Clinical

With the costs of biologic drugs increasing, biosimilars have emerged as an attractive option for containing costs and expanding access to treatment. However, some barriers to wider uptake still need to be addressed, according to a presentation at the National Association of Managed Care Physicians Virtual Spring Managed Care Forum.

While the introduction of sodium glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors has benefitted patients with type 2 diabetes and impacted guidelines globally, these expensive therapies have managed care implications, explained Richard E. Pratley, MD, of AdventHealth Diabetes Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

The long-term findings come from a subgroup analysis of 120 patients in Japan taking part in an extension of the 3-part, double-blind, randomized, controlled reSURFACE 1 trial.

Patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) who received ruxolitinib cream experienced a rapid, clinically meaningful, and sustained improvement in their itch.

A study analyzes the effects of homelessness on childbirth; some states report drops in demand for COVID-19 vaccines; researchers examine long-term risks of severe COVID-19.

Mitigating the burden of HIV in the United States means taking a more comprehensive approach to diagnosis, testing, and treatment of the disease, said a speaker at the National Association of Managed Care Physicians Virtual Spring Managed Care Forum.

Washout periods are necessary to flush out any lingering effects of drugs that patients are taking before a study, explained Jonathan Silverberg, MD, PhD, MPH, associate professor of dermatology, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

The findings come from the group’s review of over 30 years’ worth of research of the presence of autoimmune cytopenias and autoimmune diseases in lymphoid and myeloid neoplasms.

Metastatic breast cancer has a poor prognosis, but emerging targeted therapies are providing some progress in the treatment of the disease, explained Filipa Lynce, MD, medical oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard Medical School.

While bosentan and sildenafil is a common combination therapy in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), patients may need to transition to alternative therapy because of the potential for drug-drug interactions with this combination.

These national and regional barriers, which range from cost of screening to patient education, have hindered the widespread use of screening, say the researchers.

With persons living with HIV increasingly succumbing to age-related diseases, a group of investigators looked into the greater risk of coronary artery disease among these individuals.

Nivolumab, marketed under the name Opdivo, led to a 29% reduced risk of death when combined with certain chemotherapies for gastric cancers.

An educational nursing program can positively impact medication compliance in patients receiving oral pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) therapies.

The upcoming 2021 virtual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) will offer more than 75 sessions. Some of the topics to keep an eye out for include treating minority populations, the impact of COVID-19, and patients with cancer.

The authors said their work is an effort towards making more tailored therapy a reality.

Patients had atopic dermatitis for nearly 10 years before starting the biologic therapy.

If left untreated, patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are at risk of irreversible joint damage, cardiovascular disease, and death. Some other conditions conflated with PsA include chronic eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, onychomycosis, lichen planus, and nodular prurigo.

The study, on the quality of on-demand video telemedicine services, found that patients using telemedicine for respiratory infections were more likely to receive follow-up care, causing higher health care spending.

Based on their analysis, the researchers compiled a recommended number of genes to include in panels for 14 cancer types.

Given that some patients may need to travel out of state to access CAR T sites of care, some may not have a clear understanding of their insurance benefits, including requirements for out-of-state or out-of-network treatment, as well as adequate assistance with the costs of medical-related travel.

The researchers credit wider availability of molecular testing and better understanding of the diseases for the emerging targeted therapies in development.

Three cell and gene therapies were among the drugs included in a specialty drugs pipeline forecast at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy 2021 meeting.

Megan Olsen, MPH, principal at Avalere, discussed how gene and cell therapies can offer new treatment options for patients with cancer.

This is a case study of a male patient with Fabry disease who presented with severe anaphylaxis following re-initiation of full-strength treatment with intravenous agalsidase beta (Fabrazyme).