Author's posts
A Parallel Universe of Clinical Trials
A recent clinical trial of a herpes simplex virus vaccine allegedly violated fundamental scientific, regulatory, and ethical safeguards. This case opens a window into a parallel universe that spurns the current system of clinical trial oversight in the…
Medicaid’s Path to Value-Based Reform
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has led the national effort to shift the U.S. health care system toward a focus on value. Prominent Medicare value-based payment models such as accountable care organizations (ACOs) and bundled payme…
Fractional-Dose Yellow Fever Vaccination — Advancing the Evidence Base
In 2016, a global shortage of yellow fever vaccine occurred as a result of major yellow fever outbreaks in Angola and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). By October, 7136 cases and 493 deaths were reported in the two countries. Reactive vaccination…
Behind Schedule — Reconciling Federal and State Marijuana Policy
The long-standing chasm between federal and state marijuana policy recently widened when U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded Obama-era guidance indicating that the Justice Department would not make it a priority to prosecute federal marijuana…
Methadone in Primary Care — One Small Step for Congress, One Giant Leap for Addiction Treatment
The opioid-overdose epidemic has had a devastating impact throughout the United States and currently claims an average of 115 lives a day. Federal, state, and local public health officials, health care agencies, and community partners are working hard …
Moving Addiction Care to the Mainstream — Improving the Quality of Buprenorphine Treatment
More than 40,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses in 2016 — more than the number killed in motor vehicle accidents. The stunning increase in overdose deaths since the 1990s has revealed a pervasive lack of capability to meet the need for treatment …
Primary Care and the Opioid-Overdose Crisis — Buprenorphine Myths and Realities
Despite widespread awareness of the opioid-overdose crisis, the epidemic continues to worsen. In 2016, there were 42,249 opioid-overdose deaths in the United States, a 28% increase from the previous year. According to the National Center for Health Sta…
A Look Forward — The Frontiers in Medicine Series
This week we introduce Frontiers in Medicine, a series of review articles that showcases the ways in which new technologies are influencing contemporary medicine and highlights the synergistic relationship between medicine and science. The series cover…
Inhaled Corticosteroids and LABAs — Removal of the FDA’s Boxed Warning
For years, the risks associated with the use of long-acting beta-agonists (LABAs) in patients with asthma have been uncertain, and some health care professionals have recommended conducting large clinical trials to gather important safety information o…
Metastasis-free Survival — A New End Point in Prostate Cancer Trials
Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved apalutamide, an androgen receptor inhibitor, for treatment of patients with nonmetastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC). The approval was based on SPARTAN, a randomized,…
