AJMC Staff

What we're reading, November 2, 2015: third open enrollment under the Affordable Care Act kicks off; common medical tests are being done inaccurately; and hospitals and the government settle over cardiac device implants.

Novartis' dual combination bronchodilator Utibron Neohaler inhalation powder for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has received FDA approval. It is not indicated to treat asthma or sudden symptoms of COPD.

What we're reading, October 29, 2015: Fewer health plans will be available on HealthCare.gov in 2016; PBMs cut ties with pharmacy connected to Valeant; and emergency departments are dissatisfied with electronic health record interoperability.

What we're reading, October 29, 2015: Pfizer and Allergan in talks to merge; the House passes a budget deal with implications for Medicare beneficiaries; and autism in children is being overdiagnosed.

What we're reading, October 28, 2015: Ben Carson plans to replace the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid, and Medicare; a homeless shelter utilizes telemedicine to alleviate emergency department visits; and researchers uncover gender gap in post-heart attack treatment.

What we're reading, October 27, 2015: a much-improved Healthcare.gov website, report says drug prices rose at a much slower rate in 2015, and USPSTF recommends glucose testing in asymptomatic adults who are overweight or obese.

The vaccine, approved in Europe last week, is now awaiting approval in the United States.

Despite the fact that post-bronchodilator spirometry is required for the diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, an analysis of primary care clinics found only 19% of patients diagnosed with the disease had undergone spirometry testing.

What we're reading, October 26, 2015: One-third of uninsured in California are unaware of premium subsidies and medical school enrollment among black men is down.

Two head-to-head trials comparing the safety of Incruse Ellipta to 2 available bronchodilator treatments used by patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has yielded positive results for GlaxoSmithKline's therapy.

The drug is awaiting an FDA verdict next week.

What we're reading, October 23, 2015: a new definition of dual eligibles, FDA warning on liver toxicity of Abbvie's hepatitis C drug, and Amgen's Repatha can cost patients more than just money.

Patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer who have progressed on gemcitabine now have the option of Onivyde combined with leucovorin/fluorouracil.

What We're Reading, October 22, 2015: can aspirin prevent the recurrence of cancer, Clinton wants careful scrutiny of insurance mergers, and small businesses race against time to comply with the ACA.

What we're reading, October 21, 2015: influential Republican's on health committees oppose the Affordable Care Act's reinsurance program for insurers; shareholder's of Aetna say yes to the company's merger with Humana; and the genetic testing company will once again start sharing health information with consumers.

What we're reading, October 20, 2015: Mark McClellan, MD, PhD, will lead Duke's Center for Health Policy; the eligible uninsured will face higher fines in 2016; and Canadian researchers use digital media to improve quality and care outcomes.

Standard treatment for type 2 diabetes has been to use oral therapy until the disease progresses, but researchers are rethinking that approach.

What we're reading October 19, 2015: Clinton campaign leads rivals in pharma donations, lawmakers in North Carolina open to provider-led organizations and managed care, big surge in Medicare spending on hepatitis C drugs.

NCCN Evidence Blocks add affordability to Guidelines recommendations on safety, efficacy, quality, and consistency of regimens.

What we're reading, October 16, 2015: judge rules orphan drugs do not need to be sold at discount under 340B, hospitals can use resources at their disposal to overcome the "weekend effect," and AstraZeneca's diabetes combination drug fails to win FDA approval.

The standard test for osteoporosis does not do a good job of predicting fractures in T1D.

What we're reading, October 15, 2015: federal prosecutors subpoena Valeant Pharmaceuticals over how the company prices drugs, Atul Gawande, MD, makes the case for better coordinated care, and proposed biosimilar reimbursement sparks outrage.

What we're reading, October 14, 2015: Jeb Bush offers a detailed proposal for his plan to replace parts of the Affordable Care Act, California places a cap on out-of-pocket costs for consumers, and people addicted to opioids can't get the treatment they need.

What we're reading on October 13, 2015: presidential hopeful Marco Rubio taps health policy expert Avik Roy to advise his campaign, Democrats will tangle over healthcare in first debate, and the US pays 3 times as much for medicine as Britain.

Stand Up 2 Cancer, in collaboration with the American Association for Clinical Research, will be funding innovative research grants with a potential to further translational cancer research.

What we're reading on October 12, 2015: health insurance marketplaces may have challenges keeping customers they already have, but in California, consumers leaving the state insurance exchange are gaining coverage elsewhere, and the government is increasingly pursuing cases of potentially unnecessary procedures.

A close study of one patient-reported outcome has deemed it a clinically valuable measure, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

The PD-1 inhibitor antibody was approved by the FDA for use in patients who have progressed on platinum-based treatment.

Steven Rosenberg, MD, chief of surgery at NCI's Center for Cancer Research, has been awarded the 2015 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal, or Sammie for his contributions to the field of immune-based cancer treatments.

The PD-L1 inhibitor was granted orphan drug status just last month.