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Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) have defined a new pathway that may help guide therapies for multiple sclerosis and other neurologic diseases.

Two study abstracts presented at the International Society of Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research Annual International Meeting look at the cost burden of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). One analyzed the lifetime cost of relapsed/refractory DLBCL, including third-line and subsequent treatments, and the other examined how being diagnosed with DBLCL can increase the cost burden of chronic conditions among Medicare beneficiaries.

The results support other evidence that suggests the link between irregular eating patterns and diabetes is distinctly different from the one that drives obesity.

Inconsistencies and lack of evidence in opioid prescribing guidelines are confusing clinicians who care for long-term patients with cancer and survivors and have the potential to jeopardize patients’ pain management, according to an opinion column in JAMA Oncology.

Mortality rates have stabilized and incidence rates of late-stage disease have started to increase after 2 decades of decreasing rates. At the same time, rates of prostate-specific antigen screening have declined.

President Donald Trump has signed the so-called "right-to-try" bill into law, and claimed that it would result in lower drug prices within weeks; New Jersey will implememt a statewide individual mandate requiring residents to have health insurance or pay a fee; in the United States, poor people are dying younger, with low socioeconomic status leading to people being sicker and dying earlier.

As this month marks the 15th anniversary, the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) now supports over 14 million people globally with HIV treatment.

Studies presented at American Thoracic Society 2018 International Conference looked at video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery and drug resistance mutations in nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease.

Rates of colon cancer are increasing in younger people, and as a result the American Cancer Society (ACS) is recommending that screening should start 5 years earlier, at 45 years of age rather than 50.

Regular use of electronic cigarettes is associated with increased odds of having chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to a study presented at a recent medical conference.

A new analysis of findings from the Framingham Heart Study by researchers at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center suggests that a smoker’s risk of lung cancer drops substantially within 5 years of quitting.

WellCare Health Plans will expand its government-sponsored health plans by purchasing Meridian; the Virginia Senate appears to have enough votes Wednesday to expand Medicaid to 400,000 low-income residents; Planned Parenthood will stop providing medication abortions in Arkansas after the Supreme Court refused to hear a challenge to a state law.

Pembrolizumab significantly improved overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) as first-line treatment for squamous non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in the pivotal phase 3 KEYNOTE-407 trial.

An analysis of the 4 years of the Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative found slowed growth in emergency department visits, but no significant changes in Medicare spending or claims-based quality of care.

Patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) who were treated with ivacaftor have demonstrated favorable results for clinically important outcomes, including a lower prevalence of CF-related complications and improved lung function, according to a new study.

Senator Bill Cassidy, MD, R-Louisiana, released a set of proposals Tuesday aimed at lowering costs in healthcare, focusing on price transparency for drugs and elective medical procedures, as well as a raft of other ideas.

Immune cells that promote clotting within tumors in a specific type of lung cancer are actually assisting the tumor to spread throughout the body, according to a recent study published in Nature Communications.

There’s no increased risk of autoimmune disorders in girls who received quadrivalent human papillomavirus (HPV4) vaccination, according to a study published in CMAJ.

Whole-genome sequencing, which looks at a bigger genetic picture than targeted gene panels, is offering new hope for the 3% of infants born with rare genetic diseases; there are a growing number of patients taking specialty drugs being hit with sticker shock as they find their expensive medications are no longer shielded by co-pay assistance programs; veterans groups are praising the nomination of Robert Wilkie to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as a stabilizing next step for the troubled agency.

The HOPE in Action Multicenter Kidney Study will examine the safety of HIV-to-HIV kidney transplantation.

Working age migraineurs are more likely to experience painful musculoskeletal disorders, such as fibromyalgia and depression, than those without migraine.

While knowledge and care for children with asthma has increased over time, overall morbidity has not decreased. A new study evaluated which interventions were effective at the point of discharge from the hospital to prevent readmission.

The FDA has approved BioMarin’s pegvaliase-pqpz (Palynziq), a drug for the treatment of phenylketonuria (PKU) in adults. PKU is a rare autosomal recessive disorder, affecting approximately 1 in every 10,000 to 15,000 people in the United States, that increases the levels of phenylalanine (an amino acid obtained through all dietary proteins and some artificial sweeteners) in the blood.

To ease administrative burden, CMS has facilitated the collection and processing of information through Qualified Clinical Data Registries, which collect data on quality measures from providers and transfer the information to CMS, helping practices to satisfy MIPS requirements for quality and value improvement.

A new study analyzed the burden of multiple myeloma around the world, as well as access to effective treatments. From 1990 to 2016, incident cases and deaths from the disease have grown substantially.

Two study abstracts presented at the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research 23rd Annual International Meeting, in Baltimore, Maryland, examined the prevalence of preventive and opioid treatment for migraine.

Non-tuberculous mycobacterium (NTM), a serious lung disease, can be identified in different ways in patients. Recently, 2 studies evaluated specific identification and causes of NTM in order to help predict treatment outcomes in the future.

UnitedHealthcare and Quest Diagnostics agreed to a value-based care arrangement, saying they have created a “long-term strategic partnership” designed to reduce costs and provide better care. In addition, Quest will be a national in-network lab provider for all UnitedHealthcare plan participants beginning January 1, 2019.

Two studies presented at the American Thoracic Society 2018 International Conference find that exacerbations must be addressed in order to help improve outcomes for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.