Mary Caffrey

Poor interpretation of imaging is the top reason for oncology malpractice lawsuits.

The genomic test is designed to limit invasive procedures for low-risk patients with suspicious lung nodules.

The study involves a novel way to measure success for diabetes prevention programs, which historically have been evaluated by the amount of weight participants lose.

Coverage of DECLARE, CARMELINA, and other studies that highlight the connection between diabetes and renal outcomes

The Los Angeles gathering of the Institute for Value-Based Medicine focused on the need to intervene early in the course of diabetes, so that patients can avoid long-term complications. Over the past decade, cardiovascular outcomes trials for glucose-lowering therapies have revealed unexpected benefits, offering new opportunities for cardiologists.

A discussion with Naeem Khan, MD, vice president of US cardiovascular and metabolic diseases at AstraZeneca, on lessons from the wave of cardiovascular outcomes trials, the new focus on renal outcomes, and what’s next for SGLT2 inhibitors.

Presentations at 2 major scientific conferences showed that the SGLT2 inhibitor cut the risk of renal failure or death by 30% and had renal benefits for patients with and without previous cardiovascular disease.

The EMPEROR trials could lead to new indications for the SGLT2 inhibitor for patients with and without diabetes.

Two studies, including one that examined patient data from a well-known diabetes trial, confirmed the value of 2 cardiovascular biomarkers in predicting mortality in peripheral artery disease.

Authors say more work is needed to understand the mechanisms behind their findings.

When asked why drug prices are so high, manufacturers offer some version of the same answer: the cost of research and development. Although there is debate over how much it actually costs to bring new therapies to market, a 2016 study by Tufts University put the price tag at $2.56 billion (in 2013 dollars), and researchers found costs were rising 8.5% a year. Failure rates of drugs also contribute to their high prices. A 2018 paper coauthored by Andrew Lo, PhD, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology found that the probability of success in clinical trials was 13.8%, but the success rate within just oncology was 3.4%.

A year ago, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) added the word “accessible” to its mission statement, stating that the group is “dedicated to improving and facilitating quality, effective, efficient, and accessible cancer care so that patients can live better lives.”

More and more, stakeholders across the healthcare system— providers, commercial payers, pharmaceutical companies, large employers, state Medicaid officials, and even state budget officers—are grappling with the fact that the old pay-as-you-go way of covering medicines, even cancer drugs, was not built for these revolutionary therapies. A group at MIT is developing new models, which use reinsurance and payments over time to fund these durable treatments.

Merck's Center for Observational and Real-World Evidence has spent several years gathering evidence on clinical inertia and is now working on solutions to overcome it at the point of care.

There was something for everyone at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Scientific Sessions, held June 7-11, 2019, in San Francisco, California.

Results were presented recently at the 79th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association.

The consensus report was presented at the 79th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association in San Francisco, California.

Selected technology news briefs from the 79th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association.

The final morning session of the 79th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association (ADA) in San Francisco, California, featured more cardiovascular and renal results from recent trials involving type 2 diabetes drugs.

Oral semaglutide, the first glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist in a pill, met safety benchmarks and reduced major cardiovascular (CV) events for high-risk patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in PIONEER 6, but did not achieve superiority, according to trial results presented at the 79th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association in San Francisco, California.

The connections among diabetes, cardiovascular (CV) disease, and kidney failure have been a theme of the 79th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association, which featured a joint session with the American Society of Nephrology.

The observational study will use information from 3 databases to compare the SGLT2 inhibitor to a competing class of therapy for type 2 diabetes. Early cardiovascular and safety data were presented Monday at the 79th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association.

Patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) who had been using insulin an average of 8 years and had mean glycated hemoglobin (A1C) levels of 8.9% were able to bring their levels down 0.9% after 3 months, according to chart review data from 3 European countries.

Findings reported at the 79th Scientific Session of the American Diabetes Association in San Francisco, California, show the type 2 diabetes drug dapagliflozin significantly reduced the risk of renal decline, kidney failure, and renal death.

Results from a study involving adding sitagliptin and increasing doses of metformin for patients who cannot attain glycemic control show that as glycated hemoglobin increases, it becomes harder to reach targets.

Oral semaglutide would be the first non-injectable agent in the GLP-1 receptor agonist class; these drugs produce powerful glycemic control along with weight loss.

More than 5 years after the full implementation of the Affordable Care Act, outcomes data on the effects of Medicaid expansion are starting to emerge.