Top stories in health and medicine, January 15, 2015
From MedPage Today:
CDC: Most Nosocomial Infections Fall. Rates of most major types of healthcare-associated infections have declined markedly in recent years.
RA Patients More Likely to Abandon Remicade. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients were more likely to discontinue infliximab (Remicade) than adalimumab (Humira) and etanercept (Enbrel) in the first year of biologic treatment, and were more likely to stop adalimumab than etanercept.
Vyvanse Effective Option for Treating Binge Eating. Adults with binge eating disorder treated with lisdexamfetamine dimesylate (Vyvanse) saw improvements in binge eating behavior and its ...
Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - January 15, 2015 Category: Journals (General) Authors: MedPage Today Tags: News Infectious disease Psychiatry Rheumatology Source Type: blogs
The Short-Term And Long-Term Outlook Of Drug Coupons
In the October 2014 Health Affairs article, “Specialty Drug Coupons Lower Out-Of-Pocket Costs And May Improve Adherence At The Risk Of Increasing Premiums,” Catherine Starner and coauthors explore the relationship between drug coupons and specialty drugs. Specialty drugs, primarily injectables and biologics, are costly drugs used to treat complicated, chronic conditions that typically require special handling, administration, and monitoring. Starner et al. report that specialty drugs have an average monthly cost to patients and payers of about $3,500.
In their innovative study, Starner et al. find that nearly half of t...
Source: Health Affairs Blog - November 12, 2014 Category: Health Management Authors: Lara Maggs and Aaron Kesselheim Tags: All Categories Comparative Effectiveness Consumers Health Care Costs Insurance Medicaid Medicare Payment Pharma Policy Source Type: blogs
Legal thuggery directed at Steve Novella and Science-Based Medicine
If there’s one characteristic of supporters of dubious medicine, it’s that they detest criticism. Whereas your average skeptic might not like criticism—sensitivity to criticism being a human trait and all—science- and evidence-based criticism tends to drive dubious medical practitioners (and, I might add, promoters of various other forms of woo) into paroxysms of anger. Not… (Source: Respectful Insolence)
Source: Respectful Insolence - July 23, 2014 Category: Surgery Authors: Orac Tags: Medicine Alzheimer's disease Edward Tobinick Enbrel etanercept Institute for Neurologic Recovery Institute for Neurologic Research legal thuggery New England Skeptical Society science-based medicine Society for Science-Based Medicine Source Type: blogs
Martha Rosenberg writes
This article was posted on Monday, March 17th, 2014 at 2:44pm and is filed underHealth/Medical, Pharmaceuticals. 0 0 51http://dissidentvoice.org/2014/03/big-pharma-helps-milk-lobby-with-dangerous-drug/? (Source: PharmaGossip)
Source: PharmaGossip - March 18, 2014 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: insider Source Type: blogs
The Pain of Juvenile Arthritis
One, take a deep breath. Two, build up courage. Three, push the needle in. No matter how numb the injection site, I still grimace at the needle in my stomach. I hold it for a moment before pushing the plunger down. I do this slowly because the medicine stings. It takes me two minutes to inject all the medicine: A long time compared to a nurse, but my quickest time so far. At first it took close to five minutes, but I’ve had some practice. Twice a week, I inject myself with a biologic called Enbrel. It’s a medicine that suppresses my odd immune system that attacks my body instead of germs. Needles may be painful, but it...
Source: Disruptive Women in Health Care - July 23, 2013 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Authors: dw at disruptivewomen.net Tags: Body Image Chronic Conditions Young Adults Source Type: blogs
Pharmalot... Pharmalittle... Good Morning
Rise and shine. Another steamy day is on the way. A beautiful mid-summer's morning is enveloping the Pharmalot corporate campus, where short people are snoozing and all manner of wildlife are roaming the grounds. As for us, we are doing the usual - hoisting a cup of delicious stimulation and digging in for another busy round of conversations and R&D. We trust you relate. To get you started, here is the menu of tidbits. Best of luck as you try to conquer the world and, of course, do stay in touch...
Lilly Upset With CMS Coverage Decision On Its Alzheimer's Test (Reuters)
AstraZeneca Signs Cancer Pact With University of ...
Source: Pharmalot - July 9, 2013 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: esilverman Source Type: blogs
Pharmalot... Pharmalittle... Good Morning
Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope you had a chance to rest, because that challening routine of deadlines and meetings has now resumed and will not go away for several more days, if at all. So please join us as we cope by quaffing a cup of stimulation - once again, we are reaching for Hazelnut Cinnamon. Meanwhile, here is the usual menu of tidbits. Hope your day is successful and drop us a line at ed@pharmalot.com if you run across anything fascinating...
Supreme Court Refuses To Shield Pfizer From Some Asbestos Lawsuits (Bloomberg News)
FDA Cancer Czar Can't Approve Drugs Fast Enough (For...
Source: Pharmalot - June 24, 2013 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: esilverman Source Type: blogs
Pharmalot... Pharmalittle... The Weekend Nears
And so, another working week is about to draw to a close. One, two, three - hooray... This is as you know, our treasured signal to daydream about weekend plans. Once again, our agenda is modest. We plan to engage our short people in various activities, pull a few weeds and catch up on some reading. A nap is also in order. And you? Anything scheduled? The weather may not always cooperate, but the great outdoors always beckons. You could make time for a special someone. Or simply pause to reflect. Well, whatever you do, have a grand time. But do be safe. See you soon...
Pfizer's Newest Top Pills Are Not Selling So Well (Bloo...
Source: Pharmalot - June 14, 2013 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: esilverman Source Type: blogs
Rheumatoid treatment options
When I was diagnosed with rheumatoid last fall, I was already fairly aware of treatment options as my mother has had RA since 1989. The current theory for treatment is to hit it fast and early to slow progression and joint deformities.I was immediately put on plaquenile and prednisone. Plaquenile is an old drug from the 1930s or so and has successfully been proven to treat RA but it is slow working - months to have an effect - so usually prednisone is given for a brief period of time to get the swelling and pain down faster. That was bad news for me because I turned out to be allergic to both.I was then put on methot...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - June 12, 2013 Category: Cancer Tags: treatment options stress rheumatoid arthritis Source Type: blogs
Pharma whines their bills won't be paid in full
Now that excessive hospital billings are getting some press maybe Journolist, or those masquerading as them, can stop writing articles about the high out of pocket cost of Rx and start asking why the Rx are so expensive to start with:
"Cancer patients could face high costs for medications under President Barack Obama's health care law, industry analysts and advocates warn."
Some exchange plans might require members pay 30% of drugs that cost $10K per month and this concerns the pharmaceutical companies. All of us should be concerned about the other $7K we are paying. The expanded marketing of Enbrel which can cost ...
Source: InsureBlog - May 13, 2013 Category: Medical Lawyers and Insurers Source Type: blogs
Pharma whines their bills wont be paid in full
Now that excessive hospital billings are getting some press maybe Journalist, or those masquerading as them, can stop writing articles about the high out of pocket cost of Rx and start asking why the Rx are so expensive to start with.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/05/13/cancer-patients-could-face-high-costs-for-medications-under-obamacare-critics
Some exchange plans might require members pay 30% of drugs that cost 10K per month and this concerns the pharmaceutical companies. All of us should be concerned about the other 7K we are paying. The expanded marketing of Enbrel which can cost a couple thousand a month sho...
Source: InsureBlog - May 13, 2013 Category: Medical Lawyers and Insurers Source Type: blogs
The Best New Doctor Reaction Yet
He laughed.I went to see a physicians assistant in the rheumatology department yesterday about the bump on my arm (not on a log). He was a very nice man and spent some time talking to me.He said what I have is probably a ganglion cyst and he could stick a needle in it and drain it but it might come back. I said lymphedema arm. He said 'oops, no needle'. I said when I move my thumb around it makes it hurt more, he said I could give you a thumb splint but that would make your arm swell up.So we left it that I will monitor admire it, and if it does become problematic, I would be referred to a surgeon to see if there was anyth...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - May 3, 2013 Category: Cancer Tags: treatment options ganglion cyst rheumatoid arthritis doctor appointments Source Type: blogs
Amgen CEOs Prosper Despite (or Because of) Continuing Ethical Questions
This is becoming a familiar narrative on Health Care Renewal: top health care leaders continue to enrich themselves while their organizations' behavior continues to raise ethical questions.For our latest example we return to the ongoing adventures of biotechnology giant Amgen.CEOs Get Richer An AP story (via the LA Times) documented the continuing enrichment of its current CEO:Amgen Inc's new chief executive, Robert A. Bradway, received total compensation of $13.6 million in 2012, more than his predecessor, according to an analysis of a company regulatory filing.Bradway, who was promoted from chief operating officer to ...
Source: Health Care Renewal - May 2, 2013 Category: Health Medicine and Bioethics Commentators Tags: Amgen executive compensation kickbacks legal settlements adverse effects Source Type: blogs
Six ways Big Pharma manipulates consumers - Salon
This article originally appeared on AlterNet.
The blockbuster pill profit party is over for Big Pharma. Bestselling pills like Lipitor, Seroquel, Zyprexa, Singular and Concerta have gone off patent and sites which their ads sustained are withering on the vine. WebMD, for example, the voice of Pharma on the Web, with a former Pfizer exec serving as CEO, announced it would cut 250 positions in December.
But don’t worry, Wall Street. Pharma isn’t going to deliver disappointing earnings just because it has little or no new drugs coming online and has failed at the very reason for its existence. Here are six new Pharma ma...
Source: PharmaGossip - April 28, 2013 Category: Pharma Commentators Authors: insider Source Type: blogs
This has been a bad week
This has not been a good week for me and a lot of other people. First off all, the marathon bombing on Monday turned lives upside down. And it seems to be the only thing on network television these days. All my regular shows I record so I don't have to stay up late, have been superseded by more news coverage showing the same things over and over again.I have a very busy schedule this week. I had a meeting after work Tuesday that went relatively well. I met with my boss at the job I am leaving to talk about transition and was pleasantly surprised to find out they have two replacements for me - which is good for them and mak...
Source: Caroline's Breast Cancer Blog - April 18, 2013 Category: Cancer Tags: needles stress medical treatment rheumatoid arthritis Source Type: blogs
