News

Senior Vice President of OptumRx, Savitha Vivian, shares with MHE when expected upcoming biosimilars are coming to market and the challenges she's seeing with biosimilar acceptance.

High hopes for COVID-19 vaccine for children before the end of the year, Breakthrough Designation for Jardiance, thumbs down on an EUA for cytokine storm therapy and no decision yet on Juul's vaping products.

In an interview with MHE, SVP Savitha Vivian said the biosimilars to Humira and Novolog that are expected to be on the market in the next few years could have the kind of impact that proponents of biosimilars have been hoping for.

Briana Contreras of MHE met Stephanie Mercado, CEO and Executive Director of NAHQ (National Association for Healthcare Quality) for this week's episode of Tuning In to the C-Suite. The two discussed NAHQ’s mission to improve healthcare quality and what improvements, as well as shortcomings have been made. She also shared what steps need to be taken in healthcare as a whole to continue improving the quality of care.

The former FDA commissioner's presentation on Monday will kick off three-day meeting that will cover contracting, drug benefit design, cost containment and a wide range of other pharmacy benefit topics.

Community health workers can address social determinants of health, and some programs have been shown to reduce healthcare costs.

Point32Health is the name of the not-for-profit health care organization formed by the merger of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Tufts Health Plan.

A genomic analysis of the lung cancer tumors of 232 never smokers grouped them into three categories with musical names: piano, mezzo-forte and forte.

Medicare funding shortfalls may trickle down to the Medicare Advantage plans and the Star Rating program bonuses, which have quadrupled in recent years.

With healthcare costs outpacing income growth and health insurance deductibles increasing by 212% over the past decade, many patients are left feeling that their health insurance doesn’t provide as much value as it did 10 years ago.

Investigators find there is strong adherence soon after patients fill prescriptions but less consistent use after initial treatment.

Prices in American healthcare are difficult to nail down because they are obscured by secret negotiations between payers and providers and, in the case of drugs, pharmaceutical manufacturers. But that is beginning to change.

For an assortment of reasons, the federal government hasn’t taken any action on regulating drug prices, so a handful of states have taken matters into their own hands.

Patients faced with high out-of-pocket costs sometimes delay seeking care for appendicitis or diverticulitis, which can result in higher overall costs, increased risk of mortality, and a worse quality of life.

A large Netherlands study demonstrated that rituximab biosimilars (R-biosimilars) produced a 43% reduction in annual costs. In addition, three-year overall survival did not differ between diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and those receiving rituximab, according to the researchers.

The CDC and the FDA have updated their recommendations for the 2021-2022 flu season.

Lack of antibodies from vaccination mainly affects patients with B cell cancers. Experts say antibodies are just one piece of the puzzle and that other aspects of the immune system fend off serious cases of COVID-19.

The researchers suggest that additional support may be needed to ensure continuous and potentially increased use of antiretroviral treatment and medication for opioid use disorders and subsequent viral suppression.

Approvals for a twice-yearly schizophrenia therapy and a seizure drug for infants, a full approval for Keytruda, and a revised EUA for a COVID-19 therapy round out the week.

U.S. hospitals are spending $310 million annually to manage the additional clinical, operational, logistical, and patient care work associated with white and brown bagging requirements, according to a new report.

Almost 21% of adults were uninsured in states that failed to expand Medicaid, compared to about 10% of adults in expansion states.

Three notable medications to treat liver diseases are expected to come online in the third quarter of 2021 and in 2022, according to PBM OptumRx.

A new study gives physicians the power to help patients at risk of obstructive sleep apnea, but it also highlights the relative lack of public attention on prevention.

Almost 95% of U.S. employers surveyed expect to see increased demand for medical services due to employees deferring care because of the pandemic. More than 90% are concerned about their employees’ long-term mental health because of COVID-19, according to a survey of 136 large employers by the Business Group on Health.

Johnson & Johnson’s experimental HIV vaccine, which uses the same technology as its COVID-19 vaccine, was found to not be effective at preventing infection.

A targeted therapy using non-thermal radio waves improved overall survival in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients and had no side effects, a new study found.

Tecentriq and Keytruda may also be eventually approved as adjuvant therapies.

In this week’s episode of Tuning In to the C-Suite podcast, MHE Associate Editor Briana Contreras interviewed VillageMD’s Senior Medical Director of Village Medical at Home, Dr. Tom Cornwell. Dr. Cornwell discussed the main benefits of primary care at home, which includes the benefit of cost savings for patients, maintaining control of hospital readmissions and others. Dr. Cornwell also noted what has changed in the industry of at-home care and if there has been interest from payers like insurance companies and medicare in the service.