Mary Caffrey is the Executive Editor for The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®). She joined AJMC® in 2013 and is the primary staff editor for Evidence-Based Oncology, the multistakeholder publication that reaches 22,000+ oncology providers, policy makers and formulary decision makers. She is also part of the team that oversees speaker recruitment and panel preparations for AJMC®'s premier annual oncology meeting, Patient-Centered Oncology Care®. For more than a decade, Mary has covered ASCO, ASH, ACC and other leading scientific meetings for AJMC readers.
Mary has a BA in communications and philosophy from Loyola University New Orleans. You can connect with Mary on LinkedIn.
TAPUR Trial Expands Who Can Join Clinical Trials, If Payers Fund Genomic Tests
Pam Mangat, MS, associate director for the TAPUR study in the research and analysis division of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, offered an update on the study at the 5th annual Patient-Centered Oncology Care® meeting.
Comparing Surgery, Medication for Type 2 Diabetes in Overweight Patients
This small study found sustained weight loss of 10% of body weight in patients who were overweight but not obese, along with improvements in glycemic control and quality of life that exceeded patients taking medication only.
House GOP Replacement for Obamacare Takes Shape
The policy brief outlines House GOP thinking on a universal, refundable, and portable tax credit, state-based high-risk pools, and how to repeal Medicaid expansion. But many specifics, including what it would cost a typical family, are unclear.
Christie Signs Nation's Strictest Opioid Treatment Mandate, Prescription Limit
Moments after the bill cleared the General Assembly, NJ Governor Chris Christie signed into law requirements that insurers pay for 6 months of treatment, limit the first opioid script to 5 days, and educate prescribers on the dangers of addiction.
New Jersey Poised to Pass Opioid Treatment Mandate - and Health Plans Are Part of the Solution
The legislature is expected to give final passage to the nation's strictest treatment mandates and a 5-day cap on the initial opioid prescription. Governor Chris Christie's plan has met little resistance, even though the cost is unknown.
PhRMA Takes Aim at IPAB, a Longtime Target
Lawmakers from both parties have expressed their dislike for an entity that could take away their spending authority. But a leading Democrat also raised the fact that the new HHS Secretary, Tom Price, MD, would be harsh on the most vulnerable.
Merck, Pfizer Publish Results for Ertugliflozin as Monotherapy in Type 2 Diabetes
Significant reductions in A1C were found at both doses, and bigger declines were seen among patients with the worst glycemic control. The cardiovascular outcomes trial for the SGLT2 inhibitor took a different turn after a rival drug showed a CV benefit.
PhRMA CEO Touts "Positive" Meeting With Trump
According to pool reports, Trump proposed a series of carrots and sticks to woo drug manufacturing back to the United States and force other countries to pay more for therapies developed here. Trump called the US subsidization of drug development "global freeloading."
Price Vote for HHS Nomination Delayed by Democrats' Boycott
Democrats had asked for a delay in the vote due to concerns about Price's ethics. In boycotting the Senate Finance meeting, however, they alienated Senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, who has supported keeping the filibuster to protect minority party rights. Democrats accused Price and Treasury nominee Steve Mnuchin of lying to committee members at earlier appearances.