CER Daily Newsfeed

Cognition Improved With Some Drugs for Depression

(11/20, Archita Rai, Medscape) reports “...In older adults with depression that was unresponsive to treatment, overall cognitive functioning did not differ with antidepressant strategies; however, adding aripiprazole or switching to nortriptyline modestly improved inhibitory control.” Full

Promising Research on Cancer Treatment Will Leverage the PCORnet® Infrastructure

(11/19, PCORnet Blog) comments “An observational study conducted by researchers at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Florida (UF), the lead site of the OneFlorida+ PCORnet® Clinical Research Network, showed promising results for the potential of mRNA vaccines to improve health outcomes for people who have advanced lung or skin cancer. The preliminary research, published in Nature, found that patients who received an mRNA COVID vaccine within 100 days of starting immunotherapy lived significantly longer than those who did not receive an mRNA vaccine.” Full

GetReal Conference 2025: Strengthening RWE Acceptability Through Feasibility, Data Quality, and Transparent Design

(11/20, Katie McCool, The Evidence Base) reports “...Drawing on rare disease and oncology experience, [University Medical Center Groningen’s Peter Mol] noted that when patients switch to newer therapies, ‘the RCTs often lose patients,’ weakening results and leaving regulators to rely on RWD to fill the gaps. [BfArM’s Frauke Naumann-Winter] cautioned against attempts to ‘rescue’ unsuccessful studies by forcing RWD to fit a failed design. She emphasized that ‘the worst is [to] rescue your failed trial… on the database that you have available and not the one that is actually necessary.’ Many of these issues, she noted, stem from starting too late and not planning prospectively.” Full

Exclusive: Dems Seek to Expand Drug Price Negotiations

(11/20, Peter Sullivan, Axios) reports “...The measure from Reps. Frank Pallone (N.J.), Richard Neal (Mass.) and Bobby Scott (Va.), the top Democrats on the three House committees that handle health care, would increase the number of drugs Medicare can negotiate from 20 to 50 each year...In a nod to President Trump's efforts to address international pricing parity, the bill would also require the health secretary to consider the price of a drug in other developed countries while negotiating the U.S. price.” Full

UK: J&J Receives Positive NICE Recommendation for Multiple Myeloma Treatment

(11/20, Charlie Blackie-Kelly, PMLiVE) reports “Johnson & Johnson has received a positive recommendation from the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for TALVEY (talquetamab), for use within the NHS in England and Wales as a treatment option for relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma.” Full

US Pharma Ramps up Attack on Australia's 'Discriminatory' Drug Pricing

(11/20, Michael Smith, The Australian Financial Review) reports "The US pharmaceutical industry is increasing pressure on Donald Trump to take action against the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, which it says makes Australia one of the most difficult countries in the world to get new medicines approved and funded." Sub. Req'd