Samantha DiGrande

Over the past year, there have been multiple studies published on the outcomes of various lung cancer screening guidelines and programs. Here are the findings from 5 of those studies and their recommendations.

Cortical lesions play a major role in the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS). A recent study looked to longitudinally characterize the development and evolution of cortical lesions in MS across the cortical width, as well as their relationship with white matter lesion accrual.

The blood pressure medication felodipine could potentially be “repurposed” as a treatment for neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson, Alzheimer, and Huntington diseases, according to findings from a recent study.

A recent retrospective study looked to evaluate long-term treatment patterns in patients with migraine initiating prophylactic therapy, as well as acute medication use and adverse events associated with opioids.

With baby boomers steadily aging, demographic shifts in the United States over the next decade will nearly double the number of middle-income seniors 75 years and older, according to a new study from Health Affairs.

In a proof-of-concept study recently published in Science Translational Medicine, researchers from Penn Medicine and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia were able to edit out a lethal lung disease using CRISPR in utero mice models.

A recent retrospective study found that nearly 18% of patients diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) before being referred to a medical center for treatment were actually misdiagnosed.

Further complications in patients with PD are seen when they enter an akinetic (medication OFF) and mobile phases (medication ON), demonstrated in 50% of patients diagnosed within 3-5 years, and 80% of patients diagnosed within 10 years. These fluctuations in motor function present a critical point in terms of managing the disease because it requires continued adjustments in treatment, such as changing the frequency and dosage amount or parameters for deep brain stimulation.

Managed care updates.

Regulatory and clinical updates.

In preparation for Every Kid Healthy Week, which kicks off on April 22, WalletHub has released findings from a recent report on 2019’s Best and Worst States for Children's Health Care.

To begin a session on the reimbursement of genetic testing during the Florida Society of Clinical Oncology’s annual meeting in Kissimmee, Florida, incoming president Luis E. Raez, MD, put things in perspective: “I’ve been practicing for more than 30 years, and it used to be that when you would explain a treatment plan to a patient, they would ask if they’re going to respond to it and you would have to say ‘I don’t know.’ Now, with genetic testing, hopefully you can say ‘yes.’”

During the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Disease (ECCMID), being held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, April 13-16, researchers are presenting findings that suggests the mode of delivery influences the development of gut microbiota in infants, regardless of a mother’s use of antibiotics, which could then affect infants’ respiratory health during his or her first year.

A recently published study looked to evaluate the effect of a single dose of nilotinib (Tasigna) in patients with PD. While nilotinib is FDA approved for the treatment of adult patients with chronic myeloid leukemia and not PD, the drug is able to penetrate the blood-brain barrier and reduce inflammation as well as lower levels of a toxic protein that prevents the brain from utilizing dopamine stored in vessels in areas of the brain that may control movement.

Researchers of a recently published study used preclinical behavioral models of migraine to determine that the application of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) to the dura mater, or the protective outer layer between the skull and the brain, in mice triggers pain responses only in females.

This week, the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) released a Draft Evidence Report assessing the clinical effectiveness and value of 2 potential drug therapies to treat individuals with peanut allergy.

A recent study conducted in mice found that the ability of cells to use glucose can actually help to regulate the immune system during lung inflammation.

Today, the Health Care Payment Learning & Action Network (LAN) launched the Roadmap for Driving High Performance in Alternative Payment Models. The roadmap is designed as a customizable, interactive tool to assist healthcare payers, providers, and various stakeholders in navigating alternative payment model (APM) implementation.

A recent study found that aerobic exercise may be associated with a reduced number of migraine days in patients who experience migraine.

Three years after results from a study in Diabetes Care revealed how flaws in CMS’ Competitive Bidding Program endangered Medicare patients who rely on supplies to test their blood glucose, the federal government has allowed contracts to expire for the dwindling number of suppliers, raising fears that the program for seniors with diabetes has reached the point of collapse.

This week, drug maker Celgene resubmitted its New Drug Application (NDA) to the FDA for RPC-1063 (Ozanimod), seeking an indication for the treatment of adults with relapsing multiple sclerosis.

Louisiana's Departments of Health and Corrections announced this week their selection of Asegua Therapeutics, a generics subsidiary arm of Gilead Sciences, as their pharmaceutical partner for the state’s “Netflix” subscription model for hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment. Asegua won the deal over Merck and AbbVie, which each submitted bids for the subscription model.

Earlier this week, the FDA released a draft guidance document titled, "Rare Diseases: Natural History Studies for Drug Development” with the intention of informing both the design and implementation of natural history studies that can be used to support the development of safe and effective treatments for rare diseases.

A recent retrospective, single-center study sought to characterize symptoms associated with vestibular migraine attacks, symptoms in between attacks, psychiatric comorbidities, and interictal neuro-otologic examination findings.

This week, the FDA sent out an alert to various healthcare professionals and the public to warn about the risks associated with the investigational use of venetoclax (Venclexta) for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma (MM). The alert is based on data from the ongoing phase 3 BELLINI trial evaluating the drug for this treatment.

If approved the oral form of semaglutide would be the first pill in the GLP-1 receptor agonist class.

In one of his final interviews in his last few weeks as commissioner, Scott Gottlieb, MD, discussed where the FDA stands on its continued push against the tobacco industry as well as what we can expect next from Gottlieb.

In the United States, nearly 50 million Americans suffer from migraine, the majority of whom are between 25 to 55 years of age. The costs of treating this large population have been estimated to be $22 billion annually. A new report, published by the Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute, found that direct healthcare costs for patients with migraine were estimated at $2571 higher than those for similar patients who don’t experience migraine.

According to findings from a preliminary study, researchers now believe that multiple sclerosis (MS) may not flare following pregnancy as had long been assumed. The study results will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s 71st Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 4-10, 2019.

In a recent survey-based study, researchers analyzed the relationship between symptom burden and incidence of medical disability leave (MDL) among patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms, including myelofibrosis, polycythemia vera, and essential thrombocythemia.