Peter Wehrwein, Managing Editor

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) expert Sallie Permar, M.D., Ph.D., of NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center says lack of awareness and funding as well as some characteristics of the virus itself have slowed development of vaccine against CMV.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) expert Sallie Permar, M.D., Ph.D., of NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center says the epidemiology of congenital CMV hasn’t varied much over the years and that the condition does disproportionately affect lower socioeconomic populations and communities of color in the U.S.

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) expert Sallie Permar, M.D., Ph.D., of NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center says that as the most common infectious cause of long-term disability CMV should be the number one target of vaccine development.

Su Wang, M.D., M. P.H., of Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center says liberalizing and simplifying hepatitis B treatment guidelines would elevate patient-centered decision-making and help reduce transmission of the virus.

Opill (norgestrel) is expected to be available early in 2024. Whether it truly broadens access to daily contraception will depend on Medicaid coverage, which is spotty, requirements under the ACA and pharmacist prescribing.

Two-thirds of patients with renal comorbidities achieved “clinical success” with the new fecal microbiota treatment for C. difficile.

Patients with chronic kidney disease and other renal impairments tend to have worse outcomes from C. difficile infections.

The new chief scientific officer of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation talked about the search for what triggers the chronic inflammation of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.

The chair of Harvard Medical School’s bioinformatics department says the deterministic, discrete data of billing and reimbursement means that artificial intelligence’s first big impact in healthcare is likely to be in “the business of healthcare.”

The new chief scientific officer of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation talked about what motivated him to pursue a career researching and taking care of Crohn’s and colitis patients.

A hemophilia expert makes some comparisons between the two approved gene therapies for hemophilia.

The authors of a case series reported in today's edition of JAMA Ophthalmology say silicone oil droplets from silicone used to lubricate the McKesson syringes is the most likely cause of the droplets presumed to cause the floaters. Of the 55 patients treated with Syfovre, 16 developed floaters.

It differs from the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine. Instead of using mRNA, the Novavax vaccines consists of proteins found in the spikes of the COVID-19 vaccine combined with an adjuvant made from the bark of a tree that grows in Chile.

Data from clinical trials suggest that the vast majority of the patients respond to the gene therapy for hemophilia A, says Courtney Thornburg, M.D., M.S. But there is also decreasing factor expression.

Roctavian for hemophilia A and Hemgenix for hemophilia B could spare some patients from treatment that involves intravenous infusions of clotting factors several times a week. But a hemophilia expert cautions that the high-priced gene therapies aren’t a cure and that the reprieve won’t last a lifetime.

Goldsack discussed applying AI and full-stack virtual care-first solutions in oncology and the Digital Medicine Society’s role in CancerX, one of the Biden administration’s Cancer Moonshot initiatives in a recent interview with Managed Healthcare Executive.

Goldsack also pointed to Podimetrics and its SmartMat product, which detects the warning signs of diabetic foot ulcers, as a digital health success story: “That is the sort of thing we want to see.”

Goldsack also explained the Digital Medicine Society’s role as a convener and developer of evidentiary frameworks in a recent interview with Managed Healthcare Executive.

Researchers in Switzlerland reported results from a small, proof-of-concept study in JAMA Ophthalmology that suggest an iPhone 11 and an app may be superior to traditional measurement with an Hertel exophthalmometer.

The National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions issued a report today debunking what it says are 10 myths used by hospitals to justify the high prices they charge health plans sponsored by employers. The American Hospital Association responded with a statement that said report was a rehash of anti-hospital talking points.

Patient autonomy needs to be balanced with an obligation to educate patients about the risk and benefits of the complementary and alternative medicine treatments, say the authors of an article in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Injectafer (ferric carboxymaltose injection) was no better than a placebo in a double-blind study of patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction. The researchers offered several possible explanations for the unexpected result. Were reduced hospitalizations during the COVID-19 pandemic perhaps a factor?

The GLAAD HIV Stigma Survey also showed big differences in HIV knowledge among generations.

Two gene therapy trials using adeno-associated viral vectors are underway. A review paper published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine says lifelong treatment with chelators is effective but adherence is a problem.

Thompson, the president of the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, said if that 20% of the market changes way it deals with PBMs “it will change the market, it will change the conversation, it will change the practices of key players.”

The advent of the direct-acting antivirals, such as Harvoni (ledipasvir and sofosbuvir) means people can be treated for HCV infection if they receive a heart from an HCV-viremic donor, according to a recent review paper. The supply of hearts available for transplantation has increased, partly because HCV-viremic individuals are now part of the donor pool.

Panelists at the 2023 PBMI Annual National Conference mentioned post-marketing studies and changing the mind-set about what a prescription entails.

Mike Steelman, vice president, Managed Markets, Dexcom presented on the pathways to implement non-prescription digital therapeutics at the 2023 PBMI Annual National Conference in Orlando. In this interview with Managed Healthcare Executive, Steelman suggests that creating "certainty in an uncertain world" in the digital therapeutic space could potentially open up doors for further use of these tools.