CER Daily Newsfeed

Preventive Non–Beta-Lactam Antibiotics Linked to Higher Risk of Surgical-Site Infections

(11/3, Chris Dall, MA, CIDRAP) reports “...The study of nearly 350,000 adults who were administered surgical antibiotic prophylaxis (SAP) before undergoing a major surgical procedure found that use of non–beta lactam antibiotics was associated with a nearly twofold increase in the surgical-site infection (SSI) rate compared with those who received SAP with beta-lactam antibiotics.” Full

GI Safety Similar for Popular Weight-Loss Drugs

(11/4, Marilynn Larkin, Medscape) reports “...‘We were somewhat surprised by the fact that despite differences in receptor activity and potency, dulaglutide, semaglutide, and tirzepatide showed a remarkably similar risk of serious gastrointestinal events,’ Elisabetta Patorno, MD, DrPH, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston; Salvatore Crisafulli, PhD, of Brigham, Harvard, and University of Verona in Verona, Italy; and Wajd Alkabbani, PhD, of Brigham, Harvard, and University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, told Medscape Medical News by email.” Full

PhRMA Says 340B Rebate Pilot Helps With PFS Data Repository; CMS Advances ASP Changes

(11/3, Gabrielle Wanneh, Inside Health Policy) reports “Starting Jan. 1, 2026, CMS is establishing a repository where covered entities participating in the 340B drug discount program can voluntarily submit Medicare Part D claims data related to 340B drugs -- a policy brand drug industry representatives say could be populated with the help of the upcoming pilot program permitting drug companies to issue rebate payments for 340B drugs instead traditional upfront discounts. The data in the repository will be used by CMS to remove 340B units from the Part D inflation rebates.” Subscription Required

Rapid Learning For Accountable Care Adoption

(11/4, Valerie Lehman, Amy Stuck, Kylie Brown, Wenbo Bai, Purva Rawal, Peter A. Margolis, Robert S. Saunders, Mark B. McClellan, Health Affairs Forefront) comments “...On October 29th, 2025, the Duke-Margolis Institute for Health Policy and West Health announced an Accelerator initiative that aims to accelerate reforms that make coordinated, outcomes-driven care the national standard by working collaboratively with diverse partners...To inform the Accelerator’s planned work, Duke-Margolis and West Health have engaged extensively with stakeholders – including ACOs; learning health systems; organizations experienced in cross-organizational learning, evaluation, and implementation; researchers; and government officials to discuss evidence, insights, and experience about how to accelerate learning about accountable care.” Full

UK: Focusing on What Matters Most to the NHS

(11/3, Jonathan Benger, NICE Blog) comments “...Until recently, we prioritised guidance through several different methods of topic selection. We recognised that this could feel fragmented for stakeholders trying to understand our pipeline, and led to a lack of coordination in our guidance portfolio. We have now integrated and unified these processes, by developing a new prioritisation framework and launching a single NICE-wide prioritisation board. This means we can produce guidance in a way that's more coordinated, transparent and efficient. It also makes it easier for stakeholders to understand NICE’s priorities, and plan ahead.” Full