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In 2017, The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®) covered conferences on a range of topics: oncology, diabetes, managed care, and much more. however, the most-read coverage from conferences that AJMC® attended mostly focused on cardiology trial results, particularly the cardiovascular results of diabetes medications.

Today, the FDA approved nivolumab (Opdivo, Bristol-Myers Squibb) for the adjuvant treatment of patients with melanoma that has involvement of lymph nodes or metastatic disease, and who have undergone complete resection.

A pledge made to US Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) to support funding for cost-sharing reductions (CSRs) in exchange for her yes vote on the GOP tax bill fell apart Wednesday, apparently because House Speaker Paul Ryan refused to allow the funding to be included in this year’s spending package, slated to be voted on Friday.

Multiple studies have demonstrated that black Americans tend to receive more intensive, higher-cost care at the end of life, and have higher rates of hospitalization and lower rates of hospice enrollment. A new study sought to determine whether racial variation exists among hospice enrollees in rates of hospitalization and hospice disenrollment, and whether that variation could be explained by systematic differences in hospice provider patterns.

Fresenius Kabi, a subsidiary of the German-based Fresenius SE and Co. KFaA, announced earlier this week that upon completion of its phase 3 study, AURIEL-Psoriasis, it has submitted a Marketing Authorization Application for MSB11022, an adalimumab (Humira, AbbVie) biosimilar candidate to the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

Republicans pass tax bill and repeal the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate; potential healthcare mergers and deals pick up in December; millions of dollars paid out to combat the national conversation around rising drug prices.

Contributors to AJMC.com delved into data to share their knowledge about important topics in managed care, and in 2017, these were the top 5 most-read articles they wrote and published on our online managed care network.

There are no clinically meaningful differences in the safety profile of B12019 and pegfilgrastim, according to study findings presented at the American Society of Hematology’s 59th Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, Georgia.

A new study, published in The Korean Journal of Internal Medicine, sought to identify the factors associated with time to diagnosis of early RA after the onset of symptoms, and found that older age, higher educational level, higher income, and small joint involvement were all positive factors for early diagnosis of RA.

The FDA approved Spark Therapeutics Inc.’s voretigene neparvovec-rzyl (Luxturna), the first gene therapy for inherited vision loss caused by faulty gene mutations.

A least one US payer, CareMore, has a program to combat loneliness in seniors to prevent chronic disease and other health problems.

A group of 7 organizations wrote to CMS Administrator Seema Verma, urging the agency to support independent physicians and practices in the move to value-based care.

A Commonwealth Fund analysis found that during the 3-year period, the uninsured rate for adults aged 19 to 64 dropped in all 50 states and the District of Colombia. The majority of states also saw less financial barriers to care and more coverage for children and low-income adults

The FDA plans to crackdown on alternative remedies; Senator Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, says his Obamacare insurer fix will be in the government funding bill; Alabama prepares to drop coverage for 7000 children.

Changes to CMS regulations and a post that became a social media phenomenon top the list.

Increasing levels of CD8+ tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes are associated with prolonged survival in patients with high-grade serous ovarian cancer, endometrioid ovarian cancer, and mucinous ovarian cancer, according to a study published in JAMA Oncology.

Currently, clinical guidelines offer little guidance on deintensifying care, which is critical for balancing overuse and underuse of services.

What the CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science thinks about the current controversy.

A study published in JAMA Oncology found that prediagnosis inflammation was associated with at-diagnosis sarcopenia, and the combination of the 2 nearly doubled the risk of death in patients with nonmetastatic colorectal cancer. Because the 2 biomarkers are commonly collected and potentially modifiable, there is potential for clinical use in prognostication and guiding intervention.

The top 5 most-read news stories included clinical content, such as an FDA approval, and policy news, such as Medicare reimbursement coverage.

Some states are considering implementing their own Obamacare individual mandates; a federal judge blocks a rule making it easier for employers to opt out of contraceptive coverage; Senator John McCain, R-Arizona, will miss tax bill vote, but the GOP should have enough votes.

On the plus side, a partnership with the American Medical Association appears to have contributed to a rise in provider referrals to lifestyle modification programs.

In a discovery that could potentially pave the way for more targeted treatments, researchers announced that dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) has a unique genetic profile, separate from those of Alzheimer disease or Parkinson disease (PD). Researchers also found that DLB has heritability traits similar to PD.

Pfizer announced yesterday the initiation of a phase 3 trial for its once-daily Janus kinase 1- (JAK1) selective inhibitor, PF-04965842, to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the drug for the treatment of moderate to severe atopic dermatitis (AD).

"The Oncology Drug Marketplace: Trends in Discounting and Site of Care," commissioned by the Community Onoclogy Alliance and conducted by Berkley Research Group, found that 340B hospitals have a clear financial incentive to expand oncology services; 340B hospitals receive over one-third of all Part B oncology drug reimbursement; a disproportionate share of the shift in site of care is attributable to 340B hospitals; and between 2010 and 2015, statutory discounts and rebates paid by manufacturers have almost tripled and put upward pricing pressure on drugs.

While personalized medicine has the potential to detect the onset of disease early and preempt disease progression, this promising field of medicine faces unique challenges in the US healthcare marketplace.

The majority of women who underwent a lumpectomy or a mastectomy reported not feeling fully informed of their treatment options, but the use of Web-based decision aids can help patients become informed, according to results of 2 new studies published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

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

Medicare is alleging laboratories improperly billed the government for improper tests; time is running out for children receiving healthcare from CHIP; the AMA extends its diabetes prevention model to Maryland and other states.

Discussions at the 59th Annual Meeting and Exposition of the American Society of Hematology (ASH) included progress reports on genetically modified immunotherapy treatments, a new treatment paradigm for advanced Hodgkin lymphoma, possibility of treatment-free remission in chronic myelogenous leukemia, and challenges with hospice utilization for patients with leukemia.