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The US Surgeon General, Jerome M. Adams, MD, MPH, has released the first report since 1990 that focuses solely on smoking cessation in America. Smoking accounts for the deaths of half a million Americans each year and is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the country.

Results from an analysis conducted by the Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute (PBMI) show that the use of Jardiance (empagliflozin) among employees with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease can save employers around $737,000 per 10,000 covered lives each year.

A group of 18 health plans announce they will manufacture generic drugs; President Trump hints at cutting Medicare funding; the Chinese government quarantines a city of 11 million in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Innovaccer’s survey-based report titled, “The Science of Value-based Care: An Industry View,” details the current state of readiness of healthcare organizations in employing value-based care, while also providing tips on how minor changes in one’s system framework can contribute to clinical excellence and technical efficiency.

Teprotumumab, which was approved this week by the FDA, resulted in a greater frequency of proptosis reduction compared with placebo for patients with active thyroid eye disease, according to study results released Wednesday.

Researchers discuss optimal approaches to treating hypertension in patients with COPD, with a given patient’s underlying lung function and any coexisting conditions highlighted as important factors of drug therapy choice.

Jazz Pharmaceuticals announced today it had redeemed its priority review voucher to submit a New Drug Application to the FDA on January 21, 2020; the company seeks approval for JZP-258, an investigational medication to treat cataplexy and excessive daytime sleepiness in patients 7 years and older with narcolepsy.

Researchers determined that new diagnostic criteria in the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition (ICHD-3) are significantly more specific than that included in ICHD-3 beta when it comes to diagnosing migraine with aura and with typical aura, according to a study published in The Journal of Headache and Pain.

https://www.pharmacytimes.org/on-demand/improving-treatment-and-outcomes-in-spinal-muscular-atrophy-patients

https://www.pharmacytimes.org/on-demand/managing-vasoocclusive-crisis-in-sickle-cell-disease-a-look-at-the-clinical-and-economic-burden

The FDA gives marketing approval for a test that screens for Duchenne muscular dystrophy in newborns; acetaminophen is facing a possible statewide ban in California; the Supreme Court will not rush its decision on the Affordable Care Act.

Mucosa-associated invariant T cells (MAIT cells) are a subset of the T-cell population. Their function and activity during the acute stage of HIV infection adds to the knowledge of immune system activation at this stage and could lead to possible new treatment interventions.

Teprotumumab (Tepezza), a biologic, is a targeted inhibitor of the insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor..

The Supreme Court announced on January 17 it will hear a case regarding employers’ ability to limit access to free birth control under the Affordable Care Act. This marks the third instance the Court has looked at a case regarding applicability of the contraception mandate, but the first time with conservative Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh both on the bench.

President Trump grew frustrated with HHS Secretary Alex Azar over healthcare polling and vaping involvement; a top Chinese scientist confirms that humans can transmit new coronavirus; coal plant closures were shown to save over 26,000 lives from 2005 to 2016.

Researchers describe a recent case report of a diagnosis of lgE monoclonal gammopathy which transformed into myeloma, then into lgE-producing plasma cell leukemia.

A study published in JCI Insight determined miR-543, an RNA gene, plays a significant role in the epigenetic landscape of myelofibrosis, specifically via its targeting of the dioxygenases ten-eleven translocation 1 and 2.

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is an abnormal thickening of the heart muscle, with causes that include genetic mutations and myofiber disarray (an abnormal heart muscle cell arrangement). Individuals who have this condition are prone to obesity (body mass index, 25 to

A UK study published in PeerJ compared the results of eye movement tests between younger and older cohorts to confirm brain aging effects.

The CDC announced it will screen for the emerging coronavirus from China in 3 US airports; the US birth rate is at an all-time low; tech giants strike deals with hospitals to access millions of medical records.

Patients with Multiple sclerosis (MS) treated with mitoxantrone (MTX)—an antracyclin drug used to treat chronic refractory MS—may be at an increased risk of developing early and late left ventricular (LV) dysfunction, suggesting the need for these patients to be periodically evaluated for complications, a recent study found.

Despite challenges of rare disease drug development, genetic skeletal disorder (GSD) therapies continue to be developed through novel approaches such as drug repurposing and in-utero stem cell transplants, according to a recent review.

A study identifying the different factors influencing peripheral blood hematopoietic stem cell (PBSC) mobilization and collection in multiple myeloma (MM) and lymphoma cases determined that PBSC mobilization yielded sufficient CD34+ cell counts in both patients with MM and lymphoma, but the failure rates were high.

The presence and severity of diabetic retinopathy (DR) may be independently associated with subclinical cardiovascular disease (CVD) in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), suggesting the need for a rationalized screening for coronary artery disease in patients with T2D and DR.

Researchers outline the significant role IL-37 plays in psoriasis, and other skin and connective tissue diseases, suggesting the need for further research, according to a review.

Individuals’ susceptibility to genetic and epigenetic factors may be responsible for the transformation of episodic migraine to chronic migraine in some patients, according to a new review published in The Journal of Headache and Pain.

The small molecule from BeyondSpring is currently in late-stage clinical development in non–small cell lung cancer and for prevention of chemotherapy-induced neutropenia.

Rising drug costs in the United States are a pressing concern not only for patients who need to receive those drugs, but also for employers. The Employers’ Prescription for Affordable Drugs is a coalition that aims to tackle this problem by working with policy makers and stakeholders to encourage and facilitate more transparency, competition, and value in the healthcare system.

A new study released in Cell Reports found a common gut bacterium that boosts digestive health may also help guard against Parkinson disease.