Tue.Jul 09, 2024

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FTC Report Acknowledges Impact Pharmacy Benefit Managers Have on Cost, Accessibility of Prescription Drugs

Pharmacy Times

In a new report, the FTC says pharmacy benefit managers act as middlemen in the pharmaceutical industry, leading to the squeezing of independent pharmacies and increases in prices for patients.

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The untold story of the Human Genome Project: How one man’s DNA became a pillar of genetics

STAT

STAT is co-publishing this investigation by Undark. They numbered 20 in all — 10 men and 10 women who came to a sprawling medical campus in downtown Buffalo, N.Y., to volunteer for what a news report had billed as “the world’s biggest science project.

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Maximizing Reimbursement With McKesson Solutions

Drug Topics

Emily Flaugher, Vice President and General Manager of Health Mart Atlas and Atlas Specialty at McKesson, sat down with Drug Topics to discuss McKesson solutions that help independent pharmacists maximize reimbursement.

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STAT+: FTC report finds PBMs profit at the expense of patients and independent pharmacies

STAT

In stark terms, the Federal Trade Commission found in a report released Tuesday that pharmacy benefit managers — the opaque middlemen in the pharmaceutical supply chain — wield such “enormous power” that these companies can affect the ability of many Americans to access and afford their medicines. The agency noted that the three largest PBMs processed nearly 80% of the roughly 6.6 billion prescriptions dispensed by U.S. pharmacies in 2023.

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From Diagnosis to Delivery: How AI is Revolutionizing the Patient Experience

Speaker: Simran Kaur, Founder & CEO at Tattva Health Inc.

The healthcare landscape is being revolutionized by AI and cutting-edge digital technologies, reshaping how patients receive care and interact with providers. In this webinar led by Simran Kaur, we will explore how AI-driven solutions are enhancing patient communication, improving care quality, and empowering preventive and predictive medicine. You'll also learn how AI is streamlining healthcare processes, helping providers offer more efficient, personalized care and enabling faster, data-driven

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FTC Issues First Report Regarding Ongoing PBM Inquiry

Drug Topics

The FTC released its interim report detailing PBM practices, staggering market consolidation statistics, and the disparities between PBMs and their smaller competitors.

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Opinion: Everyone deserves addiction treatment that works — including those in jail

STAT

The overdose crisis is claiming lives across the United States, but it reaches new depths of despair in the criminal justice system. Overdose is the leading cause of death among people returning to their communities after being in jail or prison. Providing addiction treatment in these settings could change that. Roughly 60% of people who are incarcerated have a substance use disorder, in many cases an opioid use disorder.

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STAT+: Mikael Dolsten, Pfizer CSO who could take on Covid but not Wall Street, to step down

STAT

Five years ago — before the pandemic — Pfizer’s head of research and development, Mikael Dolsten, told STAT he kept a chess set in his office that he got as a gift from a former CEO of the company. It was a memento delivered to Dolsten after he cautioned his boss that research and development was a long process, like a chess match, not something that would happen quickly.

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Phase 1/2 Trial of Investigational Herpes Zoster Vaccine Candidate Underway

Drug Topics

Researchers are evaluating the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of shingles vaccine candidate Z-1018.

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5 takeaways from the Human Genome Project investigation

STAT

The Human Genome Project was among the most ambitious scientific efforts in modern history, with the aim of deciphering the chemical makeup of the entire human genetic code. The sequence of some 3 billion DNA base pairs that comprise our genome was supposed to be a mosaic, assembled from multiple anonymous people to protect the identity of the volunteer donors.

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FTC: PBMs may ‘urgently’ require ‘potential regulation’

Fierce Healthcare

Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) have vast power and scale that disadvantages consumers and independent pharmacies, a new report from the Federal Trade Commission argues. | The FTC turned its attention toward pharmacy benefit managers in a new report detailing the consequences of consolidation and vertical integration, warning legal action and regulation could follow.

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Position Your Pharmacy for Expansion

Speaker: Chris Antypas and Josh Halladay

Access to limited distribution drugs and payer contracts are key to pharmacy expansion. But how do you prepare your operations to take the next step? Meaningful data: Collect and share clinical data regarding outcomes, utilization, and more Reporting: Limited distribution models require efficient tracking and reporting systems Workflows: Align workflows with specific pharma and payer contractual requirements For in-depth, expert insights on pharmacy expansion, watch this webinar from Inovalon.

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Lilly’s obesity drug looks more potent than Novo’s in observational study

STAT

Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today?  Sign up  to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Good morning. STAT published an investigation this morning on the untold story of the Human Genome Project and ethics concerns surrounding the ambitious project. Check it out  here.

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FTC report finds PBM power has “dire consequences”

pharmaphorum

A long-awaited report from the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) on pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) is out – and will make uncomfortable reading for the pharma supply chain middlemen.Its central message is clear. The six largest PBMs in the US manage nearly 95% of all prescriptions filled in the US, a “concentrated market structure” that has allowed them to “profit at the expense of patients and independent pharmacists,” according to the financial regulator.

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Bayer to largely complete layoffs within pharma commercial team in 2024, exec says

Fierce Pharma

Bayer’s massive reorganization championed by CEO Bill Anderson is bringing major changes to the German company’s pharma commercial team, shaking up its structure, personnel and operations. | Bayer’s massive reorganization championed by CEO Bill Anderson is bringing major changes to the German company’s pharma commercial team. And the division’s newly named commercial chief Christine Roth is among those changes.

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Study Connects Multivitamin Use With Mortality Risk

Pharmacy Times

Daily multivitamin users were associated with a 4% higher mortality risk compared to nonusers.

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What the FDA's New Dosage Guidance Means for the Future of Clinical Research

Speaker: Dr. Ben Locwin - Biopharmaceutical Executive & Healthcare Futurist

What will the future hold for clinical research? A recent draft from the FDA provides valuable insight. In "Optimizing the Dosage of Human Prescription Drugs and Biological Products for the Treatment of Oncologic Diseases," the FDA notes that "targeted therapies demonstrate different dose-response relationships compared to cytotoxic chemotherapy, such that doses below the Maximum Tolerated Dose (MTD) may have similar efficacy to the MTD but with fewer toxicities.

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Opportunity costs of gene therapies. Where do we go from here?

pharmaphorum

Learn about the opportunity costs of gene therapies like Beqvez. Discover the obstacles and potential paths forward in the evolving field of gene therapy.

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House Speaker Mike Johnson pledges vote for BIOSECURE as China-targeting bill hangs in limbo

Fierce Pharma

Ahead of an election in November—and amid a period of legislative uncertainty for the China-targeting BIOSECURE Act—U.S. | Ahead of an election in November—and amid a period of legislative uncertainty for the China-targeting BIOSECURE Act—U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson has pledged to hold a vote for the controversial bill before the year is out.

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Slow-Release, Oral Ketamine Tablet May Reduces Severity of Treatment-Resistant Depression

Pharmacy Times

The authors note that the oral, at-home treatment can a better alternative for patients by reducing inconveniences that come with the injectable and nasal administration methods.

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Chromatography analysis for nitrosamine quantitation in pharmaceutical manufacturing water

European Pharmaceutical Review

Researchers have developed an ultrasensitive analytical method for quantifying nitrite quantity in process water for pharmaceutical products. The team tested various samples two ion chromatography analytical methods. This included a range of water types eg, purified and potable water, according to the paper. Kumar et al. explained that “accurate determination of nitrite content in process water will support an understanding of the potential for nitrosamine formation from nitrite in process water

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5 Reasons to Upgrade Your Pharmacy Management Software

Are you still using workarounds to manage your daily operations? To achieve peak performance, it's time to explore other options for specialty and infusion pharmacy software. Streamline pharmacy operations and improve clinical performance with automated processing, real-time data exchange, and electronic decision support. Download this helpful infographic to: Drive efficiency and patient adherence from referral receipt to delivery and ongoing care – all with our Pharmacy Cloud.

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Digital health financing shows signs of recovery in H1

pharmaphorum

After languishing in the doldrums for a few quarters, there are signs that the winds of investment are starting to blow again in the US digital health sector.

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Opinion: STAT+: Private equity and neuroscience: a novel approach to developing new treatments for neurological disorders

STAT

Neurological diseases are now the leading cause of poor health and disability worldwide. An estimated 3.4 billion people, or 40% of the world’s population, are affected by neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, stroke, migraine, depression, anxiety, neonatal encephalopathy, and more. Efforts to expand research that can lead to new and more effective treatments for neurological diseases are sorely needed.

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A spectrum of obesity requires precision

pharmaphorum

In this latest pharmaphorum podcast, web editor Nicole Raleigh speaks with Michael Kyle, chief medical officer at Currax Pharmaceuticals – a company working to advance a greater understanding of how to effectively treat obesity – about perceptions and options beyond the bounds of GLP-1s, including evolution of hypertension treatments.

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Head to Head Comparison of GLP-1 RAs for Weight Loss Tips Scales in Tirzepatide’s Favor

Drug Topics

Previously, data from head-to-head trials of tirzepatide and semaglutide were not available.

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Is it safe to take lithium and Latuda together?

The Checkup by Singlecare

Lithium is a generic prescription drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for people ages 7 years and older for the treatment and prevention of manic episodes associated with bipolar I disorder—a mental health condition characterized by episodes of intense mood swings. It’s a relatively low-cost maintenance treatment that has been around for a long time, according to psychiatrist Sid Khurana, MD, the medical director and co-founder of Nevada Mental Health.

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Tattoo Exposure Associated With Increased Risk of Malignant Lymphoma

Pharmacy Times

Individuals with tattoos were found to have a greater risk of developing malignant lymphoma, with the risk being highest within 2 years of receiving a tattoo.

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A rare voice box transplant helped a cancer patient speak again, part of a pioneering study

STAT

WASHINGTON — A Massachusetts man has regained his voice after surgeons removed his cancerous larynx and, in a pioneering move, replaced it with a donated one. Transplants of the so-called voice box are extremely rare, and normally aren’t an option for people with active cancer. Marty Kedian is only the third person in the U.S. ever to undergo a total larynx transplant – the others, years ago, because of injuries – and one of a handful reported worldwide.

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Higher COVID-19 Vaccination Rates May Provide Protection Against Symptomatic Asthma in Pediatric Patients

Pharmacy Times

Higher vaccination rates were associated with less prevalent asthmatic symptoms, but additional research is needed to confirm these findings.

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Is it safe to take Jardiance and Trulicity together?

The Checkup by Singlecare

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes , you might have questions about treatment options. Jardiance (empagliflozin) and Trulicit y (dulaglutide) are brand-name medicines that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for blood sugar control in people with Type 2 diabetes. Beyond that, they are very different prescription medications.

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US government appeals Gilead's trial win in Truvada, Descovy patent fight

Fierce Pharma

As Gilead Sciences tussles with a web of HIV drug litigation, a high-stakes case tied to patents for prevention medicines is coming back to test the drugmaker. | As Gilead Sciences tussles with a web of HIV med litigation, a case tied to patents for prevention regimens of Truvada and Descovy is not quite settled. Late last week, the U.S. government appealed Gilead's prior win in the fight.

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Does Jardiance cause weight gain?

The Checkup by Singlecare

People with Type 2 diabetes often have difficulty controlling their blood sugar levels, even with dietary changes and regular exercise. Jardiance (empagliflozin) is an oral medication that can help people with Type 2 diabetes maintain lower blood glucose levels, which not only aids in their overall diabetes management but can also lower their risk of cardiovascular disease.

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Could pharma’s blockbuster immunotherapies work in dogs?

PharmaVoice

Vetigenics believes it’s found a way to make pricey antibody-based technologies more accessible for animals.

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Roche will relaunch AMD implant Susvimo after update

pharmaphorum

Roche will reintroduce its Susvimo implant wet AMD, which was withdrawn from sale in 2022 due to manufacturing defects.

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Pharmacies Can Improve Front End Sales with Foster & Thrive OTC Products

Drug Topics

McKesson’s private brand of OTC health and wellness products are a great way for independent pharmacies to increase profits.

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Latuda vs. lithium: Differences, similarities & side effects

The Checkup by Singlecare

Latuda (lurasidone) and lithium are two prescription drugs used to treat bipolar disorder. Latuda is an atypical antipsychotic that can be prescribed alone (monotherapy) or with another drug (adjunctive therapy) to improve depressive episodes in people with bipolar I disorder. It’s also approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat schizophrenia.