New data has indicated that Jardiance (empagliflozin) is capable of reducing the risk of heart failure and cardiovascular death when added to the regimens of patients living with type two diabetes (T2D), indications that came as part of the results of a test comparing the actual administration of the drug to the administration of placebo.

A team of researchers from the Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), led by Dr. Sam Thiagalingam, recently made a breakthrough discovery in the treatment of basal-like breast cancer (BLBC).

The American Cancer Society's Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) has joined the Alliance to Fight to 40, a group dedicated to seeing a recently imposed 40 percent tax on employee health care benefits repealed.

More than 350,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer -- the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths -- have been diagnosed worldwide.

The House Judiciary Committee held an extensive hearing yesterday in order to discuss the pharmacy market alongside its relationship with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMS). The primary concerns that the committee discussed were rising prescription prices and the effects of PBMs on the market and on independent pharmacies.

The results from the Maryland All-Payer Model were recently released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The model works by utilizing a global budget payment program under which all payers paid hospitals a fixed amount each year for rendered inpatient and outpatient services -- regardless of the actual amount of hospital utilization.

According to a recent study that was published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), the rate of adult smokers in the United States decreased one full percentage point from 2013 to 2014. The report used data from the 2014 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) in order to draw its conclusions.

A recent briefing on Capitol Hill brought together health care professionals from a variety of fields to discuss cutting-edge innovations in the treatment of heart failure. Presenters at the briefing came from Healthcare Leadership Council companies and included Dr. Robert Hilkert of Novartis, Karen Babos of Walgreens and Dr. Kristin Vickers-Douglas of the Mayo Clinic.

The Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) recently announced the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) granted approval for the use of Imlygic, an immunotherapy drug manufactured by Amgens, for use as a local melanoma treatment. Professionals prescribe Imlygic in order to treat affected areas on the skin and lymph nodes when melanoma has recurred after surgery.

The U.S. House of Representatives recently passed three public health bills related to medical care. The bills focus on enhancing mental health care services, stemming the growing problem of prenatal opioid abuse and increasing consistency in pharmaceutical reviews, while at the same time retaining manufacturing jobs.

The American Medical Association (AMA) recently put in place new regulations to enhance consumers' ability to have access to health care in the insurance marketplace that is both affordable and of high quality. The new policy, green-lighted during the AMA's interim meeting, requires the federal government to take a closer look at the nation's health insurance industry consolidation over the last five to 10 years before it permits any more health insurance companies to merge.

The many challenges cancer patients must face now include finding out which cancer drugs are covered by health insurance plans purchased through the marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). A recent study, conducted by researchers from the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), evaluated marketplace formularies in California, Florida, Illinois, North Carolina, Texas and Washington -- part of an initiative to be sure ACA's patient protection measures are working we

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently granted accelerated approval for Darzalex (daratumumab), a treatment that is indicated for patients with multiple myeloma who have received at least three previous treatments. With the approval, Darzalex becomes the first antibody on the market for the treatment of multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer that occurs in infection-fighting plasma cells -- a type of white blood cell -- found in the bone marrow.

As part of the 21st Century Cures Initiative, the U.S. Subcommittee on Health recently convened a hearing titled “Examining the Regulation of Diagnostic Tests and Laboratory Operations.” As part of the hearing, subcommittee members continued the discussion concerning the initiative by bringing up "biomarkers," "precision medicine" and "targeted therapies," the occasion's most popular, talked-about subjects.

President Obama recently proclaimed Nov. 16-22 “Get Smart About Antibiotics Week" in an attempt to raise awareness among clinicians and patients about the overprescribing of antibiotics.

The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) is backing Dr. Robert Califf, who was nominated in September by President Barack Obama, as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) next commissioner.

Biopharmaceutical company AbbVie recently unveiled the results from its Surveyor studies of ABT-493, the company's investigational hepatitis C virus regimen. The study showed that ABT-493 had high rates of sustained virological responses 12 weeks after patients discontinued treatment. Patients used for the study were non-cirrhotic and had active HCV infections.

The link between Alzheimer’s and Down syndrome has been well-documented, and the National Institutes of Health recently started a new program hoping to discover biomarkers that will enable health care providers to evaluate how Alzheimer's develops in people living with Down syndrome. People with Down syndrome carry an extra copy of chromosome 21 -- a gene that plays a key role in producing amyloid plaque, the sticky clumps that build up outside neurons, a marker of Alzheimer's disease. 

As a result of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), U.S. citizens are getting more than health insurance -- some are getting rebates, as well. A report that was conducted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) showed that, since 2011, more than $2.4 billion in rebates has made its way back to consumers.

Lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) affect more than 200 million people worldwide, but related research and awareness programs are hard to find. To help close that gap, a German pharmaceutical company, Boehringer Ingelheim, has launched the Your Time initiative, which is an effort to raise public awareness about COPD.