News

FDA has approved antibacterial drug tedizolid phosphate (Sivextro, Cubist Pharmaceuticals to treat adults with skin infections.

Teen suicide attempts went up about 22% after FDA warned about dangers of antidepressants, according to a study published in the June 18 BMJ.

FDA is requiring manufacturers of all approved testosterone products to include a warning in the drug labeling about the risk of blood clots in the veins, also known as venous thromboembolism (VTE), including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE).

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.

An extended-release formulation of topiramate (Qudexy XR, Upsher-Smith Laboratories) has been shown to be sale and effective in refractory epilepsy patients in a global phase 3 clinical trial.

American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions in San Francisco, showed that investigational, non-insulin, once-weekly dulaglutide 1.5 mg provided significant blood glucose control for patients with type 2 diabetes.

Pharmacy benefits managers are paying attention to medications that specifically target children

Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals presented positive results from a phase 3 trial of investigational drug sarilumab in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who were inadequate responders to methotrexate (MTX) therapy at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress (EULAR 2014) Congress in Paris, France.

LY2963016 insulin glargine has a similar safety and efficacy profile to currently marketed insulin glargine, according to data recently presented the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Scientific Sessions in San Francisco.

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.

In a 2-year study, empagliflozin as add-on to metformin demonstrated significantly greater decreases in hemoglobin A1c (a measure of average blood glucose over the past 2 to 3 months), body weight and blood pressure compared with glimepiride as add-on to metformin in adults with type 2 diabetes.

Approaches include the enlistment of care coordination programs and overhauling existing chronic care models

A pertussis (whooping cough) epidemic has been declared in California, according to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH).

Size of the increase often relates to the percentage of market share a plan has achieved

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.

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.

Findings project total enrollment will eventually surpass state and federally-funded exchanges, reaching 40 million by 2018

Focusing attention on these individuals can bring both short-term and long-term clinical and economic benefits

The introduction of rotavirus vaccines has substantially reduced the healthcare utilization related to diarrhea in children residing in the United States, according to a new study published in Pediatrics.

Rivaroxaban (Xarelto, Bayer Pharma/Janssen Pharmaceuticals) may be used as an alternative to warfarin in older patients with atrial fibrillation.

FDA has granted priority review for AbbVie’s investigational, all-oral, interferon-free regimen for the treatment of adult patients with chronic genotype 1 hepatitis C virus infection.

To raise awareness of the prevalence of unsafe injection practices, the Joint Commission has issued a Sentinel Event Alert to educate healthcare organizations and healthcare workers on the risks of misusing vials of injectable medical products.

Future therapies for chronic hepatitis C that have greater tolerability, simplified dosing schedules, shorter treatment duration, and more favorable safety profiles are needed to improve adherence and enhance treatment effectiveness, according to an abstract published in Value in Health. Treatments with fewer contraindications are also needed to expand available treatments to more patients in need of effective therapy.

African Americans taking the diabetes drug metformin saw greater improvements in their blood sugar control than white patients who were prescribed the same medication, according to a study published in the Endocrine Society’s Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

Sepsis or “severe infection” has returned as a major cause of death in inpatients, and disability among survivors, according to a new issue brief from the Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation (CHRT).

FDA has approved Antihemophilic Factor (Recombinant), Fc Fusion Protein (Eloctate, Biogen Idec) for the control and prevention of bleeding episodes, perioperative (surgical) management and routine prophylaxis in adults and children with hemophilia A.

Lowest rate achieved since 2008

Pain management is gradually becoming a topic of conversation and gaining considerable attention as it relates to providing quality services for those with acute or chronic pain ailments. Pain can affect millions of Americans and it contributes significantly to national rates of morbidity, mortality, and disability.

Ibrutinib (Imbruvica) outperformed ofatumumab as a second-line therapy, for the treatment of relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), according to a multicenter interim study published in the OnLine First edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.

In a move that is intended to foster access to cholesterol-lowering therapy for patients who will best benefit, Cigna has entered into a first-of-its-kind contract with AstraZeneca to help ensure that patients are given an appropriate cholesterol-lowering medication based on their treatment needs.