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What We’re Reading: CAR T Therapy Warning; Child Flu Cases; Alzheimer Blood Test
Pharmaceutical companies required to update prescribing information for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies; Texas dashboard reports a 40% increase in pediatric flu cases; a blood test shows high accuracy for Alzheimer disease biomarkers.
Boxed Warning for CAR T-Cell Cancer Therapies
The FDA has directed pharmaceutical companies, such as Gilead Sciences, Johnson & Johnson, and Novartis, to incorporate a boxed warning in the prescribing information for chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell cancer therapies, according to Reuters. This decision follows reports of patients developing T-cell malignancies, including lymphoma and leukemia, after receiving CAR T treatments. While Novartis has confirmed the update for its CAR T-cell therapy tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah), other pharmaceutical companies are evaluating next steps for their respective therapies amid concerns raised by the FDA regarding the risks of T-cell malignancy associated with these cancer treatments.
Surge in Flu Cases Among Texas Children Amid Low Vaccination Rates
The Texas Department of State Health Services has introduced a new dashboard providing real time and historical data on respiratory virus cases, focusing on the flu, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and COVID-19, according to CBS News. For instance, the Children's Health system in North Texas has experienced a concerning 40% rise in flu cases among children in clinics, doctor's offices, and emergency departments. The CDC reported that only 46.9% of children have received their flu vaccine this season, a figure significantly below the normal rate. While the Children's Health data show that COVID-19 and RSV cases in children are on the decline, health officials are closely monitoring the situation.
Blood Test Shows Promise in Early Detection of Alzheimer Disease
A groundbreaking study suggests that testing blood for the protein phosphorylated tau (p-tau) could provide a highly accurate screening method for Alzheimer disease, even before symptoms manifest, according to CNN. The research focused on the biomarker p-tau217, demonstrating up to 96% accuracy in identifying elevated beta amyloid levels and up to 97% accuracy in detecting tau, crucial indicators of Alzheimer disease pathology. The blood test, known as the ALZpath pTau217 assay, may offer a cost-effective and accessible alternative to current diagnostic methods, providing an opportunity for early intervention and personalized patient management.
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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