Health News

Medicare announces lower prices on 10 common, high-cost drugs

By Berkeley Lovelace Jr. 

Aug. 15, 2024

The Biden administration said Thursday that it had reached an agreement with drugmakers to lower prices on the 10 costliest prescription drugs under Medicare.

It's part of the federal government's first-ever drug pricing negotiations, a cost reduction it claims could help ease the financial burden on the estimated 1 in 7 older adults in the U.S. struggling to pay for their medications.

Read more at: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/medicare-cost-lower-medication-diabetes-blood-thinners-rcna166385

Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Obesity without Diabetes

By Michael Lincoff, M.D, et al. (SELECT Trial)

Nov. 11, 2023

In patients with preexisting cardiovascular disease and overweight or obese but without diabetes, weekly subcutaneous semaglutide (Wegovy) at a dose of 2.4 mg reduces the incidence of death from cardiovascular causes, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or nonfatal stroke by 39.8 months on average. 

Read more at: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2307563

Semaglutide reduced mortality in obese patients by lowering infection-related deaths during COVID-19 pandemic

By Tarun Sai Lomte and Reviewed by Susha Cheriyedath, M.Sc.

Sep. 5, 2024

In a recent study published in The Journal of The American College of Cardiology, researchers assessed the effects of semaglutide on mortality. Study reveals how semaglutide not only aids in weight loss but also offers a surprising defense against severe infections, including COVID-19, in at-risk populations.

Read more at:  https://www.news-medical.net/news/20240905/Semaglutide-reduced-mortality-in-obese-patients-by-lowering-infection-related-deaths-during-COVID-19-pandemic.aspx

FDA Updates Biosimilars Action Plan

By Myles Starr

Sep. 2, 2024

With the April approval of Hercessi (Accord BioPharma), a brand of trastuzumab-strf—a HER2/neu receptor antagonist that is a biosimilar for Herceptin (Genentech)—the FDA marked its 50th biosimilar agent. At the same time, the agency also updated its Biosimilars Action Plan (BAP), first released in 2018, to reinforce its strategy to further expand biosimilar product availability and use.

Read more at: https://www.pharmacypracticenews.com/Policy/Article/09-24/FDA-Updates-Biosimilars-Action-Plan/74749

The Chevron Decision is a Threat to the Survival of Small Pharmacies

By Noel Tomy

July 3, 2024

The recent overturning of the Chevron decision may have ripple effects that could be catastrophic for small, independent pharmacies in Yonkers. 

Read more at: https://www.theyonkersledger.com/health/the-chevron-decision-is-a-threat-to-the-survival-of-small-pharmacies/50382/