AJMC Staff

What we're reading, October 27, 2015: a much-improved Healthcare.gov website, report says drug prices rose at a much slower rate in 2015, and USPSTF recommends glucose testing in asymptomatic adults who are overweight or obese.

The vaccine, approved in Europe last week, is now awaiting approval in the United States.

Despite the fact that post-bronchodilator spirometry is required for the diagnosis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, an analysis of primary care clinics found only 19% of patients diagnosed with the disease had undergone spirometry testing.

What we're reading, October 26, 2015: One-third of uninsured in California are unaware of premium subsidies and medical school enrollment among black men is down.

Two head-to-head trials comparing the safety of Incruse Ellipta to 2 available bronchodilator treatments used by patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has yielded positive results for GlaxoSmithKline's therapy.

The drug is awaiting an FDA verdict next week.

What we're reading, October 23, 2015: a new definition of dual eligibles, FDA warning on liver toxicity of Abbvie's hepatitis C drug, and Amgen's Repatha can cost patients more than just money.

Patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer who have progressed on gemcitabine now have the option of Onivyde combined with leucovorin/fluorouracil.

What We're Reading, October 22, 2015: can aspirin prevent the recurrence of cancer, Clinton wants careful scrutiny of insurance mergers, and small businesses race against time to comply with the ACA.

What we're reading, October 21, 2015: influential Republican's on health committees oppose the Affordable Care Act's reinsurance program for insurers; shareholder's of Aetna say yes to the company's merger with Humana; and the genetic testing company will once again start sharing health information with consumers.

What we're reading, October 20, 2015: Mark McClellan, MD, PhD, will lead Duke's Center for Health Policy; the eligible uninsured will face higher fines in 2016; and Canadian researchers use digital media to improve quality and care outcomes.

Standard treatment for type 2 diabetes has been to use oral therapy until the disease progresses, but researchers are rethinking that approach.

What we're reading October 19, 2015: Clinton campaign leads rivals in pharma donations, lawmakers in North Carolina open to provider-led organizations and managed care, big surge in Medicare spending on hepatitis C drugs.

NCCN Evidence Blocks add affordability to Guidelines recommendations on safety, efficacy, quality, and consistency of regimens.

What we're reading, October 16, 2015: judge rules orphan drugs do not need to be sold at discount under 340B, hospitals can use resources at their disposal to overcome the "weekend effect," and AstraZeneca's diabetes combination drug fails to win FDA approval.

The standard test for osteoporosis does not do a good job of predicting fractures in T1D.

What we're reading, October 15, 2015: federal prosecutors subpoena Valeant Pharmaceuticals over how the company prices drugs, Atul Gawande, MD, makes the case for better coordinated care, and proposed biosimilar reimbursement sparks outrage.

What we're reading, October 14, 2015: Jeb Bush offers a detailed proposal for his plan to replace parts of the Affordable Care Act, California places a cap on out-of-pocket costs for consumers, and people addicted to opioids can't get the treatment they need.

What we're reading on October 13, 2015: presidential hopeful Marco Rubio taps health policy expert Avik Roy to advise his campaign, Democrats will tangle over healthcare in first debate, and the US pays 3 times as much for medicine as Britain.

Stand Up 2 Cancer, in collaboration with the American Association for Clinical Research, will be funding innovative research grants with a potential to further translational cancer research.

What we're reading on October 12, 2015: health insurance marketplaces may have challenges keeping customers they already have, but in California, consumers leaving the state insurance exchange are gaining coverage elsewhere, and the government is increasingly pursuing cases of potentially unnecessary procedures.

A close study of one patient-reported outcome has deemed it a clinically valuable measure, according to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

The PD-1 inhibitor antibody was approved by the FDA for use in patients who have progressed on platinum-based treatment.

Steven Rosenberg, MD, chief of surgery at NCI's Center for Cancer Research, has been awarded the 2015 Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal, or Sammie for his contributions to the field of immune-based cancer treatments.

The PD-L1 inhibitor was granted orphan drug status just last month.

Coverage expansions resulting from the Affordable Care Act have not had a negative financial effect on medical practices. Instead, primary care physicians reported increased collections and decreased visit volume, according to athenahealth

The recent overview of obesity from the Trust for America's Health revealed extremely high percentages of Native Americans are overweight and obese, especially in states where they live in remote locations.

The study plans to evaluate the impact of a personalized approach to breast cancer screening over an annual mammogram.

Researchers say the results may help physicians better target screening for obese youth.

The CHHiP trial found fewer high-dose radiotherapy was as effective as more number of low-dose radiotherapy in men with prostate cancer.