Jaime is a freelance writer for The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®), where she previously worked as an assistant editor.
She has a BA in print journalism from Penn State University. You can connect with Jaime on LinkedIn.
What's Driving US Healthcare Costs? Stakeholders Weigh In
During a Kaiser Family Foundation webcast, “Why are Health Prices So High, and What can be Done About Them?” stakeholders from varying sectors of the healthcare industry offered differing opinions on what is driving healthcare costs in the United States.
The Present and Future of Genetic Testing Availability and Spending
Since March 2014, nearly 14,000 genetic tests have entered the market, with about 10 new tests appearing daily. A study published in Health Affairs sought to clarify unanswered questions surrounding genetic testing markets, test usage, and health policy implications.
Prostate, Lung Cancers Projected to Be Most Common Cancers Among HIV Population by 2030
The total cancer burden among people living with HIV will decrease from 8150 cases in 2010 to 6690 cases in 2030, and prostate and lung cancers will emerge as the most common types of cancer facing the patient population.
LA-Based Health Plan Is Training Physicians to Become Better Leaders
L.A. Care Health Plan—the nation’s largest publicly operated health plan serving 2 million low-income patients—is training physicians in their network to become better leaders and, in turn, improving quality of care and patient outcomes.
The Rise of Orphan Drugs for Rare Diseases
Since the Orphan Drug Designation program was passed in 1983, there have been over 600 orphan drug approvals, compared to less than 10 the decade before, said Stephen Jung, PharmD, BCPS, manager, drug information, MedImpact Healthcare Systems, during a session at the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy’s Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy Annual Meeting.
Dr Aimee Tharaldson on Recently Approved Specialty Drugs, Upcoming Approvals to Watch
Aimee Tharaldson, PharmD, a senior clinical consultant in Emerging Therapeutics for Express Scripts, discusses specialty drugs that have recently been approved, and which we will likely see approved in the remainder of the year.
Gaps in Care up to Nine Months Do Not Worsen Viral Load in Patients With HIV
Patients with gaps between HIV primary care visits of 6 months up until 9 months did not have a significant difference in viral suppression loads. However, with gaps of 12 months or more, 23% of patients became unsuppressed.
FDA Approves CAR T-Cell Treatment Kymriah for Adult B-Cell Lymphoma
Tisagenlecleucel, sold as Kymriah, has gained its second indication following the FDA's approval of the chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma, the most common form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Increases in Insurance Coverage Rates From ACA Beginning to Reverse
Health insurance coverage gains since the enactment of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010 are starting to weaken and reverse, with the uninsured rate among those aged 19 to 64 increasing from 12.7% in 2016 to 15.5% in 2018.
FDA Grants Priority Review for Pembrolizumab, Chemotherapy Combination in NSCLC
The FDA has granted priority review to Merck’s supplemental Biologics License Application for pembrolizumab (Keytruda) in combination with pemetrexed (Alimta) and platinum chemotherapy as first-line treatment for patients with metastatic nonsquamous non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The FDA is set to make a decision by September 23.
Hemophilia: Treatment Landscape, Costs, and Disease Management
At the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy’s Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy Annual Meeting, experts addressed the cost of treating patients with hemophilia and the importance of care coordination to ensure a more holistic approach toward caring for these patients.
Long-Term Analysis Highlights Half Trillion Dollars Spent on HIV/AIDS
Between 2000 and 2015, $562.6 billion was spent on HIV/AIDS, with most spending occurring in high-income and upper-income countries and out-of-pocket spending accounting for less than 10%, according to the first long-term, comprehensive analysis of funding for the disease.
Amgen, Novartis Announce Positive Results of Erenumab Trial for Episodic Migraine
Amgen and Novartis announced full results from the LIBERTY trial, which assessed erenumab as preventive treatment for patients with episodic migraine who had previously failed on 2 to 4 treatments. The study met its primary endpoint and all of its secondary endpoints.
ICER Study Compares Cost-Effectiveness of CGRP Inhibitors for Migraine
While calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) inhibitors are projected to have a positive impact on the health of patients with chronic or episodic migraines for whom preventive therapy had failed relative to no treatment, it is likely that the inhibitors will exceed commonly-cited willingness-to-pay thresholds, according to a report from the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER).
Study Revises Molecular Classification of Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
Researchers have identified genetic subtypes of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma that revise the molecular classification of the disease and could provide insight into why some patients respond to treatment and others don’t.
How Expanded Access to Short-Term Health Plans Will Affect Patients With Cancer
The Trump administration's proposal to extend the duration of short-term health plans would have a particularly significant impact on patients with cancer and cancer survivors, according to a webcast hosted by the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship on Thursday.
FDA Finalizes Guidances to Accelerate Development of Next-Generation Sequencing Tests
The FDA has finalized 2 guidances to accelerate the development of next-generation sequencing (NGS)–based tests, the agency announced on Thursday. The guidances provide recommendations for designing, developing, and validating tests that use NGS.
2018 ASCO Guideline Update: Fertility Preservation in Patients With Cancer
ASCO last updated its guidelines on fertility preservation in 2013. Following the review of recent randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and clinical practice guidelines, the panel made no significant changes to the 2013 recommendations: 2 recommendations for adult women were updated, and several clarifications to other recommendations were made.