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Death due to opioid overdose rising in United States

Drug overdose deaths in the United States increased for the 11th consecutive year in 2010, according to an analysis from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and. continued to rise in 2011, the most recent year for which data were available.

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Study: Childhood vaccines are safe, low risk

There are some risks associated with some childhood vaccinations, but overall the evidence shows that vaccines are very safe, according a study published in the July 1 online edition and the August print issue of Pediatrics.

Compounded ingredient costs: PBMs take action

In response to rising compounding drug costs, pharmacy benefit managers, such as Express Scripts, have made moves to restrict their coverage for active ingredients used by compounding pharmacies.

[BLOG] Clinical trial collaborations: An idea whose time has come

The cost and time commitment to develop new drugs has increased significantly over the last few decades. A variety of factors come into play, but on average, in terms of total expenditures, it has taken from $3 to $5 billion and up to 15 years to bring a new drug to market. Even after all that time and money, with challenging regulatory requirements and other factors, the odds of a new compound making it from the lab to the pharmacy are miniscule. The chance for a new drug to make it to market is a sobering 1 in 5000.

FDA drug approvals-July 2014

FDA drug approvals, priority review, breakthrough designation, fast-track designations, orphan drug designations, first-time generic approval

Palonosetron’s preferred status

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is among the most feared adverse effects associated with cancer treatment.1 The likelihood of patients experiencing this entity depends on both patient-related and treatment-related factors. Not all chemotherapeutic products induce equivalent amounts of CINV resulting in the formation of groups contingent on the frequency of CINV in patients receiving a product without antiemetic prophylaxis

ACIP recommends needle-free, nasal flu vaccine for kids

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recommended that when available, the needle-free, nasal flu vaccine (Live Attenuated Influenza Vaccine [LAIV]) should be used for healthy children aged 2 to 8 years, who have no contraindications or precautions.

Support consumer access to specialty medications through value-based insurance design

The driving force behind consumer cost-sharing provisions for specialty medications is the acquisition cost and not clinical value. This appears to be true for almost all public and private health plans, says a new report from researchers at the University of Michigan Center for Value-Based Insurance Design (V-BID Center) and the National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC).

5 ways to manage specialty drug expenses

By 2018, specialty drug expenses will comprise 60% of all drug spend, 3 times more than 2014, according to Prime Therapeutics 2014 Report on prescription drug cost analysis.

SSRIs in pregnancy not linked to cardiac defects in babies

In pregnancy, first trimester use of antidepressants does not substantively increase the risk of specific cardiac defects in babies, and should not be an important consideration in the treatment decision, according to a study published in the June 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

ADA: Empagliflozin versus placebo controlled patients with type 2 diabetes on multiple daily insulin injections

In a 52-week study of obese adults with type 2 diabetes on high insulin doses with or without metformin, adding empagliflozin to multiple daily insulin injections significantly reduced blood glucose and body weight with lower insulin doses compared with placebo, according to data recently presented at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Scientific Sessions in San Francisco.

ASCO: Ipilimumab improves recurrence-free survival in melanoma

Ipilimumab (Yervoy, Bristol-Myers Squibb) significantly improved recurrence-free survival in patients with stage 3 melanoma in the adjuvant setting, compared to placebo, according to data presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago.

ADA: Canola oil can help control blood glucose in people with type 2 diabetes

Unhydrogenated, unsaturated vegetable oils, such as canola oil, can have health advantages when included in as part of a low-glycemic index (GI) diet in people with type 2 diabetes, according to research presented at American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions in San Francisco, and published in Diabetes Care.