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Researchers at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute have developed a method that more accurately identifies new versus long-standing HIV infections, an important distinction when determining where to target public health initiatives and research.

Wal-Mart is providing customers with a way to safely dispose of unused opioids; Kentucky's governor signs a bill to protect his Medicaid overhaul; Maryland coalition aims to ban price gouging for specialty and brand-name drugs.

There is little clinical significance when comparing weight loss among patients who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy and patients who had Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, according to studies published in JAMA as part of an obesity themed issue.

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The FDA has launched a new pilot program that will evaluate whether disclosing certain information within clinical study reports following approval of a new drug application enhances public access to drug approval information, according to a statement by FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD. The agency is also working to add a trial's ClinicalTrials.gov identifier number to the agency’s materials for future drug approvals.

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, announced new steps Tuesday to address the growing shortage of supplies related to IV saline fluids in the wake of the damage to Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria, including asking companies to submit data to extend expiration dates. The tight supply of saline products has been worsened by an increased demand for saline as a result of the worse-than-typical flu season.

Cigarette smoking is the most common cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but not all smokers develop the condition, and many non-smokers do. Why that is has remained a mystery until now, as a research team, funded by the National Institutes of Health, has discovered genetic variations in the anatomy of the lungs could serve as early-warning indicators.

Poor baseline Lung Immune Prognistic Index (combining derived neutrophils ratio greater than 3 and lactate dehydrogenase greater than upper limit of normal), or LIPI, was associated with worse outcomes for immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but not with results of chemotherapy, according to a study in JAMA Oncology.

The language used by doctors contributes to why patients don't understand what they are told; the number of American adults without health insurance grew 1.3 percentage points from the end of 2016 to the end of 2017; women are increasingly faced with the decision between 2D and 3D mammograms.

Tamper-resistant formulations of oxycodone and other opioid tablets does not have a significant effect on the population, according to an Australian study published in The Lancet Psychiatry.

Chris Christie vowed to devote his final year as New Jersey's governor to fighting opioid abuse. A veteran advocate says Christie has accomplished more than people realize, and his use of the bully pulpit should not be underestimated.

Physicians create 12.6 million jobs and $2.3 trillion of economic activity, according to the American Medical Association in a new report, The National Economic Impact of Physicians. The study looked at 4 key economic indicators in all 50 states, including the District of Columbia: total output; jobs; wages and benefits; and state and local tax revenue generated by physicians.

The trial evaluates the immunotherapy drug durvalumab as maintenance therapy in patients who have successfully undergone R0/R1 resection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma following neoadjuvant chemotherapy and completion of adjuvant chemotherapy.

In 2017, value-based insurance design was 1 of the few healthcare concepts that maintained consistent bipartisan support. Here is a look at progress made in value-based reform using VBID concepts.

Why healthy adults should still get the flu vaccine; President Donald Trump undergoes first medical checkup of his presidency; review of Luxturna finds the $850,000 gene therapy needs a price discount.

Although people with HIV are more susceptible to the hepatitis B virus, there is a low prevalence of hepatitis B vaccination among patients receiving medical care for HIV infection in the United States, according to a study in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Regardless of daily exercise and healthy eating, a person’s genes determine their ability to lose or gain weight, and researchers have now identified 14 variations in 13 genes that affect an individual’s body mass index.

The approval comes a day after the Trump administration released a guidance for states that want to require work from able-bodied Medicaid recipients. Current CMS Administrator Seema Verma designed the Kentucky program when she was a consultant but recused herself from the application.

The approval expands the use of olaparib to include the treatment of patients with BRCA-mutated HER2-negative metastatic breast cancer. The FDA also expanded the approval of Myriad’s BRCAnalysis CDx, a companion diagnostic to olaparib, to include the detection of BRCA mutations.

Artificial intelligence (AI) can be trained with data sets to recognize patterns and improve healthcare outcomes. But first, healthcare needs to get better at using normal intelligence to solve problems, said panelists at the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, California.

This week, the top managed care stories included CMS unveiling a new voluntary bundled payment model; coverage from the JP Morgan Healthcare Conference, including immunotherapy's impact on HIV treatment and biosimilars; and news that 2 key diabetes devices will be covered by Medicare.

The same mechanisms that cause those with long-term HIV infection to suffer higher rates of heart attacks or strokes put children born with disease at early risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a new study.

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) conducted a formal vote that recommend repealing and replacing CMS’ Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS).

Coverage of our peer-reviewed research and news reporting in the healthcare and mainstream press.

This week, the investors and analysts turned their attention to presentations by business leaders at the 36th Annual JP Morgan Healthcare Conference, held in San Francisco, California. Executives from the pharmaceutical and healthcare worlds showcased their products, pipelines, and visions for the future.

In a lawsuit, customers allege that Centene did not provide adequate access to doctors and misrepresented coverage; a study finds the abortion pill is as safe and effective as getting the procedure in the clinic; New Hampshire considers a bill that would allow pharmacists to dispense birth control pills.

Screening for social risk factors can reduce frequent hospitalization and medical spending, according to a study published in HSOA Journal of Community Medicine and Public Health Care.

Asthma costs the U.S. economy more than $80 billion annually in medical expenses, days missed from work and school, and deaths, according to research published online in the Annals of the American Thoracic Society. However, actual numbers are likely to be higher, according to CDC researchers who conducted the study.