All News

Michael Abrams, MA, is the co-founder and managing partner of Numerof & Associates, a firm that helps businesses across the healthcare industry define and implement strategies for winning in dynamic markets. He has more than 25 years of expertise working helping clients navigate an evolving healthcare landscape, across hospital systems, payers, and Fortune 500 pharmaceutical, device, and diagnostics companies. He has co-authored several books and has been featured in leading business journals and news outlets.

The Narcolepsy Monitor—a companion app for long-term narcolepsy symptom monitoring—may be a helpful tool for gaining insight into the individual burden of narcolepsy symptoms over time and may serve as a patient-reported outcome measure, according to study findings.

The 2007 paper examined the elevated risks for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes for patients who have schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

Results showed that managing T1D becomes more intense during pregnancy and in the months that follow childbirth. This is due to the need to be even more vigilant than usual in monitoring blood glucose levels and dosing insulin, tasks the women performed mostly themselves, but which can also be performed by other healthcare professionals.

Flow cytometry (FCM), next-generation sequencing, (NGS), and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are the 3 most common methods clinicians use to diagnose minimal residual disease (MRD) in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia who have undergone chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or immunotherapy. MRD can be found both in bone marrow via aspiration and peripheral blood circulation through a draw.

The 5-year survival rate for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is about 77%. The recurrence rate is highest in the first 3 years after treatment, but falls off at the 5-year mark—although the survival rate at this time point tends to be lower. Because TNBC cells lack the hormone receptors for estrogen and progesterone and do not overexpress the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 gene, treatment often involves chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery. Targeted treatments are not used with TNBC.

New research confirms that end-stage renal disease is a significant risk factor for patients undergoing cataract surgery.

Through a series of live-cell single-molecule imaging experiments, researchers at the University of York discovered how rogue communications between cells lead to leukemia, according to a recent study published in Science.

Writing for the panel, Judge David Sentelle said HHS Secretary Alex Azar ignored predictions that thousands of people would lose their healthcare coverage.

A federal watchdog will take on Medicare scams; Belviq, a weight loss drug, has been pulled from market; issues at Veterans Affairs have resulted in healthcare roadblocks.

This week, top managed care stories included CareMore Health successfully managing complex patients; HHS standing by its rules on interoperability; healthcare costs rising faster than wages.

Interstitial lung disease requires a multidisciplinary clinical approach, though little is known about effective therapeutic treatments.

Workers with health insurance through their jobs saw out-of-pocket costs rise 14.5%, or $114, between 2014 and 2018, and also increased the use of psychiatry services and substance use facilities.

Researchers describe results of carfilizomib and bendamustine in a phase 1/2 study.

Competing trials are under way that may show that the benefits of SGLT2 inhibitors in heart failure are a class effect.

A British study shows nonmedical costs make up a significant portion of the annual expense generated by multiple sclerosis (MS). Most of those nonmedical costs are not covered by insurance.

A testosterone-related genetic variant (HSD3B2[1245C]) is linked to poor outcomes in advanced prostate cancer, according to a recent study published in JAMA Oncology.

https://www.pharmacytimes.org/on-demand/a-managed-care-review-of-unmet-medical-needs-new-treatments-and-health-economics-associated-with-schizophrenia

China reported a sharp uptick in coronavirus cases; a Massachusetts lawsuit claims Juul advertisements targeted children; motion picture technology is being used in rehab centers.

In new guidelines issued today by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), researchers provide sleep intervention recommendations to families, neurologists, and other healthcare providers in making decisions on the best treatments available for children and teens with autism.

Using whole genome sequencing, researchers were able to determine genetic heterogeneity in patients with optic nerve hypoplasia (ONH), according to a study published in PLoS One.

Those who suffer from migraines have a hyperexcitable visual cortex, according to a study published in Neuroimage: Clinical. This is the first reported evidence establishing a link between migraine experiences and abnormalities in the visual cortex.

Dose reduction of biologics adalimumab, etanercept, and ustekinumab was not shown to be as effective as providing the usual doses for treatment of psoriasis, according to study findings published today.

Cancer drug trials often do not report on cardiovascular outcomes; CVS is investing in affordable housing to reduce overall healthcare costs; a drug for obsessive compulsive disorder that was developed through artificial intelligence will soon be tested in humans.

Based on positive data from the phase 3 CANDOR study presented at the 2019 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting, Janssen announced yesterday the submission of a supplemental biologics license application to the FDA seeking approval of daratumumab in combination with carfilzomib and dexamethasone for relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma.

While many Americans may associate firearm-related suicides with access to handguns, a report released this month documents the high prevalence of long gun (rifle and shotgun) use in youth and rural suicide rates.

Data collected between 1995 and 2014 show prevalence and incidence of diabetes are substantially higher in First Nations people in Canada compared to other people in Ontario, according to a study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.