This week’s Innovation Partners BioBlog looks at top stories from the world of pharmaceutical and healthcare news. Elderly people who survive the three most common types of cancer are at an increase for brain metastasis, according to a new report. The Trump Administration continues to push for the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. And more studies point to the much higher prices Americans pay for their medicine. This and more in this week’s BioBlog.
Elderly Survivors of Three Common Cancers Face Persistent Risk of Brain Metastasis
A study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention notes that elderly survivors of melanoma, lung, and breast cancer face a great risk of brain metastasis. The researchers noted that as cancer treatments have improved and people survive their initial diagnosis, the need to study secondary cancers, especially cancer of the brain, is increasing. The highest rates of brain metastasis occurred among survivors of small-cell and non-small-cell lung carcinoma.
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Drug prices as much as 4 times higher in U.S. than other countries, study finds
A new study reports that drug prices in the United States are 3.2 to 4.1 times higher than in other countries even after accounting for rebates. The variations among individual drugs were extreme, ranging from 1.3 to 70.1. The researchers looked at 79 top-selling single source drugs for the study. These drugs account for 40% of all Medicare Part D drugs.
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FDA To End Program That Hid Millions Of Reports On Faulty Medical Devices
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced it will end its controversial “alternative summary reporting” program. The program, critics contend, his millions of reports on faulty medical devices. The agency said it will open past records to the public within weeks. A 2016 Kaiser report indicates more than a million reports were collected as part of the program, which was so little known that even recent FDA officials and forensic device experts were unaware of its existence. This move could be a game-changer for patients who believe they were harmed by faulty medical devices.
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More than 500 drugs saw price hikes in the first quarter, study shows
More than 500 drugs saw prices increases during Q1 2019, including generics which experienced an increase of 3%. Researchers at GoodRx, an app and website that tracks drug pricing and offers coupons, found a 2.9% price hike across brand-name and generic drugs in the first quarter of 2019. Most of this information was released at the start of January. The volume of drugs included in the price hike is notable, and underscores much of the current debate raging around the high cost of drugs, especially in the United States compared to other nations.
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The CBO analyzed what it would take to shift to a single-payer system. Here are 5 takeaways
What would it take for America to move to a single-payer system? Although several “Medicare for All” bills are under discussion, the costs, benefits and drawbacks under discussion do not refer to a specific bill but rather to the overall concept of a single-payer system for a nation as large, diverse, and complex as the United States. According to this report, there’s still a role for private insurance, copayments and premiums. Tech might streamline or be pared down, but the picture is still emerging of a nation under one healthcare system.
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DOJ formally calls for appeals court to strike down ACA
After many years of debate and controversy, the Department of Justice formerly called for the appeals court to strike down the Affordable Care Act. The Trump Administration initiated the formal call, arguing that the law should be repealed because it is unconstitutional. The Northern District of Texas rules that the law is unconstitutional, but that case remains on appeal. The Supreme Court may need to weigh in and help settle the matter once and for all.
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CVS sees profit, revenue boost in first full quarter of combined operations with Aetna
In its first quarter of combined revenues with Aetna, CVS reported increased revenues and profits. The company earned $1.4 billion in net income in the first quarter of 2019 compared to $998 million in the same period of 2018, an increase of 43%. The main driver of profits was the integration with Aetna. This also increased expenses. Revenues increased by 34.8% to nearly $61.7 billion.
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