AJMC Staff

What we're reading, June 8, 2016: obesity rate among women reaches record high; abuse-resistant opioid recommended for approval by advisory panel; and Gilead does not owe Merck money in drug-patent dispute.

What we're reading, June 7, 2016: opioid restrictions disproportionately affect older patients with chronic pain; Genentech and OSI Pharmaceuticals settle Tarceva lawsuit; and trouble raising Zika virus funds.

What we're reading, June 6, 2016: Vice President Joe Biden will announce the launch of an open-access cancer research database, and a new bill in Congress would allow companies to repurpose existing drugs for rare diseases.

What we're reading, June 3, 2016: Florida's crackdown on opioid prescriptions is working; some California physicians are uneasy about prescribing lethal doses to terminally ill patients; and Ashish Jha, MD, MPH, shines a spotlight on the real culprit of preventable medical errors.

What we're reading, June 2, 2016: Medicaid can cover mosquito repellent to prevent the spread of the Zika virus; Karen DeSalvo, MD, MPH, MSc, discusses New Orleans post-Katrina, life expectancy, and more; and teen births hit an all-time low.

What we're reading, June 1, 2016: for the first time in a decade, the death rate in the United States has risen; UnitedHealth confirms it will leave the California insurance exchange in 2017; and just 6% of Americans do the 5 things they need to prevent disease.

What we're reading, May 31, 2016: a federal judge ordered the Washington state Medicaid program to remove restrictions on hepatitis C virus medications; the trouble when drug prices are too low; and the World Health Organization will not consider postponing the Summer Olympics due to the Zika virus.

What we're reading, May 27, 2016: treatment for pregnant women is often based on guesswork since few drugs are ever tested on them; a new superbug in the US is resistant to even the antibiotic of last resort; and how small physician practices can adapt to new payment models.

What we're reading, May 26, 2016: South Carolina passes a 20-week abortion ban, while Georgia's own law faces a new challenge; the FDA delays its decision on a controversial drug for Duchenne muscular dystrophy; and report highlights how Cover Oregon was mishandled.

Results from the phase 3 trials will be presented next month at the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions in New Orleans.

What we're reading, May 25, 2016: Senior citizens are expected to be sicker and more costly than the previous generation; men with early-stage cancer are increasingly choosing to avoid treatment; and the FDA is looking at an implantable treatment for opioid addiction.

Two months after the approval of the first biosimilar to infliximab, another Biologics License Application is now under FDA review.

What we're reading, May 24, 2016: Doubt grows about the stability of the Anthem-Cigna merger; use of e-cigarettes and vaping devices stalls in the US; and drugmakers are cautious about developing a Zika virus.

What we're reading, May 23, 2016: Oklahoma governor vetoes bill banning abortion; the FDA approved a new nutrition label highlighting sugar added; and 7 years after death panels, conversations on end-of-life planning are becoming more common.

What we're reading, May 20, 2016: For the third time the FDA delayed a rule about generic drug labeling; 10 years ago a government report warned of a prison health crisis, but was blocked from publication; and Oklahoma lawmakers pass a bill making it a felony to perform an abortion.

Stories on the potential health savings if more people quit smoking, and Louisiana's failed attempt to put nursing homes in managed care.

What we're reading, May 18, 2016: Senate and House Zika funding is mismatched while CDC shifts funding from local departments for Zika, and the uninsured rate in the United States fell to 9.1% in 2015.

What we're reading, May 17, 2016: prices for opioid overdose drug are soaring; Valeant expands discounts for heart drugs; and 41% of Republicans want to replace the Affordable Care Act with a single-payer system.

What we're reading, May 16, 2016: The Supreme Court has sent the Obamacare contraception case back to the lower courts; in some rural markets customers will have 1 option on the Affordable Care Act exchanges; and the first US case of locally transmitted Zika-related microcephaly has been reported.

Regeneron's CEO said ICER's methodology wasn't scientific. The nonprofit said analysis of a drug based on what people can afford to pay is the point of its work.

What we're reading, May 13, 2016: federal judge rules against Obamacare; Senate reaches deal for $1.1 billion to fight Zika; and Los Angeles is using healthcare funds to house the homeless.

The findings show poor diet can have immediate effects on the body, and they suggest ways to overcome them.

What we're reading, May 11, 2016: Hillary Clinton is floating the idea of letting more people buy into Medicare; American public not on board with speeding up FDA drug approvals; and Walgreens expands mental health treatment and service options.

What we're reading, May 10, 2016: the FDA is looking to redefine "healthy"; leadership at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center is getting overhauled; and Senator Bernie Sanders' tax and spending proposals would add $18 trillion to the federal deficit.

Nanostring Technologies has announced that its Prosigna Breast Cancer Gene Signature Assay has received a positive coverage decision from the commercial health plan Aetna.

What we're reading: Arizona revives its Children's Health Insurance Program; new medical schools focus on creating a new type of physician; and Cigna believes its deal with Anthem won't close until 2017.

What we're reading, May 6, 2016: Both Democrats and Republicans are pushing back against the recent Medicare Part B proposal; medical overdose risk is high among people ages 45 to 64; and the Cayman Islands are releasing genetically modified mosquitoes to combat disease.

What we're reading, May 5, 2016: obtaining life-ending medications under California's new law won't be easy come June 9; Arizona is now the only state to not participate in CHIP; struggling insurers propose big premiums increases on Obamacare plans.

What we're reading, May 4, 2016: heart disease risk calculator has led to overtreatment; healthcare price transparency tool actually increased spending for those who used it; and Martin Shkreli may be facing additional charges.

What we're reading, May 3, 2016: low-quality, low-cost hospitals received bonuses from Medicare; Brigham and Women's Hospital is publicizing its mistakes; and Tenet expects other insurers will fill the void when UnitedHealth leaves the exchanges.