Clinical

Based on long-term observations, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor utilization is a safe and effective treatment to prevent infections and improve quality of life in patients with cyclic neutropenia, according to an analysis in The New England Journal of Medicine.

The FDA has removed a boxed warning on medicines delivering a combinations of inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) and long-acting beta agonists (LABA) drugs.

Physicians caring for patients with severe congenital neutropenia should be ready to detect issues with multiple systems in the body, explained Seth Corey, MD, of the Virginia Commonwealth University and the Massey Cancer Center & Children's Hospital of Richmond, during a session at the 59th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, Georgia.

Key drug approvals; alcohol cancer link.

A new sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 medication to treat type 2 diabetes is joining the field: the FDA approved ertugliflozin (Steglatro) from Merck and Pfizer as a single therapy and in combination with Merck’s sitagliptin (Januvia), a DPP-4 inhibitor, or with metformin.

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.

AJMC®TV interviews let you catch up on what’s new and important about changes in healthcare, with insights from key decision makers—from the clinician, to the health plan leader, to the regulator. When every minute in your day matters, AJMC®TV interviews keep you informed. Access the video clips at ajmc.com/interviews.

Community oncologists face a challenge in getting patients into clinical trials, but new technology could help them get access to those trials, explained Tesh Khullar, senior vice president of provider solutions at Flatiron Health.

In a session at the 59th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition in Atlanta, Georgia, Brian Curtis, PhD, of the BloodCenter of Wisconsin Blood Research Institute, highlighted drugs other than chemotherapy that may cause neutropenia in patients.

The FDA has recognized the need to include the patient's voice in the drug development process. The question is: what is the best way to do this?

New companies are finding patients for clinical trials in remote locations and trimming months off the enrollment process.

Right now is a critical time for the healthcare industry to evaluate how patients are financially burdened by novel treatments that can provide tremendous outcomes, said Joshua R. Richter, MD, of the John Theurer Cancer Center.

Ibrutinib has the potential to improve vaccine response for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and an ongoing trial will help provide a better understanding, explained Kerry Rogers, MD, assistant professor, internal medicine, Division of Hematology, The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center.

After reporting positive results of a lead investigational digital medicine, a company is planning to file for FDA approval of a video game to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

On December 5, 2017, FDA approved Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide, a once-weekly glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Todd Hobbs, MD, Novo Nordisk’s vice president and chief medical officer, spoke with The American Journal of Managed Care® just ahead of FDA’s action.

A study of patients with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Poland, The Republic of Korea, and the United States identified substantial differences in respiratory symptoms and other respiratory illnesses.

Sanofi’s newest insulin met its primary objective in a large head-to-head trial that compared it with its chief competitor.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is sponsoring an ongoing clinical trial that evaluates pembrolizumab in people with HIV who have relapsed or refractory cancer and are also taking antiretroviral therapy. People with HIV are often excluded from participating in clinical trials of new cancer treatments because of concerns that treatments may be unsafe for them.

With the increasing emergence of less expensive biologic alternatives, some health systems are making the switch. For a large healthcare system, the arrival of a cheaper alternative to filgrastim prompted the conversion to using tbo-filgrastim as the preferrred granulocyte-colony stimulating factor. The results were shared in a study published by the Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy.

Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to identify people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder from patients without the condition, according to a new study.

A look at the millions of tax filers who chose the penalty over insurance coverage; the cost of unnecessary or excessively expensive medical care; Takeda begins the first Zika vaccine trial.