Wed.Aug 07, 2024

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STAT+: How UnitedHealth turned a questionable artery-screening program into a gold mine

STAT

The nation’s largest health care company pressed thousands of its clinicians to use a thinly tested medical device to screen people for artery disease, dramatically boosting payments from the federal government for years even though many of the patients were not sick, a STAT investigation found. The result was a torrent of sometimes questionable diagnoses of peripheral artery disease.

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Autobahn’s road to a breakthrough depression treatment is paved with high-profile investors

PharmaVoice

The biotech boasts some Big Pharma backers that drove a $100 million fundraising effort in July to take its depression drug into a mid-stage study.

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STAT+: The race to build better CRISPR delivery vehicles is heating up

STAT

If the first CRISPR decade was marked by a mad dash to evolve, engineer, and mine the bacterial universe for more and better genome-editing enzymes, so far the second seems to be all about three words: “Delivery. Delivery. Delivery.” Gene-editing technologies hold huge promise for treating hundreds, even thousands of inherited diseases.

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A biotech dousing ‘fires’ in the brain that plagued a bestselling author

PharmaVoice

Arialys Therapeutics is developing a preclinical treatment for a rare autoimmune encephalitis that mimics psychosis.

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From Diagnosis to Delivery: How AI is Revolutionizing the Patient Experience

Speaker: Simran Kaur, Founder & CEO at Tattva Health Inc.

The healthcare landscape is being revolutionized by AI and cutting-edge digital technologies, reshaping how patients receive care and interact with providers. In this webinar led by Simran Kaur, we will explore how AI-driven solutions are enhancing patient communication, improving care quality, and empowering preventive and predictive medicine. You'll also learn how AI is streamlining healthcare processes, helping providers offer more efficient, personalized care and enabling faster, data-driven

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Opinion: When life mirrors research: What a fall on the ice taught me about being Black and in pain

STAT

As I hurried to an important meeting about my Ph.D. dissertation one day in 2015, I slipped and fell on Iowa’s formidable winter ice. I quickly jumped up to prevent anyone from seeing me on the ground and got into my car. The immediate, excruciating pain told me that something really bad had happened. As I drove to my meeting in tears, I called my sister.

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mRNA technologies: Looking beyond COVID vaccines

pharmaphorum

Explore the innovative applications of mRNA technologies beyond COVID-19 vaccines. Learn about the potential and future developments in this groundbreaking field.

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More Trending

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Sangamo Therapeutics and Genentech team up to develop genomic medicines for neurodegenerative diseases

Pharmafile

Genomic medicine company Sangamo Therapeutics and Genentech have entered into a licensing agreement to develop intravenously administered genomic medicines to treat neurodegenerative diseases. Sangamo is expected to receive $50m in near-term upfront license fees and milestone payments after granting Genentech exclusive licensing for its proprietary zinc finger repressors – that are directed to the tau […] The post Sangamo Therapeutics and Genentech team up to develop genomic medicines for

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FDA approves Purdue Pharma’s controversial new overdose-reversal medication

STAT

Purdue Pharma, the company best known for fueling the opioid crisis by misleadingly marketing the infamous painkiller OxyContin, received approval on Wednesday for a new auto-injector device used to reverse opioid overdoses.  The announcement represents the latest in a string of recent approvals for products that use nalmefene, essentially a more powerful version of its better-known chemical cousin, naloxone.

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Novo shares tumble on lower-than-expected obesity drug sales

BioPharma Dive

Quarterly revenue from Ozempic and Wegovy missed Wall Street estimates by about 9%, concerning some analysts and causing a stock sell-off costing the Danish drugmaker tens of billions in market value.

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Opinion: Give pharmaceutical execs the benefit of doubt — but they need to work for it

STAT

The polarized debate over drug pricing has generated cartoonish, sometimes colorful caricatures of the biopharmaceutical industry and its leaders. Critics of the industry have portrayed pharmaceutical leaders as ruthless, rapacious leaders who gouge patients to gratify greedy shareholders. While one might expect industry trade organizations to defend their leaders, their responses have sometimes portrayed leaders as powerless proxies of their shareholders whose product portfolios and profits wou

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Why Every Small Business Needs an HCM Solution: A Comprehensive Guide

Managing HR tasks like payroll, compliance, and employee data can overwhelm small businesses. That’s where a Human Capital Management (HCM) solution comes in. Our eBook, Why Every Small Business Needs an HCM Solution: A Comprehensive Guide , shows how an HCM system automates tedious processes, ensuring your business stays compliant and efficient. You’ll learn how to simplify payroll, eliminate costly errors, and empower your employees with self-service tools.

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Amgen talks obesity drug ‘differentiation’; Servier brain cancer drug approved by FDA

BioPharma Dive

Executives at Amgen had few updates on their drug MariTide, but defended what they see as the once-monthly shot’s competitive profile.

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STAT+: Supply issues weigh on Novo Nordisk as drugmaker stumbles with quarterly report

STAT

LONDON — An underwhelming earnings report and ongoing questions about increasing competition in the booming obesity medicine field sent Novo Nordisk’s shares down early Wednesday, as the company sought to project its ability to reach more patients by increasing the supplies of its medicines.   Novo shares were down about 5% after the company lowered its operating profit guidance to 20% to 28%, down from the 22% to 30% it forecasted in its last earnings report.

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BioMarin keeps but scales down Roctavian gene therapy ops

pharmaphorum

BioMarin Pharma has decided not to divest its haemophilia A gene therapy Roctavian but is reining back its ambitions for the business, for now

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STAT+: CVS removes top Aetna leader as higher medical costs eat further into profits

STAT

CVS Health continued to pay out more than it expected for the medical claims of its Medicare Advantage enrollees in the second quarter, forcing the company to lower its estimates for this year’s profits for the second straight quarter. Those higher medical costs led CVS chief executive Karen Lynch to remove Brian Kane , the president of Aetna, the subsidiary that operates all health insurance plans.

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Best Practices to Streamline Compensation Management: A Foundation for Growth

Speaker: Joe Sharpe and James Carlson

Payroll optimization can be one of the most time-consuming and complex factors of small business management. Yet, organizations that crack the code on streamlining employee compensation often discover innovative avenues for growth. With the right strategies in place, outsourcing and streamlining payroll processes can result in substantial time and resource savings.

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Episode 946: Animal data suggest calcium does not stabilize the cardiac membrane in hyperkalemia

Pharmacy Joe

In this episode, I’ll discuss the effects of calcium during treatment of hyperkalemia. Episode 946: Animal data suggest calcium does not stabilize the cardiac membrane in hyperkalemia Subscribe on iTunes , Android , or Stitcher Using calcium in patients with severe hyperkalemia is recognized as the most critical first step of treatment. Textbooks and tertiary references widely quote that the purpose of giving IV calcium in severe hyperkalemia is to stabilize the cardiac membrane.

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STAT+: Novo Nordisk pulls filings for Wegovy in heart failure as it waits for cardiovascular outcomes data

STAT

Novo Nordisk is pulling its regulatory submissions to expand the use of its obesity drug Wegovy for a common type of heart failure, saying that waiting for more data on cardiovascular outcomes could bolster its case. Trials of Wegovy in the condition, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (or HFpEF), have primarily looked at the drug’s effects on symptoms and physical function.

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Wegovy slowdown rattles Novo Nordisk investors

pharmaphorum

Weaker sales of obesity drug Wegovy cause a dip in Novo Nordisk's share price, but CEO says volume growth is strong and will accelerate in second half

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STAT+: Medicare finalizes reimbursement rule for breakthrough medical devices

STAT

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has finalized its rule easing reimbursement for medical device makers. Called Transitional Coverage for Emerging Technologies, the program gives device makers with products deemed “breakthrough” technology by the Food and Drug Administration a quicker way to secure Medicare coverage. The agency first introduced the rule last June.

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Enhance Healthcare Efficiency With Top Payroll & HCM Services

Running a healthcare facility requires precision and care, not just for patients but also for your staff. Our guide, "A Buyer’s Guide to Payroll & HCM Services," helps healthcare providers choose the best provider. Efficient payroll management ensures timely, accurate payments, critical for maintaining staff morale and trust. Compliance support helps navigate complex healthcare regulations and avoid costly fines.

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Alembic gains USFDA final approval for Acitretin Capsules USP, 10 mg, 17.5 mg, and 25 mg

Express Pharma

Alembic Pharmaceuticals announced that it has received final approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) for its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) Acitretin Capsules USP, 10 mg, 17.5 mg, and 25 mg. The approved ANDA is therapeutically equivalent to the reference listed drug product (RLD), Soriatane Capsules, 10 mg, 17.5 mg, and 25 mg, of Stiefel Laboratories.

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STAT+: FDA scolds Bristol Myers over a misleading website for a cancer treatment

STAT

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has scolded Bristol Myers Squibb for making false and misleading claims about a lung cancer treatment on a website aimed at physicians. In an Aug. 1 letter , the agency admonished the company for touting the benefits of its Krazati medication by referencing efficacy data that did not support statements on the website designed for health care providers.

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AI in the medical devices sector: Fostering innovation while navigating evolving regulations

pharmaphorum

Explore how artificial intelligence and machine learning are revolutionising the medical devices sector. Learn about the innovative technologies and how companies are navigating evolving regulations in this rapidly advancing field.

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A new drug for glioma means a windfall for Agios

STAT

Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today?  Sign up  to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Good morning. We recap another slew of earnings reported this morning and last night. Let’s get straight into it.

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Position Your Pharmacy for Expansion

Speaker: Chris Antypas and Josh Halladay

Access to limited distribution drugs and payer contracts are key to pharmacy expansion. But how do you prepare your operations to take the next step? Meaningful data: Collect and share clinical data regarding outcomes, utilization, and more Reporting: Limited distribution models require efficient tracking and reporting systems Workflows: Align workflows with specific pharma and payer contractual requirements For in-depth, expert insights on pharmacy expansion, watch this webinar from Inovalon.

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FDA approves first Nalmefene Hydrochloride auto-injector to reverse opioid overdose

Express Pharma

The US FDA approved Zurnai, the first nalmefene hydrochloride auto-injector for the emergency treatment of known or suspected opioid overdose in adults and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older. The agency approved the first nasal spray formulation of nalmefene in May 2023. Drug overdose persists as a major public health issue in the US, with more than 107,000 reported fatal overdoses occurring in 2023, primarily driven by synthetic opioids like illicit fentanyl.

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STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about Roche plans for Flatiron, underwhelming Novo Nordisk earnings, and more

STAT

Hello, everyone, and how are you today? We are doing just fine, thank you, especially since the middle of the week is upon us. After all, we have made it this far, so we are determined to hang on for another couple of days. And why not? The alternatives — at least those we can identify — are not so appetizing. And what better way to make the time fly than to keep busy.

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Levicept says non-opioid drug cuts arthritis pain in phase 2

pharmaphorum

A non-opioid drug for pain developed by UK biotech Levicept, with a new mechanism of action, has shown it can reduce pain associated with osteoarthritis in a phase 2 trial.Neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) inhibitor LEVI-04 hit all its primary and secondary objectives in the trial, which enrolled 510 patients with moderate-to-severe osteoarthritis of the knee, raising the hope it could become a non-addictive option for patients needing chronic pain relief.

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Yasir Sacranie: The TikTok pharmacist responding to online abuse

The Pharmacist

Social media creator Yasir Sacranie's videos usually deal with the day-to-days of pharmacist life, alongside educational content, top tips and study guides, promoting his training platform MicroPharm. But in recent days, he's begun responding to racist and Islamophobic comments as violent unrest and intimidation has spread across parts of the UK. He sat down with The […] The post Yasir Sacranie: The TikTok pharmacist responding to online abuse appeared first on The Pharmacist.

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5 Reasons to Upgrade Your Pharmacy Management Software

Are you still using workarounds to manage your daily operations? To achieve peak performance, it's time to explore other options for specialty and infusion pharmacy software. Streamline pharmacy operations and improve clinical performance with automated processing, real-time data exchange, and electronic decision support. Download this helpful infographic to: Drive efficiency and patient adherence from referral receipt to delivery and ongoing care – all with our Pharmacy Cloud.

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Computational protocol provides cheaper route to manage cholesterol levels

Express Pharma

Researchers led by Dr Suman Chakrabarty from S N Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences, Kolkata, an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology, in collaboration with Sarfez Pharmaceuticals, have explored a new frontier in computer-aided drug discovery that can help develop medicines that can prevent harmful protein-protein interactions which can lead to conditions like elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or cholesterol level.

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UK riots: ‘Pharmacists feel vulnerable and scared at work’

The Pharmacist

Pharmacists across primary care and community pharmacy have shared how racist and Islamophobic violence across parts of the UK in recent days have affected them and their work. The situation has left some pharmacists fearful of seeing patients and going to work, and living in what they have described as a state of 'anxiety and […] The post UK riots: ‘Pharmacists feel vulnerable and scared at work’ appeared first on The Pharmacist.

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Expert tips on managing medical equipment lifespan, costs, and downtime in healthcare

Outsourcing Pharma

In an insightful discussion with Outsourcing Pharma and BioPharma Reporter's senior editor, Liza Laws, sat down with Jinesh Patel, an expert in medical equipment maintenance, where he shared his valuable insights on how healthcare facilities can optimize their maintenance strategies.

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MRC and MND Association award £3.9m to KCL and UCL for ALS/FTD research

Pharma Times

Researchers aim to explore and investigate axonal dysfunction in neurodegeneration

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Madrigal’s MASH drug launch gets off to a fast start

BioPharma Dive

U.S. sales of the medicine, Rezdiffra, were more than triple analysts’ expectations, encouraging Madrigal to market it in Europe without a partner.

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