At a hearing on healthcare transparency and competition, both Republican and Democrat House members expressed concern over the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) recent decision to restrict access to Alzheimer’s drug treatments aducanumab (Aduhelm) and lecanemab (Leqembi), which inhibit amyloid. They argued that the decision hinders early intervention with the progressive disease and
Health
A phase II study has found that adding a postinduction course of blinatumomab (Blincyto) to chemotherapy is safe and highly effective for treating an aggressive form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in infants. The study, conducted by researchers from the Princess Máxima Center for Pediatric Oncology in Utrecht, the Netherlands, found that the regimen, which
A randomized trial from Italy showed that two types of bariatric-metabolic surgery are more effective than lifestyle modification plus best medical care in treating non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). In the study, over 200 patients with obesity and biopsy-confirmed NASH who completed the trial were assigned to Roux-en-Y and sleeve gastrectomy. The primary endpoint of histological resolution
Xavier Becerra, former HHS Secretary, testified before Congress and was questioned about the implementation of the No Surprises Act. The Act was passed in 2020 to prevent surprise medical bills and ensure fair negotiations between insurance companies and healthcare providers. However, there have been many challenges with its implementation. Senator Michael Bennet criticized the implementation
A clinical trial has found that using hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) with mitomycin C alongside surgery for locally advanced colorectal cancer (CRC) has significantly reduced the risk of locoregional recurrence. At the end of three years, patients who underwent cytoreduction plus HIPEC with mitomycin C had a 10% increase in locoregional control compared to those
Tofersen (Qalsody) has been granted accelerated approval by the FDA to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients with SOD1 gene mutations. This marks the first time an ALS drug has been approved under the accelerated approval pathway, and the second ALS drug approved in under 12 months. Tofersen is an antisense oligonucleotide that targets SOD1
According to a recent study analyzing U.S. data, women with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are at higher risk for maternal and fetal morbidity compared to those without the chronic autoimmune disorder. The study, which spanned over 10 years and looked at 40 million delivery-related hospital admissions, including over 50,000 involving women with SLE, found that
Alzheimer’s disease is a growing concern in the United States, with approximately 5.8 million people living with the disease as of 2020, and projections indicating that number will triple to 14 million by 2060. While there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, technology offers hope for improving diagnosis and treatment. Wearable devices like watches and bracelets
Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, MD, is under scrutiny after it was discovered that he personally changed crucial findings in the state’s controversial study on COVID-19 vaccine safety. The study, which came under fire earlier this year for claiming that COVID-19 vaccines were linked to an increased risk of death, hospitalization, and other adverse events,
A phase III study has shown that the addition of an investigational anti-PD-1 drug to perioperative chemotherapy has resulted in improved event-free survival in patients with resectable, stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The study, called Neotorch, found that patients who received toripalimab had a greater benefit and higher rates of major pathologic response