Clinical

The drug, baricitinib, is a JAK-STAT inhibitor being developed for rheumatoid arthritis. Research by scientists at the Unviersity of Michigan found a key role for the pathway in diabetic patients suffering from kidney disease.

The study found that early palliative care consultations in hospitalized cancer patients significantly reduced the cost of hospital stays.

Editorials that appeared during the run-up to the FDA advisory committee meetings noted the lack of long-term cardiovascular data and the need to be cautious about lowering cholesterol at any cost.

Developed jointly by Sanofi and Regeneron, alirocumab (Praluent) was approved 13-3 by an FDA advisory committee.

A preliminary review of Amgen's evolocumab antibody (Repatha) by the Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee, raises a few safety concerns and a call for ongoing monitoring, especially in patients with a high-risk of cardiovascular disease.

Results are the first from a cardiovascular safety trial in the GLP-1 agonist class. A commentator at the 75th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association asked whether the FDA-mandated studies are giving physicians the right information.

In a packed session at the 75th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association, the lead investigator told attendees how a matchstick-size device delivered exenatide, producing lower blood glucose levels.

A recently published study evaluated patients admitted in hospitals in Canada and in the United States for their risk of death within a year of hospitalization.

Patients who received canagliflozin from their health plan showed significant A1C improvement, even though the study group had poor glycemic control despite treatment with multiple therapies. The study period covered the months immediately following FDA approval.

However, not everyone supports the bill's provisions that promote the development of pediatric rare disease drugs through the "voucher" incentive.

The study found that certified diabetes educators were able to act quickly on intensifying therapy, resulting in improved A1C and cholesterol.

In the United States, where 1 in 680 people between 20 and 50 years old are survivors of childhood cancer, the impact of long-term health consequences is a cause for concern, and even more so because this population is increasing.