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Managed Healthcare Executive •

Pacira BioSciences Receives CMS Approval for Exparel J-Code

With the NOPAIN Act mandate to go into effect at the beginning of next year, Pacira BioSciences recently announced that CMS granted a new product specific Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System J-Code for Exparel (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension). Should Exparel be administered in an office setting or for office-based surgeries, the J-Code enables separate reimbursement.J-codes are specific codes for reimbursing Medicare Part B drugs, such as Exparel, by commercial insurance plans,...
Managed Healthcare Executive •

Pain Specialists Not High on Improving Access to Medicinal Cannabis

Research reveals differences between physicians and adults suffering from chronic pain in levels of support for cannabis access, signifying implications for policymaking and healthcare practices regarding cannabis use. Results from the survey were published this past September 2024 in JAMA Network Open. The survey captured the attitudes of two key groups about cannabis policies and expanding access to cannabis for chronic pain management in states with active medical cannabis programs.Elizabeth...
Managed Healthcare Executive •

Of Mice, Muscles, Older Adults and RSV

As the global population ages, respiratory viral infections have become a significant health concern, leading to severe morbidity and increased mortality in this demographic. Skeletal muscle loss is ordinarily a feature of aging and age-related health conditions. However, in the setting of severe respiratory infections, susceptible older adults experience faster muscle deterioration. But the mechanisms contributing to accelerated muscle loss are not well established.Using an aged mice model, res...
Managed Healthcare Executive •

How Do Skeletal Muscle Relaxants Fit Into Pain Management?

Centrally acting skeletal muscle relaxers (SMRs) include drugs as a baclofen, sold under the brand names Gablofen and Loresal; carisoprodol, sold under the name Soma; and metaxalone, sold under the name Metaxall. Long-term use of SMRs may provide relief for certain pain syndromes according to a recent systematic review published in JAMA Network Open. Those who suffer from painful spasms, cramps, and neck pain may benefit. With increasing concerns over opioid prescriptions and their associated r...
Managed Healthcare Executive •

Arexvy and Abrysvo Potentially Cost-Effective in Older Adults

A recent study has found that the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines for adults aged 60 years and older are likely to be cost-effective in preventing various health complications associated with the virus, including illness, hospitalizations, loss of quality of life, and fatalities. This investigation highlighted the potential benefits of RSV vaccination, suggesting that the vaccines could provide both individual and societal cost savings.Led by researchers at the University of Michigan'...
Managed Healthcare Executive •

RSV Vaccine Keeps Older People Out of the Hospital

A study published in JAMA earlier this months found the RSV vaccine to be 75% effective in preventing hospitalizations due to RSV-associated illness. Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported findings to support the ongoing risk-benefit analysis of RSV vaccines for older adults.Prelicensure randomized trials did not assess vaccine efficacy against RSV-associated hospitalization nor did they include immunocompromised patients and underrepresented groups at risk...
Managed Healthcare Executive •

Insights into Emerging Technologies in Pain Medicine

Pain medicine is on the cusp of a transformative era driven by a convergence of innovative technologies and novel treatment strategies. An article from the Journal of Pain Research, various emerging modalities, including virtual reality (VR), artificial intelligence (AI), wearable medical technology, and psychedelics, are reshaping how chronic pain is perceived and managed.Christopher Robinson, M.D., Ph.D., from the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and co...
Managed Healthcare Executive •

Early Genetic Testing Avoids Treatment Delays for Patients with Friedreich Ataxia

Speakers during a symposium at The European Association of Neurology Congress called attention to delays in diagnosis and treatment of patients with Friedreich ataxia (FDRA), a rare, inherited neurodegenerative disorder and the most common hereditary ataxia.Held in Finland in July 2024, the symposium was led by speakers Mathieu Anheim, M.D, Ph.D., professor of neurology at University Hospital of Strasbourg, and Jörg Schulz, M.D., professor of neurology at RWTH Aachen University Hospital. They ur...
Managed Healthcare Executive •

Corticosteroids May Prove Beneficial in Treating Neuropathy

Corticosteroids may prove to be an effective treatment for peripheral neuropathies, according to a systematic review published in Frontiers in Neurology. The review of steroid use in peripheral nerve pathologies and treatment aimed to synthesize the current findings regarding the role of corticosteroids in the management of peripheral nerve injuries and disorders.Given the widespread use of corticosteroids in various medical conditions and their established anti-inflammatory properties, Brendan...
Managed Healthcare Executive •

Telomere Length May Be a Helpful Biomarker in Friedreich Ataxia Patients

Telomeres are short nucleotide sequences at the end of chromosomes that protect genetic information. They have been analogized to the tips of shoelaces, called aglets, that keep the laces from fraying. Inflammation and increased levels of oxidative stress can affect telomere length, and several neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease and spinocerebellar ataxias have characteristic telomere shortening, often resulting from immune system insult and oxidative...
Managed Healthcare Executive •

A Broad View of the Future of Friedreich's Ataxia Therapy

The approval of Skyclarys underscored the importance of sensitive outcome measures, say authors.Cutting-edge developments in gene therapy and neuroprotective strategies are driving the future of Friedreich’s ataxia (FRDA) therapy. In a recent review of the therapeutic landscape for FA, Louise Corben, Ph.D., from the Bruce LeFroy Centre for Genetic Health Research in Australia, and colleagues provided a comprehensive review of current and emerging therapeutic strategies for FA, highlighting the u...
Managed Healthcare Executive •

First-In-Class Cebranopadol Moving to Phase 3 Trials

Chronic pain affects millions of individuals daily, often hindering their ability to manage the demands of everyday life. Within the pain management therapeutic landscape, patients usually face a daunting array of options, many of which come with unwanted side effects and limited efficacy. Because therapies frequently fall short, either failing to alleviate pain effectively or resulting in severe side effects and misuse, there is a growing need for new agents that are more effective and safer al...
Managed Healthcare Executive •

Recognizing Challenges and Enhancing Outcomes in Older Adults During RSV Season

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has long been recognized as a significant pathogen affecting infants and young children. However, the toll it takes on older adult population — especially those with underlying health conditions —are becoming increasingly evident at home in the United States and globally in places like Brazil.RSV is characterized as a highly contagious virus with a seasonal pattern of infection. The clinical manifestations of RSV often are mild upper respiratory symptoms in heal...
Palaeontologia Electronica •

STRUCTURAL MECHANICS OF PACHYCEPHALOSAUR CRANIA PERMITTED HEAD-BUTTING BEHAVIOR by Eric Snively and Andrew Cox

STRUCTURAL MECHANICS OF PACHYCEPHALOSAUR CRANIA
PERMITTED HEAD-BUTTING BEHAVIOR

Eric Snively and
Andrew Cox

ABSTRACT

Pachycephalosaurian dinosaurs have dorsally thickened crania and uniquely shaped frontoparietal domes in some genera, suggested as evidence for head- or flank-butting behavior. Trabeculae thought to have resisted impact compression are present as only one histological zone of some pachycephalosaur domes, and are surrounded superficially or replaced by thick compacta in adul...
Taylor & Francis •

Pharmacological inhibition of Polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1) by BI-2536 decreases the viability and survival of hamartin and tuberin deficient cells via induction of apoptosis and attenuation of autophagy

Abstract-The mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) increases translation, cell size and angiogenesis, and inhibits autophagy. mTORC1 is negatively regulated by hamartin and tuberin, the protein products of the tumor suppressors TSC1 and TSC2 that are mutated in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) and sporadic Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM). Hamartin interacts with the centrosomal and mitotic kinase polo-like kinase 1 (PLK1). Hamartin and tuberin deficient cells have abnormalities in cen...
Managed Healthcare Executive •

Moderna's Vaccine Gets EU Approval for RSV

Coming off the heels of an FDA approval this past May, Moderna’s has received approval from the European Commission for its respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine, brand named mRESVIA. Hailing the approval, Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel, stated that the approval was “an important milestone for public health and highlights Moderna’s mRNA leadership…marking the first time an mRNA vaccine has been approved for a disease beyond COVID-19 in Europe.”Moderna's entry into the RSV vaccine market posit...
Managed Healthcare Executive •

Pain Relief for Individuals with HIV: A Tailored Self-Management Approach

Chronic pain is a prevalent and often debilitating condition, particularly among individuals living with HIV, who experience a disproportionately high burden of pain compared to the general population. The interplay between chronic pain and HIV can complicate treatment regimens, negatively impact functional abilities, and diminish overall quality of life for affected individuals. Given the urgent need for effective pain management strategies tailored to this unique population, a study published...
Managed Healthcare Executive •

Revolutionizing Friedreich's Ataxia Treatment: A Novel Approach to Drug Delivery

Friedreich's ataxia (FA) is a rare, hereditary autosomal recessive disorder that affects coordination, balance, and speech. These clinical manifestations result from a deficiency in the frataxin protein, which regulates cellular iron levels. Without frataxin, the mitochondrial function is impaired, and oxidative injury results. FA has no cure; therefore, researchers focus their efforts on new ways to manage and treat its symptoms.Existing treatments for FA are limited and often fail to effective...
Managed Healthcare Executive •

Improving Pain Self-Management Among Rural, Older Cancer Patients

A recent study published in Jama Network found that an intervention called Cancer Health Empowerment for Living without Pain (CA-HELP) was well-received and feasible among older adults with cancer living in rural areas. The study reported high enrollment and completion rates, significant improvements in patients' pain management, confidence in discussing pain with doctors, decreased misconceptions about pain, and self-reported reduction in pain levels.Megan Shen, Ph.D., from the Fred Hutchinson...
Managed Healthcare Executive •

Lexeo Therapeutics' LX2006 Shows Promise in Treating Friedreich Ataxia Cardiomyopathy

In what might be a potential breakthrough for a significant unmet need, Lexeo Therapeutics announced last month that their gene therapy candidate, LX2006, had achieved positive interim Phase 1/2 clinical data for treating Friedreich Ataxia (FA) cardiomyopathy. This marks a significant milestone in developing new therapies for this devastating condition.Given the lack of approved treatments for FA cardiomyopathy, LX2006's potential could represent a breakthrough for patients suffering from a dise...
Managed Healthcare Executive •

Everything You Need to Know About Larimar Therapeutics' Nomlabofusp and the FDA's START Program

Over 7,000 rare diseases affect millions of people worldwide, with the majority lacking effective treatments. In rare diseases, where treatment options are often limited, hope can sometimes feel like a distant light. Finding cures for these conditions is usually a long and challenging process, but hope is on the horizon.In a groundbreaking initiative to accelerate the development of treatments for rare diseases, the Support for Clinical Trials Advancing Rare Disease Therapeutics (START) Pilot Pr...
Managed Healthcare Executive •

Exploring Peripheral Nerve Stimulation Therapy for Shoulder Pain Management Through Real-World Evidence

Acute and chronic shoulder pain is a common complaint affecting a significant portion of the population, with high rates of chronicity. Chronic shoulder pain affects patients' quality of life, physical function, and sleep. Factors contributing to shoulder pain vary widely, leading to various impacts on patients, including functional limitations and emotional distress. As individuals age, the reported prevalence increases while the likelihood of pain resolution decreases.The prevalence of shoulde...
WebMD •

Oseltamivir (Tamiflu): Uses, Side Effects, Interactions, Pictures, Warnings & Dosing - WebMD

Oseltamivir is commonly used for the treatment of the flu (influenza A and B), but only within the first two days of having flu symptoms. Oseltamivir is also used for the prevention of flu. The flu, short for influenza, is caused by influenza viruses that infect parts of the body, leading to symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, and fatigue.Oseltamivir may also be used for other conditions as determined by your healthcare provider.Oseltamivir blocks the creation of new virus pa...
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