News from Friday, November 8, 2024
Articles
How the Perfect Storm Will Impact Patient Support Programming in 2025 and Beyond
(11/8, Chris Dowd, Drug Channels) comments “...Copay accumulator/maximizer programs continue to allow PBMs to profit from billions of dollars of manufacturer-provided copay assistance intended for patients. New research from the National Pharmaceutical Council (presented by Laura Huff at the 2024 Informa Connect Hub West conference) revealed that 42% of surveyed ‘jumbo’ employers are using accumulators/maximizers, and another 8% may do so by 2026. And 12% are using or considering alternative funding programs.” Full
SGLT-2 Inhibitors May be Beneficial in People With Kidney Stones and Gout
(11/8, Victoria Johnson, HCPLive) reports “SGLT-2 inhibitors reduced nephrolithiasis recurrence in patients with type 2 diabetes and gout, showing a lower event rate than GLP-1 receptor agonists and DPP-4 inhibitors.” Full
Moderna Bivalent COVID-19 Vaccine More Effective at Preventing Hospitalization in High-Risk Patients Compared With Pfizer-BioNTech Vaccine
(11/8, Luke Halpern, Pharmacy Times) reports “According to a real-world analysis, Moderna’s mRNA-1273.222 bivalent vaccine targeting SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, was significantly more effective than the BNT162b2 vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech at preventing COVID-19-related hospitalization and outpatient encounters in adults with 1 or more underlying medical conditions.” Full
UK: NICE Recommends Blueprint Medicines’ Ayvakyt to Treat Rare Blood Disorder
(11/8, Emily Kimber, PMLiVE) reports “The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended Blueprint Medicines’ Ayvakyt (avapritinib) to treat patients with the rare blood disorder systemic mastocytosis (SM). The drug can now be used as a monotherapy to treat patients in England and Wales with the three subtypes of advanced SM: aggressive SM (ASM), SM with an associated haematological neoplasm (SM-AHN) or mast cell leukaemia (MCL).” Full
Press Releases
Does More Virtual Care Mean More Low-Value Care? Study Suggests No
(11/7, Michigan Medicine Press Release) “...[A] new University of Michigan study suggests that policymakers can rest easier about one of the top worries about telehealth: that virtual care will drive up the use of tests and scans that patients don't need, wasting money and resources. In fact, the study shows that low-value care didn't rise faster at primary care practices that used telehealth the most, compared with those that used it the least.” Full
Leverage PCORnet® to Advance Pain Research with New PCORI Funding Opportunity
(11/6, PCORnet Press Release) “A PCORI funding opportunity is opening new pathways to solutions for the millions of people in the U.S. whose quality of life is limited by pain. With up to $12 million in direct costs available for patient-centered studies addressing acute and chronic pain, this funding initiative presents an opportunity for researchers to make a real difference—and PCORnet® is perfectly positioned to support these efforts.” Full
A Roadmap for Patient and Disease Registries: Linking Health Data to Enhance Rare Disease Decision-Making
(11/6, Canada’s Drug Agency Press Release) “Canada’s Drug Agency, with support from our health system partners including ICES and Health Data Research Network Canada (HDRN), has published a new roadmap that will help those who manage patient and disease registries in Canada navigate the process of linking data records to help answer relevant research and policy questions and support decision-making about care for rare diseases.” Full
Journals
Comparative Effectiveness of Sodium-Glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitors for Recurrent Nephrolithiasis Among Patients with Pre-Existing Nephrolithiasis or Gout: Target Trial Emulation Studies
Natalie McCormick, et al.
October 30, 2024, BMJ