Focus of the Week

As rising drug costs continue to take up a larger portion of the total cost of care, practices in the Oncology Care Model find themselves in control of a shrinking portion of total costs, according to anecdotes from an academic medical center and a community-based practice during the National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s Policy Summit held September 12 in Washington, DC.

The leaders of the Energy and Commerce Committee sent letters to 3 private equity firms seeking information. The committee has already unanimously voted out the No Surprises Act to protect consumers. 

Despite growing interest in addressing social determinants of health and recent research into interventions that address food insecurity, there are only a small number of low-quality studies in the area.

As an FDA advisory committee prepares to meet Friday to discuss an application from Aimmune Therapeutics for AR101, its peanut oral immunotherapy (OIT) product, results of a different phase 2 study were released late Thursday indicating that those with allergies to the legume would have to continue treatment in order to avoid reactions.

Predetermined topics to be discussed by the 2020 dietary guidelines committee failed to mention risks correlated to red meat, processed foods, and appropriate sodium intake, which contribute to the impending epidemic of lifestyle diseases.

According to a report from the US Census Bureau, the rising rate of the uninsured appears to be a result of a slump in Medicaid coverage. Health policy experts say the decline reflects efforts by the Trump administration to undermine the Affordable Care Act.

The meta-analysis showed that more than 1,125,000 men around the world have the inherited bleeding disorder; 418,000 of those have a severe version of the mostly undiagnosed disease. Previously, only 400,000 people globally were estimated to have hemophilia.

Three studies published this year have examined the risks when patients with chronic pain abruptly stop taking opioids.

The nation’s community health centers, which serve patients who are largely low income and medically underserved, are facing a repeat of their 2017 funding crisis and are making contingency plans to lay off staff and reduce services, in case Congress does not pass a funding bill by September 30.

Studies on PCSK9 inhibitors, evolocumab and alirocumab, promote new guidelines for dyslipidemia management through lipid modification to reduce cardiovascular risk.