Add-On Vraylar Tied to Easing of Recurrent Depressive Symptoms
NEW ORLEANS — Adjunctive cariprazine (Vraylar) was linked with a reduction in depressive symptoms for patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), who had an inadequate response to current therapy, according to a phase III study. When added to a first-line antidepressant, 1.5 mg of once-daily cariprazine resulted in significantly greater average reductions in Montgomery-Åsberg Depression […]
Copay Assistance Programs, and Their Trackers, Stay in the Spotlight
The use of tracking systems — such as copay accumulators and copay maximizers — to scrutinize patients’ use of drug manufacturer copay assistance programs is causing controversy inside and outside of the federal government, as well as concerns among physicians and patients. “These programs harm patients by discouraging the appropriate utilization of specialty therapies and […]
Drastic Drop in Antibiotic Overuse for Common Urology Procedure: How They Did It
NEW ORLEANS — Using a tool to classify patients’ infection risk and providing education and systems-level changes in the urology department safely reduced prophylactic antibiotic use around cystoscopy, according to a single-center study. Total antibiotic use dropped nearly 30% with the combined approach, a significant difference compared with before the intervention, said Kelly R. Pekala, […]
Robotic surgery is safer and improves patient recovery time
Robot-assisted surgery used to perform bladder cancer removal and reconstruction enables patients to recover far more quickly and spend significantly (20 per cent) less time in hospital, concludes a first-of-its kind clinical trial led by scientists at UCL and the University of Sheffield. The study, published in JAMA and funded by The Urology Foundation with […]
Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in Lean Patients Linked With CVD Risk
Lean patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) were more likely to have cardiovascular disease (CVD) than those overweight or obese, a researcher reported. Among over 18,000 such patients, logistic regression analysis — adjusting for demographics and clinical risk factors — showed patients with overweight or obesity with NAFLD were associated with a significantly lower […]
First GLP-1/GIP Receptor Agonist OK’d for Type 2 Diabetes
The FDA approved first-in-class tirzepatide (Mounjaro) for patients with type 2 diabetes, the agency announced on Friday. Tirzepatide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GLP-1/GIP) agonist, is available at three dose levels (5 mg, 10 mg, and 15 mg), should be administered via injection once weekly, and is indicated as an adjunct to diet […]
55% of Hospitalized COVID Patients Still Had Symptoms at 2 Years
More than half of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, during the initial outbreak reported at least one symptom a couple of years later, researchers found. The proportion of COVID-19 survivors with at least one sequelae symptom 2 years later came in at 55%, and the most frequent symptoms were fatigue or muscle weakness, […]
Opinion | We’re Depriving Underserved Patients of the Best Drugs
During a busy clinic day for patients without health insurance, one of us received a jarring announcement. Certain lifesaving medications that we had previously been able to freely provide to patients were no longer available. The costs of these drugs were far beyond the reach of our patients, and so healthcare teams were forced to […]
No Boost in Shock-Free Days with Steroid Combo in Patients With Sepsis
A steroid combo to beat back septic shock, delirium in COVID-19 patients, and hospital adherence to ventilator standards during the pandemic were examined in studies at the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) virtual Critical Care Congress. No One-Two Punch for Septic Shock A single-center study found that adding fludrocortisone to hydrocortisone did not increase […]
Did Black Patients with COVID-19 See Greater Benefits With Novel Mab Therapy?
Hospitalized Black/African-American patients with COVID-19, and a baseline C-reactive protein (CRP) <150 mg/L, experienced a “markedly greater improvement” in survival without ventilation (SWOV), according to an analysis of LIVE-AIR study data. While SWOV at 28 days was improved among all patients with the agent versus placebo (hazard ratio 2.54, 95% CI 1.46-4.41, P=0.0009), the benefit […]