With the advent of biosimilars to the marketplace, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) now requires modifiers to identify the manufacturer of a biosimilar/biological product on Part B claims. Modifiers were put in place to provide the CMS with the necessary data needed to track claims payments, as well as the ability to…
Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatments Show Mixed Results
MADRID—The anti-IL6 “nanobody,” vobarilizumab, produced mixed results when used with methotrexate (MTX) and compared with MTX and placebo, according to results of a 24-week, double-blind Phase 2b study of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which were presented in an abstract session at the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR). The drug missed its primary endpoint…
Effectiveness of Tofacitinib with Methotrexate, Adalimumab Therapy Evaluated in Patients with RA
MADRID—Tofacitinib (a JAK inhibitor) used with methotrexate (MTX) is not inferior to adalimumab (a TNF inhibitor) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients who’ve had an inadequate response to MTX alone, according to results of a Phase 3B/4 trial presented in a session at the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR). The findings came in a one-year…
FDA Approves Lesinurad + Allopurinol
Duzallo, a combination of lesinurad and allopurinol, was approved by the FDA in August to treat hyperuricemia associated with gout…
Costly Drugs to Weigh on U.S. Employers’ Expenses in 2018
(Reuters)—U.S. employers are bracing for higher health care expenses in 2018 as spending on new drugs to treat diseases, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis and hepatitis C, is expected to rise more than 7%, according to consultancy firm Mercer.1 Between 40 and 50 new specialty drugs are set to hit the market each year in…
Abatacept Approved for Psoriatic Arthritis in Adults; Sirukumab Approval Stalls
Abatacept Approved for Adult PsA On June 30, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved abatacept (Orencia) to treat adults with active psoriatic arthritis (PsA).1 Abatacept is available as both an intravenous formulation and a subcutaneous injection.2 The approval was based on results of two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials, PsA-I and PsA-II, during which…
Drug Industry on Tenterhooks as Maryland Price-Gouging Law Nears
(Reuters)—As U.S. consumer outrage grows over prescription drug prices, state authorities and patient advocates in Maryland are preparing to enforce the nation’s first law designed to punish drugmaker price-gouging. The Maryland Attorney General’s office said it will field complaints and investigate “unconscionable increases” in essential generic medicines when the closely watched law takes effect Oct….
FDA Approves First Biosimilar for the Treatment of Cancer
Mvasi, a biosimilar to the cancer drug Avastin, is approved for certain colorectal, lung, brain, kidney and cervical cancers The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Mvasi (bevacizumab-awwb) as a biosimilar to Avastin (bevacizumab) for the treatment of multiple types of cancer. Mvasi is the first biosimilar approved in the U.S. for the treatment…
U.S. Tribal Patent Deal Could Impact Generic Drug Market
(Reuters)—A groundbreaking deal between Allergan Plc. and a Native American tribe to shield the company’s patents in administrative proceedings could also be used be to protect them from challenges in federal court, legal experts say, potentially dealing a blow to generic competition. Allergan said on Friday it had transferred patents on its blockbuster dry eye…
Ibuprofen More Likely to Raise BP than Naproxen or Celecoxib
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—Ibuprofen boosts blood pressure (BP) more than naproxen or celecoxib in patients who take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to treat arthritis, according to a new substudy from the PRECISION trial. “These drugs are different with regard to BP, and ibuprofen is the worst,” Dr. Frank Ruschitzka of University Hospital Zurich in Switzerland,…
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 59
- 60
- 61
- 62
- 63
- …
- 122
- Next Page »