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What We're Reading: 20M Vaccinations in December; PD-L1 Diagnostic for TNBC; Fauci Recommendations
Nearly 20 million people could be vaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019 in December; FDA approves a companion diagnostic for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC); Anthony Fauci, MD, urges continued mask wearing as vaccines become available.
20 Million COVID-19 Vaccinations Targeted for December
Reported by POLITICO, nearly 20 million people could be vaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in December. Moncef Slaoui, co-lead of Operation Warp Speed, noted during a Rose Garden event with President Donald Trump that Americans should expect that 25 to 30 million people could be vaccinated each month going forward. However, this timeline depends on the FDA authorizing the emergency use of 1 or more vaccines. Pfizer’s vaccine candidate has been shown to be more than 90% effective, with the company saying it may apply for the emergency use designation later this month.
FDA Approves PD-L1 Companion Diagnostic in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
This past Friday, Agilent Technologies announced it has received approval by the FDA for the use of PD-L1 IHC 22C3 pharmDx as an aid in identifying patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) for treatment with pembrolizumab, sold as Keytruda. The announcement marks the first companion diagnostic approved by the FDA to aid the identification of TNBC patients for pembrolizumab, with TNBC now indicated as the seventh cancer type for which PD-L1 IHC 22C3 pharmDx has gained FDA approval.
Fauci Says to Continue Preventive Measures After Vaccination
Reported by The Hill, Anthony Fauci, MD, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, said on “State of the Union” yesterday that Americans should continue practicing preventive measures such as wearing masks and social distancing even after a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available. Fauci highlights that even if a vaccine were to be 90% to 95% effective for the general population, this efficacy may vary from person to person.
Urticaria Diagnosis Challenged by Overlapping Pruritic Skin Conditions
April 23rd 2025Urticaria is complicated to diagnose by its symptomatic overlap with other skin conditions and the frequent misclassification in literature of distinct pathologies like vasculitic urticaria and bullous pemphigus.
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New Research Challenges Assumptions About Hospital-Physician Integration, Medicare Patient Mix
April 22nd 2025On this episode of Managed Care Cast, Brady Post, PhD, lead author of a study published in the April 2025 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care®, challenges the claim that hospital-employed physicians serve a more complex patient mix.
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Personalized Care Key as Tirzepatide Use Expands Rapidly
April 15th 2025Using commercial insurance claims data and the US launch of tirzepatide as their dividing point, John Ostrominski, MD, Harvard Medical School, and his team studied trends in the use of both glucose-lowering and weight-lowering medications, comparing outcomes between adults with and without type 2 diabetes.
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ACOs’ Focus on Rooting Out Fraud Aligns With CMS Vision Under Oz
April 23rd 2025Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are increasingly playing the role of data sleuths as they identify and report trends of anomalous billing in hopes of salvaging their shared savings. This mission dovetails with that of CMS, which under the new administration plans to prioritize rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse.
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