AJMC Staff

Payers are looking to roll back on paperwork requirements for prior authorization (PA); CMS and Medicare Advantage (MA) insurers battle over new regulations; Johnson & Johnson (J&J) falls behind Pfizer and GSK for vaccine approval.

The FDA approves over-the-counter (OTC) naloxone that will be available in late summer; the World Health Organization (WHO) might consider obesity drugs “essential” in upcoming review; the WHO updates COVID-19 vaccine recommendations.

Ten states remain that have not expanded Medicaid and they are unlikely to do so; FDA was aware of contaminated infant formula months before the most recent recall; Sen. Tammy Duckworth asks the Federal Trade Commission to investigate AmeriSourceBergen over its distribution practices around the brand-name of mifepristone (Mifeprex).

The FDA wants to discourage the use of single-arm trials for accelerated approvals of oncology drugs; Cigna’s review system allows doctors to reject claims without reading them, an investigation shows; US bishops want to restrict gender transition care in Catholic hospitals.

Tennessee’s governor rejected $8.8 million in federal grant money for HIV prevention and detection; Senator Bernie Sanders pleads for drug price decrease in his first drug hearing as health chair; the prevalence of autism is growing, with children of color more likely to be diagnosed compared with White children for the first time.

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The Biden administration might implement changes on how it would fund private Medicare Advantage (MA) plans; by the end of 2022, drug shortages increased by almost 30%; the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) is expected to bring major changes to the US health system.

The US organ transplant system might face an overhaul in a proposal to be announced on Wednesday after years of criticism; the FDA may decide whether to approve additional COVID-19 booster vaccinations for vulnerable populations; a new study finds the same, small breast cancer risk in multiple forms of hormonal birth control.

Kashyap Patel, MD, immediate past president of Community Oncology Alliance (COA) and CEO of Carolina Blood and Cancer Care Associates, talks about bringing together different stakeholders in the oncology space in order to benefit patients and providers.

Minnesota looks to create abortion refuge for patients and providers; Moderna’s expected price single dose of COVID-19 sits at $130; FDA staff sees a "clinical benefit" in Biogen’s ALS drug.

Gov. Mark Gordon sings a ban on the use of abortion pills in Wyoming; a new study shows that Affordable Care Act has reduced racial disparities in health care; California Gov. Gavin Newsom announces a contract to make affordable insulin.

Preventing tobacco use has saved Californians billions, according to recent research.

The high court in North Dakota voted to protect abortion in that state; an outside panel of FDA expert advisors voted to support a full approval for Paxlovid; Sanofi follows competitors' price caps for insulin.

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Lawyers were questioned in a federal lawsuit intending to overturn approval of a drug used for medication abortion; during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, US maternal mortality increased for the third year in a row; the Alzheimer’s Association is lobbying Congress to push for Medicare coverage of new Alzheimer drugs under early access.

Sarilumab, a biologic, is sold as Kevzara.

Kentucky passes a bill to require insurers to cover biomarker tests for patients with cancer; CDC opioid guidelines updated in November may be too late for patients with chronic pain; the Environmental Protection Agency is proposing new limits to reduce dangerous human-manufactured chemicals in drinking water.

The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will cover Alzheimer drug lecanemab (Leqembi) based on inclusion criteria approval and other factors; Pfizer Inc. will buy drug maker Seagen Inc. and their targeted cancer drugs for $43 billion; Novo Nordisk will reduce its insulin costs by up to 75%, and also plans to discount other drugs.

Expanding Medicare coverage for obesity drugs; tens of thousands of doctors begin 3-day strike; a surge in Black infant deaths in 2020 highlights racial disparities.

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Biden’s proposed budget emphasizes expanding health care and lowering drug costs; nasal spray zavegepant (Zavzpret) approved for treating adults with acute migraine; updated guidelines may help more women detect breast cancer early on.

Myasthenia gravis affects about 60,000 individuals in the United States.

Medicaid plans begin planning for the upcoming lapse in continuous coverage starting April 1, 2023; Bayer plans to spend $1 billion on US pharmaceutical research and development in 2023; opioids were the most common cause of death by poisoning in young children.

Given the cost and impact of chronic diseases on the US health care system, health technology like digital coaching for chronic diseases is increasingly being looked at as a way to offer personalized therapies on a wide scale.

US adults had low trust in public health agency information during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new survey reported; a new study showed that people who have been incarcerated are more likely to die when they have cancer, compared to those never incarcerated; an unproven drug aimed at preventing preterm birth will be removed from the US market.

President Joe Biden proposes plan to tackle Medicare funding situation, testing GOP; WeightWatchers is in the process of buying telehealth company Sequence that will allow weight-loss drugs like Ozempic to be prescribed; patients experiencing long COVID-19 seem to be more likely to have gastrointestinal (GI) issues, finds a study.

Cyber attacks on health care are raising cyber insurance costs; Democrats and Republicans clash over what constitutes a cut vs a reform; rural hospitals begin conversion under a new federal payment program.

A roundup of the latest biosimilar news from The Center for Biosimilars®.

Medicaid expansion deal proposed in North Carolina; FDA gains new leverage over quick drug approvals; Walgreens announces it will not dispense abortion pills in several states where it’s legal.

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