Clinical

Fatal adverse events (AEs) associated with alemtuzumab for multiple sclerosis (MS) may occur more frequently than previously understood based on past published literature, researchers found.

This week in managed care, the top news included outcomes results in treating heart failure; US prevention experts said more women should get BRCA testing; the American Heart Association offered an advisory on treating high triglycerides with prescription omega-3 fatty acids.

Women who reach menopause at an early age had a 31% increased risk of all-cause mortality if they had ever used hormone replacement therapy.

For 34 years, Ochsner Health System has annually recognized scientists who have made major contributions regarding the relationship between smoking and disease along with the development of innovative treatment modalities.

Outside of breast cancer, cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 (CDK4/6) inhibitors have not been as successful as tumors develop resistance. New research shows that a murine double minute (MDM2) antagonist can help CDK4/6 inhibitors overcome resistance, offering a potential second-line treatment option in melanoma.

Traditionally, migraine is thought of as an issue of lost productivity, but there is evidence that there are direct costs on the medical claims side, said Neil Goldfarb, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Philadelphia Business Group on Health.

The August issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®) featured research on surprise medical billing policies, social determinants of health, and the value of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapies, among other topics. Here are 5 findings from research published in the issue.

Researchers showed the potential of combining 2 precision medicines to overcome treatment resistance.

The viewpoint paints a picture of a challenge that is 2-fold: a growing amount of people are injecting opioids in rural communities, which is an emerging risk factor for HIV transmission, and these communities often lack the infrastructure or resources to prevent, diagnose, and treat HIV.

Patients with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), a precursor to multiple myeloma (MM), can progress from low- or intermediate-risk to MM in just 5 years, according to researchers who are now recommending all patients with MGUS undergo blood testing and risk assessment.

As a progressive condition, diabetes presents an ongoing challenge for physicians to provide adequate control of patients’ disease, and new agents with novel mechanisms of action help reduce the burden in the management of diabetes.

The brain shrinkage that occurs in patients with multiple sclerosis may be the result of a specific brain cell: When projection neurons are damaged, the brain shrinks.

Encouraging patient adherence to medication is very important to managing the cost of multiple sclerosis (MS) therapies, said Patty Taddei-Allen, PharmD, MBA, BCACP, BCGP, director, outcomes research, WelldyneRx.