Clinical

A comparison of neurocognitive profiles of patients with confirmed Niemann-Pick disease type C (NP-C) and early Alzheimer disease found that general dementia screening assessments should not be used alone to evaluate cognitive performance in patients with suspected NP-C since these patients may demonstrate milder cognitive deficits than patients with early Alzheimer disease.

The Joslin Diabetes Center published its new Clinical Guidelines in the June issue of Evidence-Based Diabetes Management™. Here, Robert A. Gabbay, MD, PhD, FACP, senior vice president and chief medical officer of Joslin, explains the development of the guidelines and the audience Joslin hopes to reach by publishing in journal.

An investigational drug has prolonged survival in patients with a rare and deadly form of acute myeloid leukemia (AML).

Two recent studies evaluated the effects of asthma through addressing the costs and adherence to medications as well as the accessibility to certain resources for patients.

A new approach using gene editing technology could allow chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells to target CD33 in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) but prevent the cells from attacking healthy stem cells, too.

With few Americans receiving all the preventive services recommended for them, efforts across the full delivery system are needed to increase the use of preventive services, according to a paper published in Health Affairs.

An experimental drug for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with mutations in the gene encoding isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) was found to be safe with durable remissions.

Erenumab is the first calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) inhibitor to be approved by the FDA for the prevention of migraine. The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review assessed the comparative effectiveness and value of erenumab with 2 other CGRP inhibitors that are still under FDA review.

Two studies presented at the International Society of Pharmacoeconomic and Outcomes Research Annual International Meeting investigated the economic and clinical burdens on patients diagnosed with migraine.

Two studies presented at the American Thoracic Society 2018 International Conference find that exacerbations must be addressed in order to help improve outcomes for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

From 2000 to 2016, there have been improvements healthcare access and quality improvements around the world, but in some countries, progress has slowed or stalled, and disparities between countries remained similar.

As new treatments come to market that have a substantial impact on diseases, or even cure them, the healthcare system is facing the challenge of how to value these treatments. A panel of experts highlighted what evidence there needs to be, methods of valuing therapies, and the ethical implications of having cures.

In order to start evaluating the economics of new cures, the scope of the evaluation needs to be as broad as possible and be able to wrestle with uncertainty, said Steven Pearson, MD, MSc, founder and president of the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review.

A study found the use of interprofessional education improves students' knowledge and skill sets and promotes collaborative behaviors.

A phase III randomized trial, with results being presented in June at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting, found the addition of nelarabine to standard chemotherapy regimen in patients with T-cell malignancies can improve disease-free survival rates.

The FDA has approved daratumumab in combination with bortezomib, melphalan, and prednisone to treat patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma who are ineligible for autologous stem cell transplant.

Two posters presented at the American Psychiatric Association's 2018 Annual Meeting examined the factors patients with schizophrenia consider when deciding whether or not to take their medications and outcomes of a new medication to treat patients with schizophrenia and alcohol use disorder.

Ohio proposes safety checkpoints for patients with chronic pain when their painkiller dose is increased; Sandoz's proposed rituximab biosimilar is rejected by the FDA; the White House is vetting 3 potential nominees with stronger political backgrounds for secretary of the Department of Veterans' Affairs.

The chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy tisagenlecleucel has been approved for a second type of blood cancer; the National Institutes of Health has started recruiting individuals for a database that will include data on more than 1 million people; Kansas’ request to impose a 3-year lifetime limit on Medicaid benefits is testing just how open the Trump administration is to allowing states flexibility.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell treatments are still new enough that there are still unknown regarding long-term side effects, which is something patients need to understand before they undergo treatment, said Shannon L. Maude, MD, PhD, of The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Researchers have identified a new gene that may predispose individuals to develop acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). In addition, variants in the gene can influence patient response to treatment.

Every week, The American Journal of Managed Care® recaps the top managed care news of the week, and you can now listen to it on our podcast, Managed Care Cast.

This week, the top managed care stories included an announcement from CMS of creating direct provider contracting, plus a broad set of proposed rules for health information technology; new recommendations to improve postpartum care; a look at future competition among specialty drugs.

A new tool has been created to measure patient uncertainty to predict which patients might return to the emergency department (ED) after discharge.

Takeda Pharmaceutical has increased its bid to purchase Shire Plc to $64 billion; a process for reviewing drug patents has been ruled constitutional by the Supreme Court of the United States; at the University of California, Los Angeles, an “unspoken taboo” against reusing transplanted kidneys is being challenged.

A panel of experts in infectious disease and managed care to discuss management of HIV, including the need for individualized care and the role for newer treatments options.

HHS will shift federal funding aimed at reducing teen pregnancy rates to focus on programs that teach abstinence; relying on data about doctor-diagnosed arthritis alone may miss almost half of cases in middle aged adults; the Trump administration is seeking to reverse an Obama administration decision preventing healthcare discriminating against transgender patients.