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Blinatumomab Wins CMS Favor Following Reevaluation
An immunotherapy developed by Amgen and approved by the FDA for the treatment of acute lymhoblastic leukemia in December 2014 has now received coverage assurance from Medicare, following an initial rejection.
An immunotherapy developed by Amgen and approved by the FDA for the treatment of acute lymhoblastic leukemia in December 2014 has now received coverage assurance from Medicare, following an initial rejection of the expensive drug that costs $178,000 for a standard course.
Blinatumomab (Blincyto) was granted accelerated approval for treating Philadelphia chromosome—negative (Ph-) relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Evidence submitted to the FDA showed that 32% of 185 adults with B-cell ALL had complete remission for more than 6 months following drug infusion.
This new approval from CMS is for the “add-on payments” made to hospitals for new technology whose costs are not yet reflected in the standard lump-sum amounts that hospitals receive for treating patients with a particular disease or disorder. New information submitted by Amgen convinced the decison-makers at CMS of the "value" that blinatumomab would render compared with exisiting treatments for B-cell ALL.
Read more at The New York Times.
Contributor: More Informed Management of Preeclampsia Is Necessary
November 29th 2023At present, it is difficult for clinicians to identify patients at greatest risk for developing preeclampsia with severe features and tailor treatment plans for them; this difficulty increases costs significantly.
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Oncology Onward: A Conversation With Thyme Care CEO and Cofounder Robin Shah
October 2nd 2023Robin Shah, CEO of Thyme Care, which he founded in 2020 with Bobby Green, MD, president and chief medical officer, joins hosts Emeline Aviki, MD, MBA, and Stephen Schleicher, MD, MBA, to discuss his evolution as an entrepreneur in oncology care innovation and his goal of positively changing how patients experience the cancer system.
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Provisional CDC data show that US babies gained roughly a year in life expectancy in 2022; study findings indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly raised the risk of preterm birth for expectant California mothers; New York Attorney General Letitia James said about 4 million New Yorkers were affected by a data breach of the medical transcription company Perry Johnson & Associates.
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