Skylar is an associate editor for The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®) and The Center for Biosimilars®, and joined AJMC® in 2020. She is responsible for covering all aspects of the ever-changing global biosimilar industry and produces content that is accessible and informative for all health care stakeholders.
She has a BA in journalism and media studies from Rutgers University. You can connect with Skylar on LinkedIn.
Focus Group Expresses Needs, Wants for a Mobile CKD Management App
December 30th 2021A focus group consisting of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) as well as CKD providers and researchers shared what they deem necessary and helpful to include in future mobile CKD management applications.
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COVID-19 Vaccination May Provide Less Protection for Patients Taking Ocrelizumab, Fingolimod for MS
December 23rd 2021After administration of a COVID-19 vaccine, patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) taking ocrelizumab (Ocrevus) or fingolimod (Gilenya) may find themselves less protected against COVID-19 than the general population.
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Top 5 Most-Read Spinal Muscular Atrophy Stories of 2021
December 22nd 2021The top 5 most-read spinal muscular atrophy stories of 2021 on AJMC.com covered a variety of topics concerning the disease, including cost differences, the potential for combination therapies, and identifying biomarkers for treatment.
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Racial Differences Detected Regarding Impact of Obesity on Retinal Integrity in MS
December 22nd 2021Obesity was found to have a significant association with retinal structure abnormalities related to multiple sclerosis (MS); however, the impact may be greater for African Americans than Caucasian Americans.
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Top 5 Most-Read Comprehensive Genomic Profiling Articles of 2021
December 22nd 2021The top 5 most-read comprehensive genomic profiling articles of 2021 on AJMC.com largely focused on the use of liquid biopsy and how biomarkers can offer providers new ways to help predict treatment-related outcomes and identify therapeutic targets.
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Dialysis Modality Influenced Degree of Pandemic-Related Psychological Distress in Patients With CKD
December 17th 2021Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) undergoing hemodialysis experienced a greater degree of psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with patients treated with peritoneal dialysis, investigators found.
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Acute Kidney Injury Episodes Led to Significant Impacts on Physical, Emotional Health
December 13th 2021Patients who have experienced acute kidney injury (AKI) reported experiencing significant impacts on aspects of their physical and emotional health, demonstrating the different ways that AKI episodes influence patients’ health-related quality of life.
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Review: NGS Reveals Migration Patterns of B Cells Across Blood-Brain Barrier for MS
December 13th 2021Next-generation sequencing (NGS) may be a helpful tool for establishing how B cells migrate and maturate across the blood-brain barrier in multiple sclerosis (MS), potentially providing better insight into the pathophysiologic mechanisms involved in neuro-inflammation.
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Smoking, Most DMTs Not Associated With Severe COVID-19 in Patients With MS
December 11th 2021Although obesity, diabetes, and certain comorbidities were all detected as risk factors for severe COVID-19 among people with multiple sclerosis (MS), other long-suspected risk factors, such as smoking and use of most disease-modifying therapies (DMTs), were not.
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Lifestyle Interventions May Be Needed to Improve MS Management, Quality of Life
December 10th 2021Changes to diet, wellness, and physical activity could have a profound effect on patients’ ability to manage their multiple sclerosis (MS) and significantly improve their quality of life at the same time, researchers concluded.
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Study: Heating Climate Can Lead to Higher Risks of Mortality, Hospitalization in Patients With ESRD
December 9th 2021Rising ambient temperatures were found to be associated with higher risks of all-cause mortality and all-cause hospitalization in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD), highlighting the some of the health-related consequences of climate change.
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FDA Approves First CGP Test as Companion Diagnostic for BRAF Inhibitor Therapies for Melanoma
December 8th 2021The FDA approved FoundationOneCDx as the first companion diagnostic for current and future BRAF inhibitor therapeutics used to treat melanoma, including both monotherapies and combination therapies.
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Views on Telehealth vs In-Person Care Diverge Among Patients With CKD, Clinicians
December 6th 2021Opinions on the effectiveness and usefulness of telehealth services varied among clinicians and older patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), suggesting that new measures and training programs should be put in place to mitigate disparities and accessibility issues.
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Potential Link Found Between Vitamin D Therapy, Higher Hypercalcemia Risk in CKD
December 4th 2021Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and elevated levels of parathyroid hormone who are treated with active vitamin D therapy experienced significantly higher risks of hypercalcemia, investigators concluded in a meta-analysis.
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Nomogram Tool Can Predict Risk of CKD in Patients at High Risk of Developing Cardiovascular Disease
December 1st 2021A tool utilizing 5 predictors was found to be reliable at identifying patients at a high risk of cardiovascular disease who were also at risk of developing chronic kidney disease (CKD), potentially allowing providers to implement prevention strategies sooner than ever before.
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Rituximab Infusion Timing, Dosing and COVID-19 Hospitalization Not Linked, Study Says
December 1st 2021A study examining the relation between rituximab infusion and hospitalization as a result of COVID-19 for patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) found that the 2 were not related, contradicting past research.
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NGS, Prediction Tools Show Similarities Between Metastatic Breast Cancer, Other Advanced Cancers
November 27th 2021Next-generation sequencing (NGS) and the use of prediction tools in 2 patients with a rare form of metastatic breast cancer revealed mutations in malignant phyllodes tumors that are often detected in other advanced cancers, providing insight into potential therapeutic targets for these patients.
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BMI Not Found to Affect Cognitive Function, Brain Volume in Patients With RRMS
November 24th 2021Body mass index (BMI) was not identified as a factor influencing cognitive function or brain mass in patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS), investigators of a recent analysis concluded.
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US Oncology Network, Tennessee Oncology Tout Medicare OCM Savings
November 20th 2021A report from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation confirmed that practices within the US Oncology Network and Tennessee Oncology participating in the Oncology Care Model (OCM) program have contributed significant savings to the agency.
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Studies Ask if Gender Has an Effect on Secukinumab Efficacy in AS and PsA
November 20th 2021Abstracts from American College of Rheumatology Convergence 2021 showed whether gender can impact the effectiveness of secukinumab in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) or psoriatic arthritis (PsA).
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Anti-CD20 Therapies May Increase Risk of Severe COVID-19 in Patients With MS
November 17th 2021Anti-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.
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Increased Heart Rate Found to Be Associated With Kidney Function Declines in Transplant Recipients
November 16th 2021Investigators 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.
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