Managed Healthcare

Managed Healthcare Executive • 1st February 2023

For Ulcerative Colitis, Two First-In-Class Candidates and an Interleukin-23 Competition

Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are the two most common inflammatory bowel diseases. Ulcerative colitis is characterized by chronic inflammation and ulceration of the colon mucus membrane, resulting in symptoms such as bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain and cramping, bowel urgency and weight loss. In the United States, ulcerative colitis accounts for more than $4 billion in annual medical costs.

There is no cure for this chronic condition, and treatment goals focus on inducing and maintaini

Managed Healthcare Executive • 25th January 2023

Study Links Early Progression Independent of Relapse Activity to Worse Long-term Disability in Patients with MS

Study Links Early Progression Independent of Relapse Activity to Worse Long-term Disability in Patients with MS

Spanish researchers found that progression of multiple sclerosis that was independent of relapses of the disease was associated with worse long-term outcomes.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is categorized into four types based on the frequency of symptoms and the course of the disease progression. Relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) is the most common form of MS. Patients with RRMS typically expe

Managed Healthcare Executive • 24th January 2023

Dampened Response to COVID-19 Vaccines in Rituxan-Treated Patients with MS May Improve with Extended Dosing Intervals

Rituxan (rituximab) is a monoclonal antibody indicated for the treatment of several B-cell-mediated conditions, including non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, leukemia, and rheumatoid arthritis. It is used off-label as a treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS)≥

A study by Kaiser Permanente researchers found that the overall the risk of COVID-19-related hospitalization was low in vaccinated individuals with multiple sclerosis, regardless of whether participants had received Rituxan treatment. But spacing out v

Managed Healthcare Executive • 23rd January 2023

Microscopic Intestinal Inflammation Linked to Increased Risk of Preterm Birth in Women with Ulcerative Colitis

Microscopic Intestinal Inflammation Linked to Increased Risk of Preterm Birth in Women with Ulcerative Colitis

Other adverse outcomes were not linked to histological inflammation, according to results of a Swedish study.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, is a chronic condition affecting about 3 million adults in the United States. The peak age of onset is between 15 and 35 years, coinciding with peak reproductive years in women. IBD has be

Managed Healthcare Executive • 16th January 2023

Remote Monitoring of Daily Step Counts Could Help Clinicians Track Changes in Disability in Patients with MS

Remote Monitoring of Daily Step Counts Could Help Clinicians Track Changes in Disability in Patients with MS

Researchers used a Fitbit Flex2 to examine the correlation between step counts and changes in the brain and spinal cord associated with multiple sclerosis.

Measuring spinal cord atrophy in individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) can be helpful in predicting time to disease relapse and progression of disability. Recent advances in imaging, specifically the use of phase-sensitive inversi

Managed Healthcare Executive • 13th January 2023

Up-and-Coming Treatments for Ulcerative Colitis Have Novel Mechanisms of Action

Current treatment for ulcerative colitis aims to induce remission in those with active colitis and maintain remission once it is achieved. The development of new biologics and Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors has made this goal possible for some people living with ulcerative colitis. However, a large proportion of patients may fall through the cracks. According to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America , roughly half of the people with ulcerative colitis are in remission in a given year.

Al

Managed Healthcare Executive • 9th January 2023

Engineered Probiotics Target Proinflammatory Molecules and Improve Ulcerative Colitis Symptoms

Stomach acid interferes with the effectiveness of probiotics taken as pills. Researchers are bioengineering probiotics in hopes of getting around that problem.

Ulcerative colitis is a chronic inflammatory disease characterized by defects in the colon epithelial tissue and abnormal response from inflammatory cytokines. The causes of the disease are complex, but one culprit is believed to be an overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). In normal amounts, ROS is necessary for regular physio

Managed Healthcare Executive • 5th January 2023

For ALS Treatments, Three Genes are Targets

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a neurodegenerative, fatal disease affecting motor neurons that control voluntary muscle movement. Initial symptoms can include muscle cramping, twitching, stiffness or weakness. As the disease worsens, people with ALS typically experience difficulties with speech, chewing and swallowing. In advanced ALS, there is muscle atrophy and paralysis. The average survival is 3 to 5 years after diagnosis, with respiratory failure

Managed Healthcare Executive • 16th December 2022

Studies Find High Prevalence of Suicidal Ideation in Patients with Vitiligo

Vitiligo is a chronic autoimmune condition with symptoms manifesting primarily on the skin. It is estimated that approximately 1.9 to 2.8 million adults in the United States are living with vitiligo, although it is believed that about 40% of adults with this condition may be undiagnosed. Vitiligo can affect people of any age or race and men and women equally.

The signature symptom of vitiligo is the appearance of discolored, light patches in areas of the skin that may include the face, hands an

Managed Healthcare Executive • 15th December 2022

Vitiligo. It Is Not Just a Skin Condition

Vitiligo. It Is Not Just a Skin Condition

The melanocytes attacked by the autoimmune disease are present in the eyes and ears, not just the skin, so vitiligo can adversely affect vision and hearing.

Vitiligo is an autoimmune disorder that attacks melanocytes, which are cells that produce pigment in the body. In individuals with vitiligo, the destroy melanocytes leads to the loss of pigment and results in white patches on the body. These are more prominent on dark skin. On the surface, vitiligo

Managed Healthcare Executive • 21st November 2022

New Line of Gene Therapy Vectors Better at Targeting Liver Cells in Hemophilia B

Most emerging gene therapies for hemophilia B use adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors to deliver genetic material into target liver cells. AAV vectors are made up of a protein capsid that wraps around a DNA genome. With hemophilia B gene therapy, the genome contains genetic instructions for the production of factor IX, which is the missing clotting factor in hemophilia B. When the capsid binds to a liver cell, the genetic material is uncoated and released into the cell. Liver cells are the targ

Managed Healthcare Executive • 17th November 2022

Dutch Company Raises Over $12 Million for Development of Home-based Blood Coagulation Test

Dutch diagnostic device developer Enzyre closed a financing round earlier this month, raising about $12.4 million to advance the development of its at-home blood coagulation test platform. The financing was led by Oost NL, with participation from other investors, and it included an Innovation Credit from the government of the Netherlands.

Enyzyre will use the funding to continue the development of its diagnostic technology platform called EnzyPad. The funds will help support clinical trials, a

Managed Healthcare Executive • 17th November 2022

Gene Therapy for Hemophilia Is on the Brink of FDA Approval

In a keynote talk at AMCP Nexus 2022 last month, Aimee Tharaldson, Pharm.D., senior clinical pharmacist at Emerging Therapeutics at Evernorth, discussed recently approved and up-and-coming specialty drugs. Among them was an abundance of gene therapies targeting several conditions, including hemophilia.

The pipeline for hemophilia is brimming with novel treatments, and many have expected FDA approval dates within the next two years.

In her presentation, Tharaldson listed eight gene therapies fo

Managed Healthcare Executive • 10th November 2022

Symptom-Based Screening Tool Successfully Identifies Young Children with High Asthma Risk

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), healthcare costs for asthma amount to about $50 billion per year. Over 26 million Americans have asthma, including 6.5% of children under 18 years of age.

Given that persistent wheezing, a hallmark asthma symptom, is associated with decreased lung function and chronic lung disease, identifying children with potential asthma risk at a young age can allow for early treatment, preserve lung function, and decrease hospital and

Managed Healthcare Executive • 10th November 2022

Stopping or Changing Biologics in Severe Asthma Leads to Worse Clinical Outcomes

Stopping or Changing Biologics in Severe Asthma Leads to Worse Clinical Outcomes

Findings from research presented at the American College of Chest Physicians suggest the importance of selecting the right biologic from the start.

For many with severe asthma, biologic therapy has changed the way they live with asthma. Biologics have been shown to reduce the frequency of asthma exacerbations, hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and the need for oral corticosteroids in individuals who once ha

Managed Healthcare Executive • 9th November 2022

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Improves Asthma Control and Reduces Airway Inflammation

Studies have shown that individuals with asthma as well as mood or anxiety disorders and psychological distress tend to have poorer control of their asthma, more severe symptoms, and greater utilization of healthcare services than asthma patients without these conditions. Additionally, chronic stress aggravates asthma symptoms and promotes type 2 inflammatory responses, such as those seen in severe asthma.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a nonpharmacological approach for treating c

Managed Healthcare Executive • 3rd November 2022

Removing the CD47 ‘Do Not Eat Me’ Sign

Macrophages, which are cells that engulf or “eat” other cells, are key players in the body’s immune response. But they need some guidance. Checkpoints built into human cells keep macrophages and the immune response from going amiss. A protein called cluster of differentiation 47 (CD47) is a main checkpoint for macrophages. The presence of this marker on a cell acts as a “do not eat me” sign for macrophages.

CD47 is ubiquitous in healthy cells and overexpressed in many myeloid malignancies, incl

Managed Healthcare Executive • 10th October 2022

Drugs on the Fast Track as Treatments for PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic psychiatric condition that occurs in some people after experiencing or witnessing traumatic events, such as military combat trauma, childhood trauma and physical or sexual assault. PTSD is associated with several uncontrolled and debilitating symptoms typically triggered by trauma reminders, including nightmares, intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, hypervigilant behaviors, avoidance of traumatic reminders and sleep disruptions. People with PTSD are

Managed Healthcare Executive • 5th October 2022

Asthma Exacerbations Associated With Poor Lung Function

Exacerbations are believed to be a significant but potentially modifiable cause of declining lung function in some people.Loss of lung function over time is associated with comorbidities, including chronic shortness of breath and premature death.

Asthma exacerbations can wreak havoc in patients’ lives. Difficulty breathing can result in frequent trips to the emergency room visits, absences from work and a host of other problems. Asthma exacerbations are also associated with healthcare costs, bu

Managed Healthcare Executive • 4th October 2022

Treatment for Hemophilia: Many Decisions, Some Difficult, All Should Be Shared

Treatment for Hemophilia: Many Decisions, Some Difficult, All Should Be Shared

The hemophilia organization developed a shared decision-making tool for patients and providers.

With the anticipated regulatory approval of novel hemophilia gene therapies, many in the hemophilia community have identified the need for and importance of people with hemophilia to fully participate in a shared decision-making process with healthcare professionals. In a paper published last June in the journal Patient P