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Pharma á la carte – 05/04/2023

Here I share some of the latest news, articles, editorials, or blog posts that fall generally under the theme of Pharma or healthcare. I might throw in a something off-topic from time to time which I found while wandering throughout the endless hallways and corridors of the internet. All article shared will be free to read and not locked behind an annoying paywall.

Minnesota vs. CVS Pharmacy

CVS Caremark has been sued by the state of Minnesota for allegedly steering patients to their own retail pharmacies. No surprise here. Typical PBM shenanigans. “Minnesota’s Pharmacy Benefit Manager Act prohibits a PBM from requiring or incentivizing a member to use a pharmacy it owns unless the same incentives are available at other pharmacies.” STAR TRIBUNE. READ MORE.

Beta blockers may not be wise for all patients

A couple recent studies call into question the appropriateness of beta blockers in certain patients. “While studies have consistently shown the benefit of beta blockers in heart failure patients with significantly reduced squeezing power, measured as an ejection fraction less than 40%, there’s limited data on use of the drugs in people with stronger squeezing function.” STAT NEWS. READ MORE.

Lily’s donanemab slows Alzheimer’s progression

In good news for Eli Lily, their investigational trial of donanemab showed a slowing of cognitive decline by 35%. “Dr. Erik Musiek, a Washington University neurologist at Barnes-Jewish Hospital, said the efficacy looks as good or better than lecanemab.”The evidence is really starting to build up that these drugs do work,” he said.” REUTERS. READ MORE.

P.S. But the above news is not without some drawbacks. The trial also experienced 2 deaths due to brain swelling. “Eli Lilly’s Alzheimer’s drug candidate slowed cognitive decline by 35 percent in a phase 3 study, but the trial revealed some safety risks, including two deaths from brain swelling and nearly 1 in 4 participants experiencing amyloid-related imaging abnormalities. BECKER’S. READ MORE.

Doctors vs. Ai

This is because the chatbot doesn’t have to deal with insurance companies. “Research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Internal Medicine found that a chatbot’s responses to patient questions, pulled from a social media platform, were rated “significantly higher for both quality and empathy.” THE HILL. READ MORE.

Adam Fein speaks at Asembia

The Drug Channels guru of all things related to the pharmaceutical supply chain, Adam Fein, opines on the future of specialty pharmacy at Asembia. “Fein told the large, attentive audience that by his tally, there are 1,651 accredited specialty pharmacy locations. That number may be peaking, he said, because the growth in the number of locations was the slowest he had seen during the eight years he has been tracking specialty pharmacy locations.’ MANAGED HEALTHCARE EXECUTIVE. READ MORE.

FOR FUN: The etymology of 71 everyday words

Like the word plumber. “Pb comes from the Latin for lead, plumbum, which also eventually gave us the word plumber. It originally referred to someone working with lead in a number of contexts, without its modern focus on the pipes that move water in and out of buildings. But since pipes were long made of lead, plumbers eventually became known as the people to call when your sink or toilet needs professional expertise.” MENTAL FLOSS. READ MORE.

Last modified: May 4, 2023

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