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An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

Drug Shortages in U.S. Emergency Departments on the Rise

Madeline Kennedy  |  

(Reuters Health)—U.S. emergency rooms are increasingly running short on medications, including many that are needed for life-threatening conditions, a recent study documents. Since 2008, the number of shortages has risen by more than 400%, researchers found. Half of all emergency room shortages were for life-saving drugs, and for one in 10 there were no available…

U.S. Patent Office Rules Against Amgen Humira Challenge

Bill Berkrot  |  

(Reuters)—U.S. patent officials on Thursday denied petitions by Amgen to review two formulation patents on AbbVie’s Humira (adalimumab), a potential setback in Amgen efforts to market a biosimilar version of the world’s top-selling prescription medicine. In June, Amgen, the world’s biggest biotechnology company, asked the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for the review, arguing that…

Disease Duration, Corticosteroid Use Predict Etanercept Response in JIA

Reuters Staff  |  

NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Almost half of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) patients treated with etanercept achieve minimal disease activity after one year of treatment, according to new findings. Younger patients and those who did not require corticosteroid treatment were more likely to have an excellent response, Dr. Kimme Hyrich of the University of Manchester in the…

Major Drugmakers Push Back in U.S. Price Debate

Caroline Humer  |  

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters)—With a backlash brewing over the price of medicines in the U.S., drugmakers are pushing back with a new message: Most people don’t pay retail. Top executives from Eli Lilly and Co, Merck & Co and Biogen Inc. said in interviews with Reuters this week that the media focus on retail, or “list…

Anthem Targets $3 Billion in Drug Cost Cavings with Express Scripts

Susan Kelly & Caroline Humer  |  

(Reuters)—Anthem Inc. could save $3 billion annually on drug costs from a re-pricing provision in its current contract with pharmacy benefits manager Express Scripts Holding Co, the health insurer’s chief executive officer said Tuesday. Anthem said it is working to renegotiate the contract this year to avoid overpaying for pharmaceuticals based on current market conditions….

New Venture Aims to Fill Customer-Service Void in Healthcare

Jonathan Weber  |  

(Reuters)—Three large U.S. venture capital firms are betting that hospitals will buy into a new service designed to help healthcare providers treat their patients more like upscale hotels treat their customers. The new company, called Docent Health, is creating software and mobile applications that will help organize and monitor every aspect of an individual’s hospital…

HCA Says Insurance Exchange Enrollment Encouraging So Far

Susan Kelly  |  

(Reuters)—The chief executive of HCA Holdings Inc. on Monday said he expects the Affordable Care Act to drive more growth for the U.S. hospital operator in 2016 as Americans sign up for insurance coverage through exchanges created under the law. “We are very encouraged by the open enrollment results so far,” R. Milton Johnson, CEO…

Pfizer Hikes U.S. Prices for More Than 100 Drugs on Jan. 1

Deena Beasley  |  

(Reuters)—Pfizer Inc., which plans a $160-billion merger with Ireland-based Allergan Plc to slash its U.S. tax bill, on Jan. 1 raised U.S. prices for more than 100 of its drugs, some by as much as 20%, according to statistics compiled by global information services company Wolters Kluwer. Pfizer confirmed a 9.4% increase for heavily advertised…