Rx Savings with Generic vs Branded Medications
March 28, 2011
Buying Brand-Name Drugs Over Generics Raises Medicaid Costs | www.bloomberg.com
With dollar shortfalls for Rx benefits, controlling drug costs is imperative. By utilizing a strict formulary of covered products, along with clear, real time messaging to the pharmacies, the generic fill rate (GFR) will rise. With a higher GFR, savings is attained.
Central Neuropathic Pain: Cymbalta--- Another Failed Trial
December 29, 2010
Duloxetine in patients with central neuropathic pain caused by spinal cord injury or stroke: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. | www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Treatment of neuropathic pain remains an enigmatic dilemma for most physicians. Presently there are no drugs FDA approved for central neuropathic pain. The use of drugs utilized for diabetic peripheral neuropathy and fibromyalgia, most notably Cymbalta (Eli Lilly), Lyrica (Pfizer) and Savella (Forest), as well as generics such as gabapentin, tricyclic antidepressants and older anticonvulsants remain the mainstay of therapy.
Lupin's opportunity to drop the Lotrel margin!
February 15, 2010
Lupin gets US FDA approval for hypertension capsules | www.pharmabiz.com
The approval of Lupin's generic Lotrel line will create one more player in a field that is currently not very crowded. Yet, don't expect the other players to not react! Generic Lotrel is currently priced relatively high compared to other multi-source hypertensive products.
Cetirizine OTC liquid. A day late and a dollar short.
February 8, 2010
Aurobindo Pharma receives final approval for Cetirizine Hydrochloride Solution (OTC) | www.pipelinereview.com
Why the delay? Teva, Taro, and Perrigo all have strong footholds in this market. Rx and OTC competition remains strong, thus what would allow a new player to grow quickly outside of eroding the price market?
Fampridine-PR -- The First Drug Proven to Help Multiple Sclerosis Patients Walk!
January 19, 2010
Biogen Idec Submits Application in Europe for the Approval of Fampridine-PR Tablets to Improve Walking Ability in People with Multiple Sclerosis | www.pipelinereview.com
Being confined to a wheelchair is the most common fear of patients living with multiple sclerosis (MS) from the time of diagnosis. Up until now, there have been no therapies demonstrated to improve walking in multiple sclerosis.Fampridine-PR is the first drug application for a product which has clearly shown to improve walking speed in a significant portion of MS patients, and may become the first drug specifically approved for this indication.
Acorda's Fampridine: The First FDA Approval to Help MS Patient's Walk
December 14, 2009
FDA Questions Efficacy of Acorda's MS Drug (Fampridine SR) | www.thestreet.com
Fampridine SR improves multiple sclerosis patient's ability to walk. In demonstrating this, Acorda has successfully demonstrated that a new class of therapeutics, potassium channel blockers, can be effectively employed to address MS symptoms effectively and safely.
Fampridine-SR -- anxiously awaited new MS therapeutic
June 2, 2009
Acorda’s Fampridine-SR Gets Priority Review | phoenix.corporate-ir.net
A major unmet need in the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis is a medication to increase walking ability. Since disease modifying therapies have only been available for 16 years, MS starts at a mean age of 29, and the disease has only a minimal effect at shortening lifespan, the majority of MS patients presently have progressive forms of MS. Ten percent have primary progressive disease, progressive from the onset, and others, start with relapsing remitting MS, and progress after approximately 15 years to progressive illness. In the early years of progressive MS, patients loose the ability to walk, hence the prior motto of the National MS Society, "MS, the great crippler of young adults." FAMPRIDINE SR IS THE FIRST MEDICATION FOUND TO IMPROVE MS PATIENTS ABILITY TO WALK. Standard disease modifying agents, the interferons (Avonex, Betaseron, Rebif), Copaxone and Tysabri, decrease relapse rate and may slow progression, however do not improve one's ability to walk.
NUVIGIL for Jet Lag -- An Important Broad New Indication for Cephalon
June 2, 2009
Cephalon to apply for FDA approval for Nuvigil for jet lag | www.reuters.com
NUVIGIL, Cephalon's single isomer longer effective half-life follow-up product to Provigil is coming to market only after careful strategic planning. While extremely successful, Provigil, a unique wake promoting agent, suffered in many ways. When introduced, it had only FDA approval for narcolepsy, a relatively uncommon, yet severe sleep disorder. Sales increased markedly when Provigil became approved for other common conditions associated with excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS), treated obstructive sleep apnea with residual EDS and sleep wake shift disturbance (SWSD). If approved for Jet Lag, there is the promise that Nuvigil will become available for an increasing enlarging marketplace.
Computer Technology Really Does Improve Patient Care
February 6, 2009
Health Info Technology Saves Lists, Costs: Study | news.yahoo.com
Information technology in healthcare saves lives if it is frequently used by doctors for medical practice. Scientific papers in the past have suggested that information technology saves lives by preventing medication errors but this paper suggests that the way doctors practice medicine may be modified to saves lives as well.
Why hasn't EHR been adopted faster
November 26, 2008
Survey: Hospital EHR Adoption Rate is Below 12% | www.govhealthit.com
The lack of a comprehensive EHR implementation suggests that we are failing at our goal of improving the healthcare system. While the article highlights many problems, very few solutions are offered to remedy this part of our healthcare crises. The key implications are: 1. The adoption rate of electronic health records in nonfederal U.S. hospitals is low 2. The percentage of these electronic record systems may be classified as "fully functional is low 3. The companies that can fill the enormous gaps in adoption have laid the foundation for future adoption.
February 7, 2012
What do the cloud, collaboration and virtualization have in common?
January 27, 2012
Clinical diagnostic acquisitions dominate 2011 top ten list
January 12, 2012
Gene therapy success threatens drugs for hemophilia and rare diseases
December 13, 2011
Medtech M&A activity accelerates in 2011
November 30, 2011