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Important Information about Breast Implants and BIA-ALCL
ByChristine A. Hamori, MDRecent media coverage of an FDA update regarding BIA-ALCL (Breast Implant Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma) is causing a lot of concern among breast implant patients. First of all, patients should know that BIA-ALCL is not new, and that this is a very rare disease. Also, it is only associated with textured implants. During every breast augmentation consult I do with every potential patient, we go over this information. In fact, rarely do my patients and I choose a textured implant.My colleague Dr. William Adams has published this informative update with a video from the Plastic Surgery Cha...
Source: What's New In Plastic Surgery? - April 4, 2017 Category: Cosmetic Surgery Tags: bia-alcl breast cancer breast implant associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma breast implants fda Source Type: blogs

CDER 2017 Guidance Agenda
In January, FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) released its annual guidance agenda, announcing the new and revised draft guidances that the Center plans to publish during the 2017 calendar year. CDER’s 102-part agenda is organized by category and touches on a variety of topics, giving us a glimpse of what to expect throughout the year. This year’s agenda follows a similar pattern to the Center’s 2016 agenda, placing an emphasis on the clinical aspects of drug development, pharmaceutical quality, generics, and procedural activities. However, CDER is not bound by this list of topics, required to iss...
Source: Policy and Medicine - March 31, 2017 Category: American Health Authors: Thomas Sullivan - Policy & Medicine Writing Staff Source Type: blogs

For Rare Disease Patients, A Pathway To Hundreds Of New Therapies
Many rare disease patients use drugs off-label based on limited data because they have no better options available. In fact, it is estimated that 95 percent of rare diseases do not yet have a single FDA-approved treatment. One of the authors of this article, David Fajgenbaum, is a physician-scientist and a patient with a rare and incurable condition called idiopathic multicentric Castleman disease (iMCD). An off-label treatment saved his life one day after he was administered his last rites in 2010. He has had multiple relapses and received 11 off-label treatments with varying effectiveness. He is currently on an off-label...
Source: Health Affairs Blog - March 21, 2017 Category: Health Management Authors: Max Bronstein, Emil Kakkis, David Fajgenbaum and Chip Chambers Tags: Drugs and Medical Innovation off-label drugs off-label promotion open act orphan drugs Source Type: blogs

WIRED Health 2017 London: Looking Into The Future of Healthcare
Last week WIRED Health gathered hundreds of leaders and influencers from across the globe in London to discuss the field of health innovation and technology. In addition to their long lists of honors and historic accolades, the unrivaled lineup of speakers brought an infectious enthusiasm for action in healthcare. Peter Piot of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine set the scale of the challenge, charging the audience to strive for truly global health when he spoke about epidemics. Co-discoverer of the Ebola virus and a pioneering researcher in HIV/AIDS, Peter imparted the wisdom that human behavior and pr...
Source: Medgadget - March 16, 2017 Category: Medical Equipment Authors: Tom Peach Tags: Exclusive Source Type: blogs

I ’ ve finally joined The Walking Gallery
This isn’t exactly breaking news — that happened in the craziness of HIMSS17 a couple of weeks ago — but I am now a member of The Walking Gallery of Healthcare. The Walking Gallery is a series of paintings on jackets, mostly, but not completely, created by artist/patient advocate Regina Holliday, meant to spark conversations about healthcare. Each painting depicts a difficult healthcare situation that the wearer or a loved one of the wearer experienced. In my case, it is the story of my late father’s terrible experience in a poorly run community hospital as he was dying of a rare disease called multiple sys...
Source: Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog - March 7, 2017 Category: Information Technology Authors: Neil Versel Tags: patient safety personal notes multiple system atrophy (MSA) patient engagement Regina Holliday The Walking Gallery Source Type: blogs

I ’ve finally joined The Walking Gallery
This isn’t exactly breaking news — that happened in the craziness of HIMSS17 a couple of weeks ago — but I am now a member of The Walking Gallery of Healthcare. The Walking Gallery is a series of paintings on jackets, mostly, but not completely, created by artist/patient advocate Regina Holliday, meant to spark conversations about healthcare. Each painting depicts a difficult healthcare situation that the wearer or a loved one of the wearer experienced. In my case, it is the story of my late father’s terrible experience in a poorly run community hospital as he was dying of a rare disease called multiple sys...
Source: Neil Versel's Healthcare IT Blog - March 7, 2017 Category: Information Technology Authors: Neil Versel Tags: patient safety personal notes multiple system atrophy (MSA) patient engagement Regina Holliday The Walking Gallery Source Type: blogs

Patient Advocates Targeted with Unwarranted Criticism
A study in the current issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, dings patient-advocacy groups for taking funds and engaging with experts from biopharmaceutical and medical device companies. It’s an unfortunate (though familiar) drumbeat, insinuating – though not proving – a conflict-of-interest because money is involved. Guilty until proven innocent – once the charge is made – is hard to defend against. Having worked with more than 1,500 patient advocacy groups in 26 countries for more than 40 years, I can. The late Henreitta Aladjem, founder of the Lupus Foundation and the first advocate to visit me after m...
Source: Disruptive Women in Health Care - March 6, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: dw at disruptivewomen.net Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs

Johnson & Johnson Announces Plans to Disclose Average Price Increases
As America continues to discuss the increase in the cost of prescription drugs, Johnson & Johnson (J&J) has announced that it plans to disclose average price increases of its prescription drugs. High and rising prices have also infuriated doctors, insurance companies and politicians, and triggered government probes into the industry's practices. The government has no power now to regulate prices, but the industry appears to be starting to move to deflect further scrutiny and avoid price controls. With annual price tags topping $100,000 for many new drugs for cancer and rare diseases, some patients have been unable to...
Source: Policy and Medicine - March 2, 2017 Category: American Health Authors: Thomas Sullivan - Policy & Medicine Writing Staff Source Type: blogs

Neither Was Mine
There are parts of medicine that are horrendous. Moments too painful to recount. Events that will break even the most innocent participants.And then there is unspeakable magic.I live for the days when a patient comes to the office with a particularly vexing set of symptoms. Specialist after specialist bows their head in disagreement. Laboratory values whisper falsehoods with jeering tongues. Symptoms are transient, physical exam signs inconsistent, and in the midst of head scratching an answer mysteriously appears. Maybe a common presentation of a rare disease. Or a rare presentation...
Source: In My Humble Opinion - February 26, 2017 Category: Primary Care Authors: Jordan Grumet Source Type: blogs

Vulnerable Patients and Right to Try. Doing More Harm Than Good
By McFADYEN, HALL & McBRIDE-FOLKERS The McFadyens in 2010. Gabriel, Ellen, Andrew and Issac, aged 6. In both the House of Representatives and the Senate, legislators have introduced “Right to Try” bills, which purport to give terminally ill patients access to experimental medications prior to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. Vice President Pence recently met with Right to Try advocates, expressing support for the movement in a tweet. Forbes has published perspectives from both sides on the issue: first, a Right to Try proponent, Nathan Nascimento, defended the legislation, while medical ethicist Arthur ...
Source: The Health Care Blog - February 21, 2017 Category: Consumer Health News Authors: John Irvine Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: blogs

The Bitterness over 'Brittle Diabetes'
With the 10th annual Rare Disease Day just around the corner on Feb. 28, it's a perfect time to revisit the issue of "brittle diabetes" and how recognition of it as a rare disease (or lack thereof) has sparked a new wave of controversy recently. ... (Source: Diabetes Mine)
Source: Diabetes Mine - February 21, 2017 Category: Endocrinology Authors: Wil Dubois Source Type: blogs