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What We're Reading: AMAF Launches LGBTQ Program; FDA Issues Guidance on Gene Therapy; 110 Possible Coronavirus Cases in US
The American Medical Association Foundation announced a national fellowship program to promote best practices and shared outcomes for the LGBTQ community; the FDA issued guidances promoting development of gene therapy products; the CDC announces 110 possible cases of coronavirus in the United States.
AMA Foundation Launches Plan Addressing LGBTQ Health Disparities
The American Medical Association Foundation (AMAF) today announced a plan to create a commission of LGBTQ health specialists through the AMA Foundation LGBTQ Fellowship Program, a national fellowship program to promote best practices and shared outcomes, according to an AMAF press release. John D. Evans, a business executive and philanthropist, will serve as chairman of the AMA Foundation Fellowship Commission for LGBTQ Health, which will appoint 13 to 15 LGBTQ thought leaders, educational specialists, physicians, and philanthropists to guide the fellowship program to ensure that the health needs of the LGBTQ community are optimally considered. At present, policies still permit denial of services to LGBTQ people. Evans previously served on the board of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative.
FDA Issues Guidances Supporting Development of Gene Therapy Products
The FDA announced the release of 6 final guidances today on gene therapy manufacturing and clinical development of products, as well as a draft guidance, Interpreting Sameness of Gene Therapy Products Under the Orphan Drug Regulations, acccording to an FDA press release. These documents provide the FDA’s recommendations to assist product developers in shaping the modern structure for the development and manufacture of gene therapies, with additional input from stakeholders. The agency wants to ensure gene therapies are both effective and safe.
CDC Announces 110 People Under Investigation for Coronavirus
Yesterday, the CDC announced that approximately 110 people from 26 states are under investigation for possible cases of the coronavirus from Wuhan, China, according to Politico. There have been 5 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the United States so far, and more than 2000 confirmed cases worldwide. The CDC raised its travel precautions for China to its highest of 3 levels, in which travelers are advised against nonessential travel to the country. Screenings will purportedly soon expand at the 20 US airports that receive 90% of airline passengers from China, according to The Washington Post.
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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