CER Daily Newsfeed

A New Trial Will Measure Popular Sleep Medications to Better Diagnose Insomnia

(11/11, Eric Horvath, Penn Medicine) reports “...The trial will compare five medications—trazodone, zolpidem (Ambien), doxepin, melatonin, and diphenhydramine (Benadryl)—against a placebo in more than 1,000 patients recruited from primary care practices across the University of Pennsylvania Health System. Participants who do not respond to these medications will then have the opportunity to receive cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) at no cost. The study’s ultimate goal is to provide clear, evidence-based guidance to help both physicians and patients make better choices about insomnia treatment.” Full

Cefdinir Nearly Doubles Outpatient Uncomplicated UTI Treatment Failure Compared With Cephalexin

(11/11, Brooke McCormick, The American Journal of Managed Care) reports “...Cefdinir was independently associated with treatment failure in the outpatient management of uncomplicated urinary tract infections (uUTIs), with nearly twice the failure rate of cephalexin, according to a study recently published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases.” Full

Video: Apalutamide vs Abiraterone Acetate RWE Outcomes in mCSPC

(11/12, Mehmet Asim Bilen, MD, Damian Sorce, MD, Greg McMahon, DO, Urology Times) “Panelists discuss how real-world evidence comparing apalutamide and abiraterone, including the impact of prednisone use, informs balanced and patient-specific first-line treatment choices.” View Video

ASN: New Tool Predicts CKD Survival With Conservative Management Versus Dialysis

(11/12, Lori Solomon, HealthDay) reports “...‘Our objective is to establish a stronger evidence base for conservative non-dialytic management in the advanced CKD population,’ [Connie Rhee, M.D.] said in a statement. ‘By rigorously studying the comparative effectiveness of conservative management versus dialysis transition, findings from our and others’ research have the potential to expand viable, patient-centric treatment options for CKD.’” Full

ISPOR Europe 2025 Daily Round-Ups: Day 3

(11/12, Joanne Walker, Katie McCool, Laura Dormer, The Evidence Base) reports “...[ISPOR CEO Rob Abbott] reiterated ISPOR’s enduring commitment to patient centricity, describing the conference’s patient track as ‘a point on the way’ in a continuing journey to embed the patient voice at every level of evidence generation and decision-making. Every element of HEOR, he said, ultimately serves the patient. It is when patients and their families experience illness that ISPOR’s community stands at the coalface of healthcare, translating evidence into real-world impact.” Full

ISPOR Europe 2025 – Inside the Third Plenary: Putting Patients at the Center of Real-World Evidence in European Decision-Making

(11/12, Laura Dormer, The Evidence Base) reports “...From the HTA perspective, [NICE’s Pall Jonsson] described how agencies like NICE are shifting from being ‘receivers’ of data to active participants in evidence generation, noting that patient engagement and education in data strategy is crucial to avoid opt-outs and ensure equitable data use. [European Patients’ Academy on Therapeutic Innovation’s Maria Dutarte] emphasized that while RWE offers clear potential patient benefits – such as faster access to effective therapies – patients are ‘not yet involved as true partners.’” Full

NICE Breaks New Ground In England As Abiraterone Becomes First Generic Drug To Win Funding

(11/11, Neena Brizmohun, Pink Sheet) reports “...As more medicines come off patent in the coming years, the UK generics and biosimilars industry association is hoping to see more generic products evaluated for reimbursement by the health technology assessment institute, NICE.” Subscription Required