Radioligand Therapy Continues to Show Promise for Metastatic CRPC
Radioligand therapy (RLT) with actinium-225 targeting prostate-specific membrane antigen (225Ac-PSMA) had a “substantial antitumor effect” in heavily pretreated metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC), a large, retrospective, multicenter study showed. Data on 488 men showed an overall survival (OS) of 15.5 months and median progression-free survival (PFS) of 7.9 months. A third of the patients had […]
What to Know About New Tools to Fight RSV
The tide may be turning on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a seasonal scourge that’s responsible for a substantial number of hospitalizations and deaths among older people and young children each year. In the span of just a few months, the FDA has approved two vaccines and a monoclonal antibody for use in specific populations with […]
Erectile Dysfunction Drugs May Have Major Cardiovascular Benefits
CHICAGO — The two most popular medications for erectile dysfunction (ED) may confer substantial cardiovascular benefits for men with ED and concurrent heart disease, according to an analysis of a health research database. Both sildenafil and tadalafil significantly reduced the likelihood of progression to heart failure, myocardial infarction (MI), and death after 5 years as […]
Opinion | It’s Time for a Risk-Adapted Approach to Breast Cancer Screening
Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women in the U.S., and there is a substantial disparity in breast cancer mortality by race, particularly for early-onset breast cancer in Black women. In a recent study I co-authored and published in JAMA Network Open, we showed that if breast cancer screening is […]
Monoclonal Antibodies Linked to Reduced RSV Burden in Young Kids
Prophylactic use of three monoclonal antibodies was associated with substantial reductions in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-related infections and hospitalizations in children under 5, a systematic review and meta-analysis showed. Across 14 randomized controlled trials involving over 18,000 high-risk children, moderate- to high-certainty evidence showed that nirsevimab, palivizumab, and motavizumab were associated with significant reductions in […]
Doc Groups Unhappy With 4.5% Cut in the 2023 Medicare Fee Schedule Final Rule
WASHINGTON — Physician groups expressed concerns over what one group called a “substantial” decrease in Medicare fee-for-service physician payments under a final rule for 2023 issued Tuesday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The 2023 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule includes a 4.5% decrease in the conversion factor — the multiplier that Medicare […]
Does Prenatal Opioid Analgesic Exposure Affect Kids’ Scholastic Outcomes?
Prenatal exposure to opioid analgesics had no substantial impact on the scholastic skills of children by the time they reached fifth grade, findings from a nationwide Norwegian birth cohort suggested. Compared to children of mothers whose only exposures to opioids were prior to pregnancy, children exposed in the first trimester and those exposed in two […]
Lenvatinib Packaging for Endometrial Cancer Tied to $168 Million in Overspending
PHOENIX — Dose-specific packaging could potentially result in substantial excess spending on lenvatinib (Lenvima) for endometrial cancer, a researcher reported. Patients and payers may be on the hook for as much as $168 million in annual overspending for dose reductions for the disease — spending that could be avoided with different packaging, reported Emeline Aviki, […]
Many Severe Asthma Patients Achieve Remission on Biologics
PHOENIX — Biologic medications sent severe asthma into remission in a substantial proportion of patients, according to a study presented here at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. About 35% of 908 patients who took biologic treatments for at least 12 months were able to achieve remission status, reported […]
How Did the COVID Pandemic Affect Liver Transplant Outcomes?
The COVID-19 pandemic had a substantial impact on liver transplantation outcomes, with lower graft survival and patient survival at 90 days post-transplant versus a pre-pandemic time period, a researcher said. Graft survival was significantly lower during the COVID versus pre-COVID period (95.2% vs 96.0%) and there was a significant decline in patient survival (96.0% vs […]