News

A study of 1.7 million patients with diabetes indicates that reducing inflammation of the mouth can produce improvement in other health measures.

While most states have policies to evaluate premium increases, the Rate Review Program under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) puts a brighter spotlight on states' authority.

FDA has approved cabozantinib (Cometriq, Exelixis and AstraZeneca) for the treatment of progressive, metastatic medullary thyroid cancer (MTC).

Patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) who also have diabetes experienced similar safety and efficacy with dabigatran etexilate mesylate (Pradaxa) 150 mg or dabigatran 110 mg relative to warfarin, in comparison to patients without diabetes who have NVAF, according to data presented at American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2012.

An FDA advisory panel voted against making oxybutynin transdermal patch (Oxytrol, Merck and Watson Pharma) available over-the-counter (OTC) for overactive bladder (OAB) in women, Medpage Today reported.

The Obama administration moved ahead to implement provisions in the healthcare law that would make it illegal for insurance companies to deny coverage for those with pre-existing conditions. Other provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) also would make it easier for consumers to compare health plans and easier for employers to promote and encourage employee wellness.

Prostaglandin inhibitors, such as celecoxib (Celebrex, Pfizer) and indomethacin (Indocin, Merck and Lundbeck) and calcium channel blockers, such as nifedipine and nicardipine (Cardene, Cornerstone Therapeutics) had the highest probability of delaying premature labor by 48 hours and improving maternal and neonatal outcomes, according to a systemic review and network meta-analysis published in a recent issue of BMJ.

Low back pain may be difficult to self-manage, study says Self-management has small effects on pain and disability in people with low back pain, according to a study published online in Arthritis Care & Research.

Blue Shield of California is collaborating on a ?continuous learning center? (CLC) designed for ACO implementation.

PPACA defines a minimum level of coverage as "Essential Health Benefits." States must meet certain benchmarks across 10 categories.

When it comes to federal spending reductions, everything is on the table, including healthcare reforms.

Prescription-drug treatment regimens for conditions are a normal part of aging are now costing the nation more than many serious and potentially life-threatening disease, according to new research from Express Scripts.

FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg was asked if the fungal meningitis outbreak could have been prevented by FDA during a 4-hour hearing Nov. 14 headed by the chairman of the House Energy and Commerce oversight subcommittee. Her answer was that FDA had limited authority because the New England Compounding Center (NECC), Framingham, Mass., was a ?compounding pharmacy,? which is regulated by the state Board of Pharmacy.

Sanofi is lowering the price of ziv-aflibercept (Zaltrap) for previously treated colorectal cancer by half after physicians at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) said that they would not use the drug, according to The New York Times.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons has updated its clinical practice guidelines on use of antiplatelet drugs during heart surgery. The new guideline, published in the November 2012 issue of The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, takes into account newly available antiplatelet therapies, new scientific information, and a broader use of antiplatelet drugs such as before lung and vascular procedures, according to Newswise.

FDA has fast-tracked etirinotecan pegol (NKTR-102) (Nektar Therapeutics) for the treatment of patients with locally recurrent or metastatic breast cancer progressing after treatment with an anthracycline, a taxane, and capecitabine (ATC).

James D. Coffey, RPh, director of the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Pharmacy, has been removed from his position after allegedly failing to follow up on a complaint about the New England Compounding Pharmacy (NECC) from the Colorado Board of Pharmacy in July. In addition, Susan Manning, the Massachusett’s Board attorney has been placed on administrative leave, according to a statement from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Investigators from the Tennessee Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided an aggressive public health response following a single case of Aspergillus fumigatus meningitis in an immunocompetent adult who had received an epidural injection of preservative-free methylprednisolone acetate at a clinic in Tennessee, according to a report published Nov. 7 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

With President Obama’s re-election, implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will move forward, full speed ahead, according to one industry expert.

FDA has approved tofacitinib (Xeljanz, Pfizer) to treat adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have had an inadequate response to, or who are intolerant of, methotrexate.

Plans expect rules now that election is over

An automated online self-management program may help employees with prehypertension or hypertension achieve adequate blood pressure control, according to a study published in the October issue of American Heart Journal.

Bleeding rates associated with new use of dabigatran (Pradaxa, Boehringer Ingelheim) do not appear to be higher than bleeding rates associated with new use of warfarin, according to an FDA safety review of post-market reports of serious bleeding events.

Two recalled products manufactured by the New England Compounding Center (NECC), Farmingham, Mass., have tested positive for bacterial contamination, according to an FDA update.

Congressman Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) plans to introduce legislation that he believes will strengthen FDA's authority to oversee compounding pharmacies. The New England Compounding Center, located in Rep. Markey's congressional district, is the source of contaminated injectable steroids that led to a national meningitis outbreak, claiming 28 lives and sickening more than 300 people in 19 states, according to a press statement from Markey's office.

MA plans must dig deeper for data and collaborate with providers

Ameridose, LLC, is voluntarily recalling all of its unexpired products in circulation, according to an FDA press release Oct. 31. Ameridose, based in Westborough, Mass., is managed by the same parties that manage the New England Compounding Center (NECC), of Framingham, Mass. Injectable drugs produced by NECC are linked to the fungal meningitis outbreak, which has resulted in 377 fungal meningitis cases, 9 cases of peripheral joint infections and 29 deaths.

Patients taking long-term warfarin who had GI bleeding should probably resume warfarin once the bleeding episode is under control to reduce their risk of thrombosis.