Christina Mattina

AstraZeneca announced that the FDA has expanded the indications for fulvestrant (Faslodex). The drug is now approved as first-line monotherapy for women with certain types of breast cancer.

FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, announced the agency would take more forceful steps to prevent unregulated stem cell therapies from endangering patients.

The state of Texas remains in a public health emergency after the landfall of Hurricane Harvey as first responders rush to meet emergency medical needs and officials urge insurers to loosen restrictions on care delivery.

Gilead Sciences will acquire Kite Pharma by the end of 2017 in an $11.9 billion transaction that will place Gilead at the forefront of chimeric antigen receptor-T (CAR-T) cell therapy development.

A new report from Express Scripts examines patterns of costs and utilization associated with adherence to diabetes medications among a commercially insured population.

In response to the questions raised about its objectivity and the methodology of its projections, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has released a letter defending the impartiality of its work and explaining how it estimated the impact of House Republicans’ proposed healthcare bill, the American Health Care Act (AHCA).

Novo Nordisk announced that its diabetes drug liraglutide (Victoza) has been approved by the FDA for a new indication: it can reduce the risk of major cardiovascular (CV) events in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and existing CV disease.

Several studies and commentaries published during National Immunization Awareness Month have addressed strategies to bring the vaccine coverage rate higher. Here are 5 promising tactics discussed this month for boosting immunization rates.

A new study points to an association between use of high-dose vitamin B6 and B12 supplements and an increased risk of lung cancer in men, especially in those who smoke.

A new report finds that small businesses in the US are offering health benefits that are competitive with those offered by larger employers, but that workers at the smallest companies tend to pay higher premium costs.

Researchers have outlined a 6-item risk stratification tool that successfully predicted the likelihood that patients with diabetes will have a hypoglycemia-related emergency department visit or hospital admission.

A new study indicates that palliative care can significantly reduce end-of-life hospitalizations and aggressive procedures among Medicare beneficiaries with advanced cancer.

With the comment period now concluded, CMS has received nearly 1300 comments on its proposed amendments to the Quality Payment Program established by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA).

A new study indicates that expanded coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) added strain on emergency medical services, resulting in slower ambulance response times.

A reference pricing initiative was linked to more prescription fills of lowest-priced drugs and a decreased average price per prescription, but higher rates of copayments by patients, a new study finds.

A CDC study asked adolescents and adults about their contact lens practices and found that most reported engaging in at least 1 risky behavior.

As observers across the United States prepare to witness a rare solar eclipse this afternoon, ophthalmologists are making sure the importance of vision safety is not overshadowed by the excitement.

A new study in the American Journal of Public Health finds that rates of suicide by firearm were more common than non-firearm suicides in the most rural areas.

A small phase 1b trial of pembrolizumab in patients with small-cell lung cancer shows that the immunotherapy drug had a favorable safety profile and demonstrated “promising” antitumor activity.

A letter from CMS lays out 2 options for New Hampshire: either stop accepting donations from hospitals to fund Medicaid expansion or have the program’s federal funding revoked.

Following completion of their chemotherapy regimen, many women who have survived cancer experience lingering symptoms of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, according to a new study.

As HHS celebrates National Health Center Week by announcing $105 million in grants for quality improvement, a study indicates that practice transformation may be taking a toll on satisfaction among clinicians and staff at some federally qualified health centers.

An analysis by Kaiser Health News found that Medicaid incurred billions of dollars in extra spending as a result of price increases for hundreds of common drugs from 2015 to 2016, including decades-old branded drugs and generics used to treat cancer.

A pair of articles published in JAMA examined the quality of studies used by the FDA to support its accelerated approval decisions and high-risk device modification approvals.

A new study indicates there are persistent socioeconomic disparities in the rates of women who receive breast reconstruction surgery after undergoing a mastectomy to treat their breast cancer.

The specialty access standards adopted by some state Medicaid programs have not had the desired outcome of making specialty care more accessible for beneficiaries who seek such care, a new study finds.

Patients discharged from hospitals may not be fully equipped with the information they need to select a high-quality skilled nursing facility (SNF), according to a new study.

New research indicates that veterans who played a diabetes education game in teams demonstrated greater improvements in blood glucose control than veterans who learned about diabetes management from a booklet.

A new report from the Kaiser Family Foundation examines preliminary data on premium rates and plan offerings on the Affordable Care Act’s exchanges.

MimiVax announced that its immunotherapy vaccine SurVaxM, which is being tested in clinical trials for glioblastoma, has been designated an orphan drug by the FDA.