FDA Approves First New Sickle Cell Treatment in Decades
The FDA has announced its approval of Endari (L-glutamine oral powder) for the treatment of sickle cell disease, a hereditary blood disorder that can result in pain, organ damage, and shortened lifespan. Endari’s approval makes it the first drug approved for patients with the chronic illness in nearly 20 years, according to the FDA press release, and only the second drug on the market. It was developed by Emmaus Medical, Inc, with help from the FDA’s Orphan Products Grants Program and is designated as an Orphan Drug, meaning it is used to treat a rare disease.
Senate Health Bill Would Allow Psychiatric Facilities to Add More Beds
One of the components of the Senate’s proposed Better Care Reconciliation Act is designed to boost the number of available beds in psychiatric hospitals, Kaiser Health News reports. Traditionally, a CMS rule ensured that Medicaid will only pay for inpatient psychiatric stays in facilities with 16 beds or fewer, contributing to a shortage of beds. Instead, the Senate bill would provide federal matching Medicaid funds for inpatient psychiatric stays of up to 30 consecutive days or 90 days in a year, regardless of hospital size. According to aides, senators inserted the change in the healthcare bill out of concerns about mental health and addiction treatment access.
Nurse’s Drug Diversion Scheme Linked to Bacterial Outbreak
A nurse at the UW Health University Hospital in Madison, Wisconsin, is accused of tampering with syringes in order to obtain the narcotics in the syringes for illicit use or sale, also known as drug diversion. When she replaced the opioids with saline, it likely introduced a strain of bacteria that then caused an outbreak of Serratia marcescens among 5 patients infected by the syringes, according to Fierce Healthcare. The nurse was fired and the hospital has instituted stricter policies to prevent diversion, like tamper-evident packaging and more surveillance cameras.
Real-World Study Reveals Key Insights into DLBCL Treatment Patterns, Outcomes
April 18th 2024A recent study offers valuable insights into the characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in patients across different lines of therapy, providing a look into the landscape of DLBCL management.
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Overcoming Employment Barriers for Lasting Social Impact: Freedom House 2.0 and Pathways to Work
April 16th 2024To help celebrate and recognize National Minority Health Month, we are bringing you a special month-long podcast series with our Strategic Alliance Partner, UPMC Health Plan. Welcome to our second episode, in which we learn all about Freedom House 2.0 and the Pathways to Work program.
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Gene, Light Therapy Combo Shows Promise Against Prostate Cancer Cells in Proof-of-Concept Study
April 18th 2024In their preclinical model, the researchers found efficacy both in vitro and in vivo by using CRISPR-Cas9 to mimic porphyria and combining the technology with light therapy.
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Making Giant Strides in Maternity Health Through Baby Steps
April 9th 2024To help celebrate and recognize National Minority Health Month, we are kicking off a special month-long podcast series with our strategic alliance partner, UPMC Health Plan. Welcome to our first episode, which is all about the Baby Steps Maternity Program and its mission to support women throughout every step of their pregnancy journey.
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Collecting SDOH Data Can Assess Risk of Medical Nonadherence, Improve HEI and Star Ratings
April 18th 2024At the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) 2024 annual meeting, a panel of presenters explored changes coming to Medicare that incorporate social determinants of health (SDOH) data to improve patient and health system outcomes.
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