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Chicago Blackhawks Star Jonathan Toews Is Stepping Away From Hockey, Says He’s Dealing With Long Covid
If there’s any lesson to be drawn from NHL star Jonathan Toews’ leave of absence, or the study findings cited in this article it’s that long Covid is a problem that mustn’t be ignored or downplayed.
Neglected Tropical Diseases Are Increasingly Common In Impoverished Areas Of U.S.: Sen. Booker Reintroduces A Bill To Help Eliminate Such Diseases
Last week, Sen. Booker reintroduced a bill aimed at helping to eliminate what he calls “neglected diseases of poverty.” The Act would facilitate research in diagnostics and treatments, and improve disease surveillance systems and educational programs, …
When Launched, Gene Therapy Roctavian Will Be Administered Mainly In 340B-Eligible Treatment Centers, Where It Will Be Substantially Discounted In Price
If approved, the gene therapy Roctavian will likely launch at a list price of ~$2.5 million. But experts anticipate considerable discounts in most instances of sales, as many hemophilia A patients will have the product administered in a 340B-eligible t…
Changes To Social Security Age Eligibility Cut Benefits, And Run Counter to Troubling Decline In U.S. Life Expectancy
Proposals in Congress seek to increase the age of eligibility for full Social Security benefits to 70. The age at which people qualify for 100% of Social Security is already transitioning to 67 by 2027. These changes cut benefits and run counter to the…
Biden’s SOTU Targets Drug Companies, But Misses Opportunity To Challenge Health Insurers And Pharmacy Benefit Managers
At the SOTU, Biden said the Inflation Reduction Act is “taking on powerful interests to bring your healthcare costs down.” Absent from the speech was any mention of health insurers and PBMs. In the US, several stakeholders have created a system in whic…
Novartis CEO Narasimhan Suggests Possible Legislative Action To Reverse Inflation Reduction Act’s Impact On Drug Prices: What Can And Can’t Be Done
Repeal and replace of the Inflation Reduction Act isn’t going to happen. But agencies such as CMS, tasked with carrying out the law, must interpret and administer the legislation. In so doing, the public (which includes drug makers) can provide CMS wit…
In Potential Breakthrough, Dutch Study Shows How Use Of a “DNA Medication Pass” Can Significantly Reduce Adverse Events
Researchers at the Leiden University Medical Center developed a “DNA medication pass” that connects a patient’s genetic profile to drugs of which it’s been shown that metabolic processing is influenced by DNA. Scanning the pass enables doctors to know …
Amazon’s RxPass Doesn’t Yet Really Compete With Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drug Company
Amazon is adding RxPass to its pharmacy footprint. Purportedly, it’s competing with Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drug Company (MCCPDC). But, limitations suggest it isn’t yet a real competitor.
Millions To Lose Medicaid Coverage This Spring As Omnibus Bill Is Enacted And Covid-19 Public Health Emergency Ends
Beginning on April 1, state Medicaid agencies will be able to unenroll people who signed up for coverage during the Covid-19 pandemic. The omnibus bill allows states to kick adults off of the Medicaid rolls, regardless of the status of the public healt…
Amgen Adopts A Two-Price Strategy For The U.S.’s First Marketed Humira-Referenced Biosimilar, Amjevita
In the case of Amjevita, the two-price approach highlights the lack of transparency in the healthcare system as well as the incredibly confusing way in which drugs are priced in the U.S. Rebates obfuscate an already bewildering and fragmented pricing m…
