The FDA has approved Beqvez, a Pfizer gene therapy developed for moderate-to-severe hemophilia B. The one-time treatment carries a $3.5 million price tag, the same as a CSL Behring gene therapy already available for treating the inherited bleeding disorder.
More than 33,000 Providence employees filed a class-action complaint against the health system in 2021, alleging that it had been withholding their wages by denying them breaks and rounding down their working hours. Last week, Providence was ordered to pay more than $200 million in damages — a decision that “sends a message to healthcare corporations,” according to an attorney representing the workers.
At the Payer Insights sessions on Day 1 of ViVE 2024, a panel on prior authorization offered compelling insights from speakers who shared the positive developments in this area after years of mounting frustration. Speakers also shared challenges as they work with providers to figure out how policy developments and technology will work in practice.
Day One Biopharmaceuticals drug Ojemda is now FDA-approved for advanced pediatric low-grade glioma, the most common type of brain cancer in children. The regulatory decision for Ojemda covers a broader swath of patients than a drug combination from Novartis approved for treating this childhood cancer.
ImmunityBio therapy Anktiva is now FDA approved for treating patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. The novel immunotherapy works by sparking activity from three types of immune cells.
Questions about whether acetaminophen use during pregnancy can lead children to develop neurological problems have sparked scientific inquiry and litigation. Lawsuits are continuing, but a new National Institutes of Health-sponsored study has results that show no causal link between acetaminophen and neurodevelopmental disorders.
The FDA expanded the approval of Roche’s Alecensa to include adjuvant treatment of non-small cell lung cancer. The targeted therapy addresses cancers driven by the ALK genetic mutation.
This eBook, in collaboration with Care Logistics, details how hospitals and health systems can facilitate more effective decision-making by operationalizing elevated awareness.
Major malpractice verdicts have spiked in recent years.
This week, the FTC ordered Cerebral to pay a $7 million fine, accusing the company of mishandling users’ sensitive health data and misleading consumers about cancellation policies. Experts agree that other virtual healthcare providers need to work on their legal and compliance strategies in order to avoid a similar fate.
The FDA clinical hold keeps Neumora Therapeutics from catching up to the field of biopharmaceutical companies pursuing the same target for schizophrenia. But Neumora remains on track with its lead program, a different drug in late-stage clinical testing for major depressive disorder.
Following an extensive investigative report from the New York Times, the AHA is calling for the Labor Department to probe into the business practices of data analytics firm MultiPlan. The report revealed that MultiPlan works with major payers to negotiate reduced reimbursements for out-of-network medical providers — and that this practice ends up costing patients and employers.
Canada has a proud history of achievement in the areas of science and technology, and the field of biomanufacturing and life sciences is no exception.
The FDA expanded Enhertu’s approval to encompass advanced solid tumors positive for the HER2 cancer protein, regardless of tumor type. Analysts say the regulatory decision paves the way for similar broader approvals of other medications in the ADC cancer drug class.
The CAR T-therapies Abecma and Carvykti may now be used in earlier lines of treatment for multiple myeloma. The expanded FDA approvals makes these cell therapies more accessible to more patients, broadening the market for both products.
Approval of Akebia Therapeutics’ Vafseo is based on additional post-marketing safety data from Japan, where the drug has been used since 2020. The FDA rejected the drug two years ago due to concerns about cardiovascular safety.
AliveCor CEO Priya Abani argues that Apple has made a habit of taking intellectual property from smaller medical device firms in order to improve the functionalities its Apple Watch. She also believes that Apple has been able to avoid taking accountability for this by “bombarding” smaller companies with litigation it knows they won’t be able to afford — a claim that medical IP lawyers have backed up.
One year after the Medicaid continuous enrollment provision ended, 19.2 million people have been disenrolled from Medicaid, according to KFF. This is higher than many expected, and experts have mixed reviews on how they think this process has gone.