A Dartmouth College investigation has concluded that H. Gilbert Welch, MD, MPH, a prominent healthcare policy researcher, committed research misconduct in connection with a breast cancer paper published in The New England Journal of Medicine in 2016; a Boston University endocrinologist, Michael Holick, MD, who had a crucial role in drafting national vitamin D guidelines, has benefitted from the industry in the amount of hundreds of thousands of dollars; 24 states have passed 37 bills this year to curb rising prescription drug costs as bipartisan efforts are forcing pharmaceutical companies to disclose and justify price increases.
A Dartmouth College investigation has concluded that H. Gilbert Welch, MD, MPH, a prominent healthcare policy researcher, committed research misconduct in connection with a breast cancer paper published in The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) in 2016. NEJM is not retracting the paper, saying it is an issue of authorship dispute. According to STAT News and Retraction Watch, Welch plagiarized material from a Dartmouth colleague and another researcher at a different institution, according to a June letter from the college’s interim provost. Welch has denied the allegations.
A Boston University endocrinologist, Michael Holick, MD, who had a crucial role in drafting national vitamin D guidelines, has benefitted from the industry in the amount of hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to a Kaiser Health News investigation. The list includes drugmakers, the indoor-tanning business, and Quest Diagnostics. Holick helped create a billion-dollar vitamin D sales and testing industry, with supplement sales rising to $936 million last year, a 9-fold increase over the previous decade. Physicians have embraced his message, ordering more than 10 million vitamin D tests for Medicare patients in 2016, up 547% since 2007, at a cost of $365 million.Twenty-four states have passed 37 bills this year to curb rising prescription drug costs as bipartisan efforts are forcing pharmaceutical companies to disclose and justify price increases, The New York Times reported. Drug makers are challenging the state laws as a violation of their constitutional rights. States are also trying to regulate pharmacy benefit managers. New York, Utah, Ohio, Connecticut, Nevada, California, Oklahoma, and Maryland are all trying different approaches in an effort to reduce out-of-pocket costs for consumers struggling to afford drugs that often cost thousands of dollars a month.
Health Equity and Access Weekly Roundup: December 9, 2023
December 9th 2023The Center on Health Equity and Access provides information on the latest news, research discoveries, and initiatives dedicated to addressing healthcare disparities and improving overall access to high-quality care.
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New TROPiCS-02 Data Back Sacituzumab Govitecan for Older Patients With Breast Cancer
December 9th 2023This phase 3 study investigated sacituzumab govitecan, a Trop-2–directed antibody-drug conjugate, vs treatment of physician’s choice in pretreated patients who have endocrine-resistant hormone receptor–positive/HER2-negative breast cancer, the most common form of breast cancer.
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California Aims for Equity by Redefining Cancer Care
December 8th 2023Authors highlight key aspects of the California Cancer Care Equity Act, including its focus on Medi-Cal beneficiaries, the requirement for managed care plans to contract with specialized cancer centers, and the definition of complex cancers.
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