Maggie is an editor for The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®) and produces written, video, and podcast content covering several disease states. She joined AJMC® in 2019, and has been with AJMC®’s parent company, MJH Life Sciences®, since 2014, when she started as a copy editor.
She has a BA in English from Penn State University. You can connect with Maggie on LinkedIn.
Proteasome Inhibitors Show Promise as Treatment for Multiple Myeloma
Three proteasome inhibitors (PIs) are approved for patients with multiple myeloma (MM): Bortezomib, a first-in class PI, fights both newly diagnosed and relapsed/refractory MM (RRMM); carfilzomib, a next-generation PI, treats RRMM as both a monotherapy and in combination; and ixazomib, the first oral PI, treats RRMM in combination. PIs work by preventing the proteasomes in cancerous plasma cells from “recycling” what is essentially garbage protein.
Reengineering CAR T Cells to Optimize Their Powers
Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells are a patient’s own, harvested and reengineered to attack specific malignant cells. They were initially developed using knowledge gleaned from allogeneic stem cell transplants: that donor mature immune cells can attack healthy cells in the recipient patient.
Innovative Research Program Provides Deeper Understanding of HIV's Dynamic Process
Participants in Last Gift, an end-of-life HIV research program from UC San Diego, donate their blood and their bodies so researchers can uncover all the places that HIV hides, to both fight the disease and stop it. Before each autopsy, the following is read: “From our first breath to our last, each of us tells a unique story. Here, we honor our Last Gift participants for their altruism to further research into HIV and the human condition. We take this moment of silence to honor their gifts and express our gratitude for all the discoveries their selfless donations will yield.”
Are Transitional Care Services Worth Investing In for Heart Failure?
Heart failure (HF) taxes the American healthcare system by a total of $39.2 billion to $60 billion each year. This amount is expected to increase up to 20% by 2030 and total $70 billion. Worldwide, HF has been diagnosed in 26 million individuals, and this number is rising.
MRD Status an Important Prognostic Factor in Pediatric B-Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Study Says
Minimal residual disease (MRD), a measure of how many cancer cells remain in a patient during or following chemotherapy or stem cell transplant, is a potent indicator of whether or not a patient is likely to relapse; recent research probed the associations between MRD status and certain prognostic risk factors in childhood B-lymphoblastic leukemia after both induction and consolidation.
Subset of T Cells Has Specialized Role in Early Stages of HIV, Researchers Determine
Mucosa-associated invariant T cells (MAIT cells) are a subset of the T-cell population. Their function and activity during the acute stage of HIV infection adds to the knowledge of immune system activation at this stage and could lead to possible new treatment interventions.
Does Excess Body Weight Equal Adverse Heart Health Outcomes?
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is an abnormal thickening of the heart muscle, with causes that include genetic mutations and myofiber disarray (an abnormal heart muscle cell arrangement). Individuals who have this condition are prone to obesity (body mass index, 25 to
Revolutionary Treatment for Sickle Cell Disease Shows Promise in Clinical Trial
Sickle cell disease is the most common red blood cell disorder in the United States, having been diagnosed in approximately 100,000 African Americans alone. The lack of oxygen from sickle cell buildup can lead to acute pain crises, joint and organ damage, stroke, and reduced life expectancy.
Suggested Link Between Regional Heart Failure Treatment Gaps, Patient Outcomes
The median time to first intravenous therapy for acute heart failure (AHF) is 3.0 hours in North America compared with 1.2 hours in all other regions, in the International Registry to Assess Medical Practice with Longitudinal Observation for Treatment of Heart Failure. Treatment timing and differences may affect outcomes in patients with AHF.
clonoSEQ Assay Medicare Coverage Expanded to Include MRD in CLL
clonoSEQ, from Adaptive Biotechnologies, is a next-generation sequencing assay with existing Medicare coverage to monitor for minimal residual disease (MRD) in multiple myeloma and B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The newest Medicare coverage is for chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), which takes effect immediately.
Death Anxiety, Social Support Among Persons Living With HIV, AIDS in Nigeria
Nigeria has a population of almost 204 million. Of those, 3.1% of adults, or 3.5 million, are living with HIV. The accompanying death anxiety of people living with HIV and AIDS has not been studied in depth.
Blueprint Medicines' Ayvakit Approved for Rare GIST With PDGFRA Mutation
The platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRA) exon 18 mutation occurs in close to 6% of patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), the most common being the D842V mutation, for which there is no effective, approved treatment. The drug previously received breakthrough therapy, fast track, and orphan drug designations.
Patients Hospitalized for Heart Failure Have 11 Times the Risk of Kidney Failure
Hospitalizations due to heart failure (HF) were associated with a risk for kidney failure (KF) that was 11.4-times greater compared with patients who did not have cardiovascular disease (CVD). Among a group of CVDs that also included atrial fibrillation, coronary heart disease, and stroke, HF was associated with the highest risk of developing subsequent KF.
Understanding Why HIV-Positive Individuals Would, or Would Not, Risk Their Lives for a Cure
There are 12 clinical trials underway investigating various combination treatments for HIV and AIDS, but a cure remains elusive. Few studies have attempted to qualify and quantify the risk HIV-positive individuals claim they would take if it meant a cure could result.
Healthcare, Genetic Testing Disparities Persist in Black Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is an inherited condition in which mutations in genes that encode the sarcomere proteins in the heart cause an abnormal thickening of that muscle, with no known cure. In black patients, HCM is usually diagnosed at a younger age and accompanied by a greater burden of symptomatic heart failure. These patients, however, are not well represented in surveys of the condition, which tend to focus on white patients.
Biomarker Use in Colorectal Cancer
Despite a 20% drop in mortality since 2009, colorectal cancer accounted for 9.8% (881,000) of deaths worldwide in 2018 and represents 10.2% of all cancer cases worldwide. It is No. 3 on the list of most prevalent cancers worldwide—1.8 million new cases in 2018—behind only lung cancer and breast cancer.
Treating HIV Comorbidities in the Fight to End the Epidemic
HIV-positive individuals face greater risks of kidney and liver diseases, cardiovascular events, osteoporosis, hepatitis C, and cancer. Clinical trials and research advances into the cause and development of the comorbid conditions are needed.