News

Fingolimod is an investigational drug being studied for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and may represent a first-in-class sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor modulator as well as the first oral therapy for the treatment of RRMS.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a significant cause of disability among young adults, more commonly women, and usually strikes patients in the prime of their lives. Despite recent therapeutic advancements, MS remains an incurable, chronic illness. Clinical evidence supports the role of disease-modifying therapy early in the disease course to reduce the number of acute attacks, delay disease progression, maintain quality of life, and prevent disability.

In patients with low back pain of at least moderate severity and lasting for at least 6 weeks, a new 7-day buprenorphine transdermal system was found to provide better pain control, improve sleep quality, and health-related quality of life as compared with placebo.

New Formulation: Buprenorphine (Butrans) was approved in June for the management of moderate-to-severe chronic pain in patients requiring a continuous, around-the-clock opioid analgesic for an extended period of time.

On July 8, FDA released a "Drug Safety Communication" warning that off-label use of quinine sulfate (Qualaquin, AR Scientific) to treat night-time leg cramps has been found to result in serious and life-threatening adverse effects.

A systematic review and meta-analysis conducted by researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, suggests that angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) are associated with "a modestly increased risk" of developing cancer (RR increase of 8%, P=.016).

Generic drugs approved by FDA (through July 2010): Naratriptan hydrochloride tablets, Famotidine for oral suspension, Adapalene cream, Enoxaparin sodium injection, Oxymorphone hydrochloride

New Combination: Mometasone furoate and formoterol fumarate dihydrate (Dulera) was approved in June for the treatment of asthma in patients ?12 years of age.

Seven-day, transdermal buprenorphine patches are as effective as sublingual buprenorphine in the treatment of patients with osteoarthritis pain, according to a randomized, double-blind clinical trial recently published on-line ahead of print in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management.

A number of high-profile drug and biotech manufacturing breakdowns in recent months is raising questions about industry investment in, and commitment to, modern production systems able to meet FDA standards.

Technology is being thrust to the foreground, to enable preventive care and advance the outcomes of managed care.

For any savvy health insurer that expects to remain competitive in the increasingly challenging industry, health and wellness programs are no longer novel. Rather, the offerings of a health and wellness program have evolved into an imperative way to engage current and potential customers, as well as positively affect an organization's bottom line.

When disease management began, it just entailed a series of programs with a singular focus. Whether you had asthma, coronary artery disease, heart failure, diabetes or COPD, disease management programs managed only one chronic illness at a time.

One of the first visible payoffs of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is the $250 rebate checks sent to thousands of seniors with high drug costs. Other strategies are built on questionable long-term outlooks.

Stronger opioids such as morphine, hydromorphone, oxymorphone, methadone, levorphanol, fentanyl and oxycodone are generally used for treatment of moderate to severe pain.

Nationwide, members are increasingly keeping their Medicaid coverage for a longer duration of time than has been typical in the past, and funding is thinner than ever.

A Kaiser Family Foundation survey reveals that 77% of enrollees with non-group coverage faced premium increases in the past year and "ever skimpier coverage."

Last year, prescription drug use among children rose almost four times faster than that of the overall population.

Accountable care organizations have become a hot commodity since the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act opened the door for health plans to contract through an ACO for commercial enrollees. The momentum of ACOs will likely increase.

Employers are expressing frustration at lack of participation in wellness programs. This is in light of the fact that there was an increase in the number of such programs offered from 2008 to 2010.

Behavior modification is universally regarded as the best option to fight obesity, but plans can't do it alone.

Stakeholders seek uniformity of standards for several types of electronic health information transactions and specific operating rules, n one of which will be easy to implement.

There is great debate about the rigor of RCTs, which only demonstrate drug efficacy in comparison to a placebo and often test relatively homogenous populations.

The American Medical Association released its "Health Insurer Code of Conduct Principles," which defines 10 standards AMA believes will ensure consistent corporate practices.

Primary care providers are increasingly caring for and treating people living with HIV, according to a recent survey by HealthHIV.

Innovative payers are starting to look differently at how they build their pharmacy network, using a bottom-up approach to network design.

Some 70% of survey prescription drug users reported concerns about therapeutic substitutions without a physician's consent.

The regulations provide guidance to employers and sponsors regarding the definition of a grandfathered health plan, as well as the changes that may and may not be made.

The application of pharmacogenomics-the science of how genetic variations influence drug response-is new to the field of health benefit management, and its potential to improve care and reduce costs is significant.

The Money Follows the Person (MFP) demonstration, a federal initiative launched in 2005 and extended in 2010 as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, provides funds to help states transition elderly people and people with disabilities from long-term care institutions to receive care in the community in the setting of their choice.