Skylar Jeremias

The European Commission gave its stamp of approval for Vumerity (diroximel fumarate), developed by Biogen, as an oral treatment for patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).

Anti-CD20 disease-modifying therapies, including rituximab and ocrelizumab, were found to increase the risk of hospitalization and intensive care unit admission in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who develop COVID-19, investigators concluded in this new study.

Investigators found that increased heart rate correlated with a decline in the ability for the kidneys to function at 48 weeks after a patient receives a kidney transplant, according to results presented at the 2021 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions.

Drug use, serum albumin, and total number of lesions may serve as independent factors influencing the degree of disability in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), investigators of a retrospective analysis concluded.

Hospitalization for an acute kidney injury (AKI) event was identified as a risk factor for several adverse events after hospital discharge, including hospital readmission and mortality, according to findings presented at Kidney Week 2021.

Conference abstracts explored the relationship between serum phosphate levels on mortality in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cost burdens for employers as patients transition to end-stage renal disease.

Choice of therapy to manage multiple sclerosis (MS) and prevent relapse was found to influence radiological and laboratory results, including lesion presentation, giving insight into the paraclinical characteristics of patients receiving different MS therapies.

To help close health equity gaps, CMS finalized a rule that will update payment rates and improve incentives for providers to encourage them to increase access to home dialysis and kidney transplants for low-income patients with end-stage renal disease.

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) had similar factors associated with adverse COVID-19 outcomes vs other populations, but these risks were found to decrease with subsequent COVID-19 waves, investigators found.

A genetic biomarker test for patients with aggressive prostate cancer was found to identify which patients are more likely to respond to radiation and hormone treatments or develop metastases, allowing providers to personalize therapy regimens for high-risk patients.

Video game therapy was found to have a minor impact on postural balance in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS); however, more research is needed to determine whether it should be recommended in clinical practice, investigators concluded.

A recent study found patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) experienced depressive and anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic prior to vaccine rollout, especially among those who tested positive for COVID-19.

A study concluded that use of a multigene liquid biopsy blood biomarker for diagnosis of neuroendocrine tumors was over 94% effective at predicting tumor recurrence compared with other commonly used biomarker, Chromogranin A.

As deductibles for Medicare Part D beneficiaries and enrollment continue to rise, new policies and reconciliation negotiations aimed at lowering costs may hold the key to stabilizing Part D plans, according to presenters at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy Nexus 2021 meeting.

During her presentation at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy Nexus 2021 meeting, Aimee Tharaldson, PhD, highlighted the most anticipated specialty pharmacy drugs awaiting FDA approval, including several treatments for cancer and rare diseases.

A panel discussion at AMCP Nexus 2021 explored the current biosimilar landscape and level of uptake, with survey results showing payers are accepting of biosimilars and that a majority support nonmedical switching.

A panel of experts highlighted a number of emerging product solutions that can help health plans overcome challenges associated with financing and reimbursing gene and cell therapies and offered insight into how these solutions can be expanded as more therapies enter the market.

A study confirmed that many online resources showed inconsistencies or omissions compared with established guidelines related to physical activity and exercise training, which are known to provide clinical benefits for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

A panel of experts at AMCP Nexus 2021 explored multiple ways that health plans and providers can begin to address disparities in health care and offered recommendations on how to implement these tactics effectively.

Survey results shows that health care professionals found a digital tool to be useful and useable in facilitating discussions with patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) about whether they are showing signs of disease progression.

Investigators concluded that reference or biosimilar pegfilgrastim could be safely administered to patients with lymphoma on the same day they receive chemotherapy, which could reduce scheduling burden and risk of COVID-19 exposure.

Some immunosuppressive medications, particularly anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies, were found to reduce antibodies designed to protect against SARS-CoV-2 infection in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who have recovered from COVID-19, investigators concluded.

Brazilian oncologists showed a solid knowledge base about biosimilars and their safety; however, concerns over extrapolation and interchangeability requirements remained, suggesting that more education on these subjects is needed.

A literature review examined the many clinical applications for circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) analysis in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and provided insight into how liquid biopsy can help avoid certain limitations presented by other ctDNA analysis methods.

Bevacizumab biosimilar LY01008 demonstrated comparative safety, efficacy, immunogenicity, and pharmacokinetic profiles to the reference product Avastin when combined with paclitaxel and carboplatin in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Investigators reported comprehensive genomic features of patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma, potentially giving providers a better understanding of the molecular features associated with the disease.

Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who had a higher education level experienced less cognitive impairment related to their disease than patients with a lower education level, investigators concluded.

Misconceptions about the safety and necessity of vaccines were cited as the main reasons for lower-than-recommended vaccination rates among patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), according to new research.

Polymerase chain reaction–based comprehensive genomic profiling testing provided useful information for more than 94% of samples, including 81% of samples that normally would not have been tested, suggesting that more patients may benefit from CGP testing than anticipated.

Byooviz becomes the first FDA-approved ophthalmology biosimilar and the first FDA-approved biosimilar referencing Lucentis (ranibizumab), according to a statement from developers Samsung Bioepis and Biogen.