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What We're Reading: Aerosolized Chemo Trial; Uber, NimbleRx Delivering Prescriptions; COVID-19 Spikes in MO Prisons
A new phase 1 trial will test aerosolized chemotherapy in patients with cancer; Uber and NimbleRx partner to deliver prescriptions; Missouri prisons see a rise in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases.
Researchers to Test Aerosolized Chemotherapy
Surgical researchers at City of Hope will become the first in the nation to open a clinical trial of aerosolized chemotherapy. The potential method of delivering chemotherapy could become an effective alternative for patients with abdominal cancer who have limited treatment options. When tumors present in ovarian, uterine, gastric, and colorectal cancers spread to the peritoneum in the abdomen, they become difficult to treat using intravenous chemotherapy. The pressurized intraperitoneal aerosolized chemotherapy (PIPAC) will soon be implemented in a multisite 3-year phase 1 clinical trial.
Uber, NimbleRx Partner to Expand Prescription Delivery Services
NimbleRx, an online pharmacy delivery company, has partnered with Uber Health to offer contactless prescription delivery from pharmacies in Seattle, Washington, and Dallas, Texas, according to The Associated Press. The companies hope to expand services to other parts of the country soon. The service is fully integrated with Uber’s platform while NimbleRx works directly with independent and regional pharmacies. NimbleRx already offers next-day delivery to 70% of the US population and same day delivery to 30%. Uber Health is also a HIPAA-secure platform and currently consists of nonemergency medical transportation for patients.
Prisons in Missouri Report Spike in COVID-19 Cases
Missouri prisons reported 333 new cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) so far this month, marking a more than 50% increase from last month, The Associated Press reports. In comparison, the prison system has reported 661 total cases since the beginning of the pandemic. A prison spokeswoman attributes the rise to increased testing. Since August 1, confirmed cases rose from 105 to 232 at the Eastern Reception, Diagnostic and Correctional Center in Bonne Terre and from 108 to 163 at the Missouri Eastern Correctional Center in Pacific.
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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