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Data on health-related quality of life often not collected for investigational cancer drugs

A recent analysis from Canada found that information on health-related quality of life is often not collected for investigational cancer drugs or used to calculate the balance of costs and benefits of these drugs when they are submitted for reimbursement, according to findings published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.

23 Sep 2019

Leukemia drug appears to be effective in treating deadly pediatric brain tumor

A drug used to treat chronic myeloid leukemia appears to be more effective at stopping a type of medulloblastoma in mouse models than existing treatments for the deadly pediatric brain tumor, reports a multi-institutional team led by researchers at Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at University of California San Diego.

21 Sep 2019

Advancements in pain management are giving new options to patients

Hardly a day goes by without the public being warned about the dangers of opioids. But still, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, more than 130 people die every day of opioid overdose and the problem is getting worse.

21 Sep 2019

Pembrolizumab provides added benefit for subpopulations of patients with metastatic NSCLC

In early July, the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care conducted two early benefit assessments to investigate whether certain drug combinations with pembrolizumab have advantages in comparison with the respective appropriate comparator therapy for patients with metastatic squamous or non-squamous non-small cell lung cancer.

20 Sep 2019

Hill hodgepodge: Pelosi draws from Democrats, GOP and Trump for drug plan

House Democratic leaders on Thursday unveiled an aggressive plan to lower drug prices through negotiations between federal health officials and the makers of some of the most expensive drugs.

20 Sep 2019

Knowing when and how to taper off opioid dosage crucial to safe pain management

Many healthcare providers today try to avoid administering or prescribing opioid pain medications when possible because of the narcotics' addictive properties. But for some patients, opioid medications remain the most effective, most appropriate treatment for their subjective pain complaints.

20 Sep 2019

Diabetes drug can also be used to treat heart failure

Dapagliflozin, a drug that is already used to successfully treat type 2 diabetes (T2D) and prevent development of heart failure, can also be used to treat pre-existing heart failure, even in patients without T2D.

19 Sep 2019

Review highlights medication underuse in the treatment of opioid use disorder

Though research shows that medication-assisted treatment can help people who are addicted to opioids, the three drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are underused, according to a review of current medical data on opioid addiction in the U.S.

19 Sep 2019

All-in-one pill reduces estimated risk of cardiovascular disease, study shows

A single pill containing low doses of three medications to treat high blood pressure and one to lower cholesterol reduced the estimated risk of cardiovascular disease by 25% in a study published today in the New England Journal of Medicine.

19 Sep 2019

Low-dose aspirin may improve survival in patients with head and neck, lung cancers

What if a drug that sits in nearly everyone's medicine cabinet could help extend the lives of some cancer patients? In companion presentations at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiation Oncology Annual Meeting in Chicago, doctors from Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center report new evidence that low-dose aspirin and other anti-inflammatories may improve survival in patients undergoing treatment for some head/neck and lung cancers.

19 Sep 2019

New grant to improve use of bDMARDS through a consortium approach

A new grant to improve the use of biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) will see NPS MedicineWise and consortium partners support specialist prescribers and help consumers get the most benefit from these complex medicines.

18 Sep 2019

Rutgers cardiologist recommends individualized treatment with aspirin for primary prevention of CVD

A nationally recognized Rutgers cardiologist recommends that aspirin be used as primary prevention for cardiovascular disease only with select patients, saying that the scientific evidence is too diverse to support a one-size-fits-all approach.

17 Sep 2019

Longtime crusader against Oxycontin begins to see the fruits of her struggle

In the 15 years since she lost her son to a single OxyContin pill, Barbara Van Rooyan has had but one up-close look at the people representing the company that made it.

17 Sep 2019

Paracetamol use during pregnancy linked to childhood behavioral problems

A new study has found further evidence linking paracetamol intake during pregnancy with potential adverse behavioral and cognitive outcomes during childhood.

16 Sep 2019

Experts offer insights into new class of migraine medications

As research continues to show progress towards minimizing the effects of headache disorders on patients' lives, Practical Neurology gathered insights from experts in the field at The American Headache Society 61st Annual Scientific Meeting this year, where new data looking at a range of approaches from nerve stimulation to monoclonal antibodies and neuromodulation devices revealed advancements in migraine treatment.

16 Sep 2019

Purveyors of black-market pharmaceuticals target immigrants

The bootleg medications were smuggled across the border and sold to mostly Latino immigrants in public spaces throughout Los Angeles — at swap meets, parks, beauty salons and makeshift stands outside mom-and-pop grocery stores.

16 Sep 2019

Alzheimer's drug associated with two-fold higher risk of hospitalization for rhabdomyolysis

A drug commonly used to manage symptoms of Alzheimer disease and other dementias -- donepezil -- is associated with a two-fold higher risk of hospital admission for rhabdomyolysis, a painful condition of muscle breakdown, compared with several other cholinesterase inhibitors, found a study in CMAJ.

16 Sep 2019