nih
Study: Number of drug-resistant germs rising
Here's an unsettling statistic, to say the least. According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the number of germs resistant to antibiotics is growing. The Institute,... Read more...
ALSO NOTED: HealthTronics chief dies; PA meth clinics under fire; and much more...
> Sam B. Humphries, president and CEO of urology company HealthTronics, died Tuesday at the age of 64. Read more...
HHS to merge genetic, clinical info
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt has unveiled a new initiative which would merge genetic and clinical data in an effort to individualize and improve patient care. Leavitt's "Personalized Health Care" program would use the merged data to predict, and hopefully prevent, the onset of many diseases. Leavitt has said that this effort will be one of his top priorities for the next two years. The concept isn't as novel as it may sound--the VA is already combining …
... Read more...States seek Lilly help with Zyprexa costs
Concerned about the large and growing cost of antipsychotic drug Zyprexa, a number of states have taken Eli Lilly up on its offer to make sure Medicaid physicians stick to Zyprexa prescribing guidelines. The question, though, is whether states are getting what they're supposed to from these programs.
Zyprexa, which treats bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, generates the biggest single drug cost for state Medicaid programs. These programs spent $1.3 billion on the drug in 2005, …
... Read more...New MRI test advantages discovered
In two separate studies this week, evidence has accumulated suggesting that MRI tests have some real advantages in treating cardiovascular incidents. In one study, conducted by researchers at the NIH's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, researchers concluded that MRIs are more sensitive that CT scans when it comes to emergency diagnosis of acute ischemic stroke. In a separate piece of research, meanwhile, doctors at Mount Sinai Medical Center said they'd found MRI …
... Read more...Lilly accused of promoting off-label Zyprexa use
Has drugmaker Eli Lilly been promoting the off-label use of antipsychotic Zyprexa for elderly patients with dementia symptoms? According to an investigation by The New York Times, Lilly has been doing just that since late 2000, despite FDA rules to the contrary. Materials given to the NYT outline a campaign called Viva Zyprexa, in which sales reps are told to suggest the drug for older dementia patients. However, such marketing would run afoul of FDA rules, as Zyprexa is …
... Read more...ALSO NOTED: NIH researcher pleads guilty; Nurse engagement key to quality; and much more...
> Former NIH geriatric psychiatry head Pearson "Trey" Sunderland pleaded guilty this week to violating conflict of interest rules. Sunderland had failed to disclose that he had accepted $285,000 in payments from Pfizer while serving as a researcher at NIH. Article
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... Read more...FDA streamlining drug approval process
Some time ago the FDA kicked off a program to speed the movement of new drugs through the FDA approval process. The project, called the Critical Path Initiative, proposes to streamline the process in several ways. For example, drug makers would now get permission to test a drug in ongoing trials for benefits they hadn't originally envisioned. The Critical Path process would also allow pharmaceutical companies to use predictive markers rather than testing results to evaluate new drugs. To …
... Read more...Group calls for premature birth research
For the fifth straight year, the rate of preterm births rose, hitting 520,000 births completed before 37 weeks, or 12.7 percent of all births, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. An additional 80,000 infants were born before 32 weeks of gestation. In response, advocacy group the March of Dimes is pushing the House of Representatives to pass the PREEMIE Act (HR 2861), which would establish special programs within NIH to study causes of preterm labor and low birthrate. …
... Read more...OIG plans extensive 2007 payment reviews
The federal Office of the Inspector General has released a work plan for 2007--among the most detailed in recent years--that targets a wide range of activities and reimbursement areas important to hospitals, home care services, laboratories, rehab providers and psych facilities. Two important issues to be studied include:
- Supplemental payments to hospitals: The OIG is taking a closer look at adjustments for graduate medical education permits, nursing and allied …
