Authors
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KFF Webinar Explores Insurance Coverage of OpillLaurie Sobel, associate director for women’s health policy at KFF, moderated a panel discussion about the challenges associated with providing insurance coverage for the first FDA-approved oral contraceptive, Opill.
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Hemophilia Groups Protest BCBS of Tennessee Formulary ExclusionsThe patient groups say the insurer is cutting off access to important medications. The Tennessee Blues plans say many of the drugs that it excluded from coverage have zero utilization.
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Drugs and Older Age: An Increasingly Deadly CombinationTwo reports show that drug-related deaths are skyrocketing among people 65 years and older.
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FDA Approves Rezdiffra, First Drug for NASHMadrigal Pharmaceuticals is pricing Rezdiffra (resmetirom) at wholesale acquisition price of $47,400 per year.
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KFF: Some Medicaid Beneficiaries are Uninsured After Being DisenrolledMore than half of those survey by KFF who were disenrolled from Medicaid said they put off needed medical care because of costs.
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California Sues Drug Makers, PBMs Over Rising Prices for InsulinLawsuit accuses the companies of using unlawful, unfair, and deceptive practices.
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Antimicrobial stewardship programs-A review for the formulary decision-makerAntimicrobial stewardship programs are being implemented in a variety of settings to assist with the challenges associated with the management of infectious diseases. Here's a review of ASPs from the perspective of a formulary decision-maker.
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FDA Approves GSK's BLA for 5-in-1 Meningococcal VaccineThe vaccine combines the antigenic components of its two meningococcal vaccines: Bexsero and Menveo. The action date is Feb. 14, 2025.
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GlaxoSmithKline Halts RSV Vaccine Trials in Pregnant WomenThe setback for GlaxoSmithKline comes amid a multicompany race to develop a vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus infections.
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Up, Up and Not Going Away: Cancer Drug PricesEscalating costs are hitting patients hard. CMS price negotiation and the $2,000 cap on Part D out-of-pocket expenses should benefit many patients with Medicare coverage.
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Analysis Finds Biosimilars Can Reduce Total Cost of CareA simulation study estimated the impact of biosimilar substitution on total cost of care and provider financial performance in the final performance period of the Oncology Care Model.
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Second mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine in Primary Series Can Be Extended to 8 Weeks for Some IndividualsThis guidance discusses that individuals 12 years and older can receive the second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine 3-8 weeks after the first. Additionally, the interval for those 18 years and older for Moderna is 4-8 weeks.
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FDA Warns About Malignancies from CAR-T TherapiesThe FDA orders new warnings for CAR-T cell therapies due to reports of T-cell malignancies, including fatal cases, applying to BCMA- and CD19-directed genetically modified autologous T-cell immunotherapies.
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Spending on Children’s Mental Health Conditions Increases, Study FindsIn 2021, pediatric mental health conditions were associated with $31 billion in child spending and $59 billion in household spending, which made up 46.6% of all pediatric medical spending that year.
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Payers Recognize the Benefits, but Still See Weight Loss Drugs through a Cost LensJeffrey Casberg, M.S., R.Ph., a senior vice president of clinical pharmacy at IPD Analytics LLC, a drug intelligence firm that advises payers and pharmaceutical companies, talks about how payers are thinking about weight-loss drugs.
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Study: One-Third of ACOs Use Digital Health Tools for Opioid Use DisorderAccountable care organizations (ACOs) use digital health to complement traditional resources.
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Inflation Reduction Act and the Impact on Pharmaceutical Pricing and Investment DecisionsThe reference to “maximum fair price” in the act bodes poorly for manufacturers and suggests more of a take-it-or-leave-it situation rather than a negotiation where clinical evidence would be the prevailing factor in determining price.
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Long-term Study Shows Gardasil 9 Effective Against HPV-Related CancersIn a 10-year, follow-up study in patients vaccinated with Gardasil 9, no cases of HPV-related cancers or genital warts were seen.
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Antimicrobial stewardship programs-A review for the formulary decision-makerAntimicrobial stewardship programs are being implemented in a variety of settings to assist with the challenges associated with the management of infectious diseases. Here's a review of ASPs from the perspective of a formulary decision-maker.
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Study: Medicaid Coverage Uneven for Gene TherapiesRecent study finds that Medicaid coverage for some of the first gene and cell therapies was at times delayed and not consistent with federal requirements.
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FDA Approves Stelara Biosimilar, SelarsdiAlvotech’s Selarsdi (ustekinumab-aekn), a biosimilar referencing Stelara (ustekinumab), gained FDA approval, making it the second ustekinumab biosimilar and second for the company to be given the green light for the American market.
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Report: Medical Costs to Rise 7% Next YearThe increase is expected to be somewhat offset by the impact of biosimilars coming to market and more care being provided in outpatient settings.
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Survey: Many Support Medicare Coverage of Weight Loss DrugsAlthough most older adults support Medicare coverage of medications for weight loss drugs, only one in three favor paying more in premiums for this coverage, finds University of Michigan survey.
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FDA Approves Chikungunya Virus VaccineIxchiq was approved through the FDA Accelerated Approval pathway.
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Review: Patients Can Safely Switch to BiosimilarsResearchers in this review suggest clinical trials of biosimilars include switching studies to assess the pharmacokinetics of the biosimilar candidate.
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Amylyx Pulls ALS Treatment Off Market With a Few Thousand Still on Treatment as of Late '23Approved in late September 2022, Relyvrio will no longer be available for new amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients.
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Pfizer Tornado Plant Damage Not Affecting Penicillin SupplyThe supply of fentanyl, epinephrine injection, and heparin, however, have been impacted by the July 19 tornado at Pfizer's North Carolina facility.
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Overactive bladder drug not linked to CV eventsPatients with overactive bladder taking this OAB drug did not experience an excess risk of CV events compared with other treatments.
