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What We're Reading: Gene Editing Moratorium; e-Cigarette Sales; PBMs Invited to Drug Price Hearing
An international group of scientists has called for a global moratorium on gene-edited babies; proposed guidance would limit the sale of flavored e-cigarettes; and the Senate has invited executives from 5 pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to testify at a hearing on drug prices.
Scientists Call for Moratorium on Gene Editing
Proposal Would Limit Sales of Flavored e-Cigarettes
Senate Committee Invites Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) Execs to Testify
Months after the controversial births of the world's first gene-edited babies, a group of 18 researchers from around the globe are calling for a world-wide moratorium on editing DNA in human sperm, eggs, and embryos, reported The Wall Street Journal. The researchers, who include some inventors of CRISPR, said that a moratorium would prevent irresponsible use of the technology before it causes irreversible changes.As part of the FDA’s ongoing effort to combat teen vaping, Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, introduced proposed guidance that would limit the sale of flavored e-cigarettes to vape shops that bar sales to minors. The changes would not apply to menthol, mint, and tobacco flavors. According to The Hill, the proposal would likely ban sales of e-cigarettes at gas stations and convenience stores.The Senate Finance Committee has invited 5 executives from PBMs to its third drug pricing hearing on April 3. According to Reuters, Committee Chair Senator Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Senator Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, invited executives from UnitedHealth Group’s OptumRx Cigna, Humana, CVS Caremark, and Prime Therapeutics to testify on rising prescription drug prices.
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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