Cardiovascular

Whether it’s the high cost of insulin or the question of when to start combination therapy, the new issue of Evidence-Based Diabetes Management, a publication of The American Journal of Managed Care, covers up-to-the-minute topics in this special issue on therapeutics. Editor-in-chief Robert A. Gabbay, MD, PhD, FACP, leads off this issue featuring voices of providers, pharmaceutical leaders, payers, and patients.

Second of 2 Parts: See Part 1, in Evidence-Based Diabetes Management, coverage of Patient-Centered Diabetes Care 2016.

Results for Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide were reported today at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes. A filing for FDA approval is expected before the end of the year.

The authors said this is the first study to examine antihypertension nonadherence down to the county level. Recommendations include greater use of combination therapy to reduce pill counts for patients with multiple chronic conditions, and synchronizing pharmacy visits to avoid multiple trips.

While the online tools makes clear consumers can use it without obligation, the therapy section give patients information on AstraZeneca products.

Although team-based care improved cardiovascular disease risk factors, it had a negative financial impact on a primary care practice.

Two consultants who help stakeholders in value-based transitions say CMS is serious about an aggressive pace for payment reform.

The approval paves the way for Sanofi's insulin and GLP-1 combination therapy, which is due for final FDA action in August.

This would be the second group of procedures targeted for bundled payments in Medicare. Rules for hip and knee replacements went into effect in April in 67 markets.

Despite evidence and clinical guidelines that support intensive statin use in high-risk patients, very few eligible patients start treatment at recommended levels.

A point of care medication delivery system improves medication adherence to cardiovascular medications without increasing costs.

If the full FDA accepts the panel's narrow recommendation, the type 2 diabetes therapy could enjoy a preferred status above its rivals in the SGLT2 market.

The study comes as regulators put increased emphasis on long-term cardiovascular outcomes trials to ensure safety of diabetes and obesity therapies. The American Journal of Managed Care recently convened an expert panel on the topic.

Reducing lipid levels in high-risk patients can significantly reduce disease burden and, depending on final negotiated prices, PCSK9 inhibitors can make an economic contribution to this goal.