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This week, the top managed care news included more details about the COVID-19 vaccine process; attempts to reinforce social distancing amid reopening; a recap of the American Diabetes Association 2020 Virtual Scientific Sessions.

Based on the safety and efficacy outcomes from the PREVENT phase 3 study, the FDA has approved secukinumab (Cosentyx) from Novartis for the treatment of active nonradiographic axial spondyloarthritis.

Jennifer N. Clements, PharmD, is a clinical pharmacist in diabetes transition with Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Clements is a board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist, board-certified ambulatory care pharmacist, and certified diabetes care and education specialist. She is currently developing a pharmacy service focused on the inpatient management of diabetes. An editor from The American Journal of Managed Care® recently conducted an interview with Clements to discuss strategies for improving transitions of care for patients with diabetes.

An advanced, noninvasive MRI technique in patients with Parkinson disease and essential tremor was found to potentially lead to better outcomes without surgery and lessen risk of adverse effects, according to study findings published this week.

Scientists at the Trinity College Dublin and University College London developed a new gene therapy approach that has the potential to treat a group of eye diseases known as retinitis pigmentosa (RP), according to research published in Stem Cell Reports.

The American Society of Hematology has adopted 10 of the recommendations from Choosing Wisely to encourage more high-value care, but barriers to adoption remain.

The decade spanning 2007 through 2017 saw an intensified focus on reducing hospital readmissions among patients with heart failure receiving care in the Veterans Affairs Health Care System.

Administrator Seema Verma said the proposal would create opportunities "for drug manufacturers to have skin in the game through payment arrangements that challenge them to put their money where their mouth is."

Medical cannabis (MC) use results in long-term reduction of migraine frequency and is associated with less disability and lower antimigraine medication intake, according to a study published in Brain Sciences.

A panel has ruled that pharmaceutical companies are not required to disclose drug prices in TV ads; the World Health Organization (WHO) halted its study of hydroxychloroquine to treat coronavirus disease 2019; Oklahoma officials warn medically vulnerable individuals to stay home from President Trump’s rally this weekend.

Despite the CDC’s recommendation, which has been in effect since 1998, study results show that just half of HIV-positive individuals choose to get tested for hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the 12 months following the receipt of their diagnosis.

Bold Goal is Humana’s effort to address holistic health needs in key markets, in part by working with community partners to address social determinants of health. The program seeks to tackle barriers such as lack of food or housing and social isolation that contribute to chronic disease.

Compared with traditional cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, such as obesity and high triglycerides, migraine with aura is associated with a higher incidence rate of CVD among female health professionals aged at least 45 years, according to a study published in JAMA.

Through a research-based partnership between Centene and the National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF), we’re seeking to delineate the factors behind the disproportionate effects of COVID-19 on rural and minority communities, said Gloria Wilder, MD, MPH, vice president of Innovation and Health Transformation at Centene, and Gary Puckrein, PhD, president and chief executive officer of the NMQF.

The authors said it was the first study to try and link these 2 central nervous system biomarkers to disease severity in multiple sclerosis.

In the real-world, ruxolitinib's approval to treat myelofibrosis has improved overall survival (OS) for elderly patients.

Circadian disruptions were associated with an increased risk of Parkinson disease (PD) in older men, potentially signifying PD’s impact on the internal clock before diagnosis.

The FDA today granted accelerated approval to the second biomarker-based indication for Merck’s pembrolizumab (Keytruda), an anti-PD-1 therapy, regardless of tumor type. A companion diagnostic to pembrolizumab, FoundationOne CDx was also today approved by the FDA as only approved companion diagnostic to measure tumor mutational burden.

US children with developmental disabilites were found to be at a greater risk for asthma; nursing homes attributed to 43% of US deaths due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); cloth masks recommended when wearing a mask during exercise.

Measuring disease activity is a key aspect of rheumatologic care, but the creation of tools designed specifically for disease areas of interest has resulted in fragmentation and multiple disease activity scores, sometimes even just for a single disease.

US children with developmental disabilities were found to be at a greater risk for asthma; nursing homes attributed to 43% of US deaths due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); cloth masks recommended when wearing a mask during exercise.

A study conducted by Mayo Clinic researchers revealed that a combined treatment featuring daratumumab in conjunction with the standard-of-care for patients with amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis was more effective in improving the condition than the standard treatment alone.

Cases of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) account for up to 20% of all cases of the disease, the most common cancer diagnosed in women in the United States.

A study conducted in Boston-area hospitals found low prevalence of asymptomatic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infections among pregnant women, while a systematic review concluded maternal transmission of the virus to neonates is uncommon.

Officials associated with Operation Warp Speed, the administration's initiative to speed development for a vaccine for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), claimed that doses for elderly patients and other vulnerable populations would be made available free of charge if they cannot afford it.

Cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continue to rise in US prisons; clinical trials have seen patient enrollment drop precipitously since the pandemic began; there is a specific mutation that strengthens the coronavirus.

Investigators reported in Lancet Oncology that second-line treatments are needed in small cell lung cancer, as few options exist for these patients once first-line therapy fails.

Study results out of Denmark show that 0.08% of patients with heart failure received a diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the time after a country-wide lockdown began on March 12.