AJMC Staff

What we're reading, November 11, 2016: Medicare premium increases lower than expected for high earners; HHS' Office of Inspector General will increase pharmaceutical oversight; and a study on the safety of mail-order abortion pills.

The FDA today granted approval to the programmed death ligand-1 inhibitor, nivolumab (Opdivo), for treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN), following platinum-based treatment.

What we're reading, November 10, 2016: right-to-die supporters start eyeing the next states; healthcare winners and losers after the election; and women are promoting birth control access before the Affordable Care Act is dismantled.

What we’re reading, November 9, 2016: pharma stocks surge following US election news; Mylan will face an FTC probe over anticompetitive practices with the EpiPen; and Walgreens has filed a lawsuit against its former laboratory testing partner, Theranos.

What we're reading, November 8, 2016: the US may not have a doctor shortage, it may just have an inefficient health system; there is a gap between the richest and poorest countries when it comes to spending on essential medicines; and scientists start another Zika virus vaccine test.

What we’re reading, November 7, 2016: caretaker fraud within Medicaid’s Personal Care Services program left patients neglected and abused; a proposal to increase shift limits for first-year residents from 16 to 28 hours draws both support and criticism; CDC has identified 13 locally-acquired cases of antibiotic-resistant Candida auris in the US.

What we're reading, November 4, 2016: Public option gains momentum among Democrats; a new Veterans Affairs clinic is dedicated to women's health; and Sutter Health in California attempts to prevent lawsuits.

Highlights of press coverage of our reports and peer-reviewed research.

What we're reading, November 3, 2016: gubernatorial races could expand Medicaid in 3 more states; genetic testing wastes billions of dollars; most popular Facebook posts on the Zika virus contained inaccurate information or conspiracy theories.

What we're reading, November 2, 2016: Donald Trump attacks Obamacare while drug makers pour funding into Republican candidates, and Anthem considers reducing Affordable Care Act participation and is under fire in California for auto-renewals.

What we're reading, November 1, 2016: despite law, women in California still struggle to access birth control; Americans mostly believe obesity can be fixed through willpower; and Facebook is going after pharmaceutical advertisements.

A small, early-stage study in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma who had failed multiple treatments or relapsed after stem cell transplant indicates that pembrolizumab could be a favorable treatment option in these patients.

What we’re reading, October 31, 2016: a CDC survey found that although almost 4 in 5 physicians have electronic health record (EHR) systems in place, only one-third use them; Community Health Options, an ACA Marketplace exchange in Maine, will no longer cover elective abortions; CMS improves its Dialysis Facility Compare website and adds patient ratings.

What we're reading, October 28, 2016: Medicare blocks some efforts to automatically move customers eligible for Medicare into Medicare Advantage; the first lung cancer vaccine developed in Cuba will be tested in the US; and American Red Cross and Teladoc partner for disaster relief.

A review of our appearances in the healthcare and mainstream press.

What we're reading, October 27, 2016: the number of counties with just 1 Obamacare insurer will skyrocket in 2017; Teva and IBM partner for 2 projects; and the United States may never be able to rid itself of the Zika virus.

A new study suggests pollution particles could set into motion events like heart attacks and strokes years before they occur.

What we’re reading, October 26, 2016: AAP advises that parents take measures to reduce the risk of SIDS; Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump reacts to ACA premium hikes announced by HHS; patients with ALS volunteer for an accelerated study on the effects of a dietary supplement.

Patients newly diagnosed with non—small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that expresses the programmed death ligand-1 (PD-L1) protein now have a new treatment option: pembrolizumab (Keytruda).

What we're reading, October 25, 2016: individuals with discontinued Obamacare plans will have a special enrollment period; Arizona governor orders limits on opioid prescriptions; and the FDA aims to speed up generic drug reviews.

What we’re reading, October 24, 2016: Cigna makes it easier for clinicians to prescribe drugs to treat opioid addiction; some hospitals move to eliminate sugary drinks from their campuses; and a researcher at the National Cancer Institute was months late to notify authorities of 2 deaths in the clinical trial he oversaw.

Coverage of our peer-reviewed research in the healthcare and mainstream press.

What We’re Reading, October 21, 2016: KEYNOTE-045 for pembrolizumab stopped early; new recommendations for digital media use by children; and Walgreens merger with Rite Aid pushed to 2017.

What we're reading, October 20, 2016: CDC recommends fewer doses of the HPV vaccine; HHS expects an enrollment to increase by 1 million in the upcoming season; and HIPAA violations result in a multimillion fine for St. Joseph's Health.

What we're reading, October 19, 2016: the District of Columbia will vote on right-to-die legislation; huge premium increases for Obamacare plans; and why primary care physicians haven't gotten involved in the opioid epidemic.

What we're reading, October 18, 2016: Pfizer's Remicade biosimilar set to launch in late November; HHS receives allegations that 7 insurers are discriminating against patients with HIV; and most staff changes in the Department of Veterans Affairs are just manager moves.

Researchers say more work is needed to create calculators that predict fracture risk in individual patients with diabetes.

What we're reading, October 17, 2016: more than 1 million Americans will lose their current Obamacare plan; physicians grow increasingly frustrated over insurance trends; and how overactive bladder disorder could benefit from less drug treatments.

Coverage of our peer-reviewed research in the healthcare and mainstream press.

What we’re reading, October 14, 2016: Senator Bernie Sanders will speak in support of a California bill that would require the state to pay less for prescription drugs; HHS reaches out to consumers ahead of open enrollment period; and CDC warns that contaminated heart surgery devices could cause severe infections.