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Tag: Healthcare

  • UCI researchers announce publication of an open-label clinical trial suggesting that N-acetylglucosamine restores neurological function in Multiple Sclerosis patients.

    UCI researchers announce publication of an open-label clinical trial suggesting that N-acetylglucosamine restores neurological function in Multiple Sclerosis patients.

    Newswise — Irvine, CA – Sept. 11, 2023 – UCI researchers have found that a simple sugar, N-acetylglucosamine, reduces multiple inflammation and neurodegeneration markers in people who suffer from multiple sclerosis (MS). In addition, they also found this dietary supplement improved neurological function in 30% of patients.

    According to the World Health Organization, MS affects more than 1.8 million people, and while there are treatments to prevent relapses and improve quality of life, there is no cure.

    The study, N-acetylglucosamine inhibits inflammation and neurodegeneration markers in multiple sclerosis: a mechanistic trial, was published in the Journal of Neuroinflammation. Michael Demetriou, MD, PhD, Chief of the Division of Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology at UCI, is the lead investigator of the study. Michael Y. Sy, MD, PhD, Director of the Neuroimmunology Fellowship at UCI School of Medicine, is the first author, and Barbara Newton, MD, Project Scientist at UCI, is the second author.

    A major issue with current therapies in MS is the inability to treat chronic-active neuroinflammation in the brain and the associated failure to repair the loss of myelin that covers and protects axons, the electrical wires of the brain. Over time, this leads to permanent nerve cell damage and slow progressive loss of neurological function in patients.

    “Our previous studies in mice and humans implicated N-acetylglucosamine in suppressing brain inflammation, promoting the re-growth of the myelin sheath and slowing brain degeneration,” said Michael Demetriou, MD, PhD, Professor of Neurology and Microbiology & Molecular Genetics at the UCI School of Medicine.

    The new paper reports on the first clinical trial of N-acetylglucosamine in MS patients to directly investigate these potential activities. The trial was developed and performed exclusively in the Demetriou Lab at the UCI School of Medicine and UCI’s Institute of Clinical and Translational Science.

    Researchers found that N-acetylglucosamine was safe and reduced multiple inflammation and neurodegeneration markers in MS patients despite the patients already being on the FDA approved immunomodulatory therapy Glatiramer Acetate, known to impact these pathways outside the brain.  

    “We also observed a sustained reduction in neurological disability in 30% of the patients, an activity which has not been observed with current FDA approved therapies,” said Michael Y. Sy, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Neurology, UCI School of Medicine. “They at best slow progression, not improve function.”

    The data suggest that N-acetylglucosamine reduced untreated chronic-active neuroinflammation and/or promoted myelin repair.  However, the researchers stress that the trial was unblinded and therefore future blinded studies and additional parameters are essential to validate N-acetylglucosamine’s potential to improve residual chronic-active brain inflammation, myelin repair, neurodegeneration and neurological function in MS.

    “Future studies demonstrating that N-acetylglucosamine can restore neurological function in MS patients would be a gamechanger and provide something that no other current therapy can do,” said Dr. Demetriou, MD, PhD.

     

    UCI School of Medicine:

    Each year, the UCI School of Medicine educates more than 400 medical students and nearly 150 PhD and MS students. More than 700 residents and fellows are trained at the UCI Medical Center and affiliated institutions. Multiple MD, PhD and MS degrees are offered. Students are encouraged to pursue an expansive range of interests and options. For medical students, there are numerous concurrent dual degree programs, including an MD/MBA, MD/MPH, or an MD/MS degree through one of three mission-based programs: the Health Education to Advance Leaders in Integrative Medicine (HEAL-IM), the Program in Medical Education for Leadership Education to Advance Diversity-African, Black and Caribbean (PRIME LEAD-ABC), and the Program in Medical Education for the Latino Community (PRIME-LC). The UCI School of Medicine is accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Accreditation and ranks among the top 50 nationwide for research. For more information, visit medschool.uci.edu.

     

    Conflict of Interest Disclosures:

    MS and MD are named as inventors on a patent application that describes GlcNAc as a biomarker for progressive multiple sclerosis. MD is named as an inventor on a patent for use of GlcNAc in multiple sclerosis.

    DOI: 10.1186/s12974-023-02893-9

    University of California, Irvine

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  • A Fourth of U.S. Health Visits Now Delivered by Non-Physicians

    A Fourth of U.S. Health Visits Now Delivered by Non-Physicians

     At a glance

    • From 2013 to 2019 the share of U.S. health care visits delivered by non-physicians such as nurse practitioners or physician assistants increased from 14 to 26 percent.
    • This rapid shift requires caregivers, medical educators, and policymakers to understand and manage this growing segment of the health care workforce.

    Newswise — The proportion of health care visits delivered by nurse practitioners and physician assistants in the US is increasing rapidly and now accounts for a quarter of all healthcare visits, according to a study published Sept. 14 in the BMJ.

    The analysis, led by researchers from the Department of Health Care Policy in the Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School, highlights the rising importance of this rapidly growing segment of the U.S. health care system.

    The research is the first nationally representative study of the share of health care delivered by nurse practitioners and physician assistants, collectively known as advanced practice providers. It is also the first study to look at care delivered across different clinical conditions. The researchers analyzed 276 million visits from a nationally representative sample of Medicare insured patients.

    Study co-authors Ateev Mehrotra, professor of health care policy at HMS, and Sadiq Patel, a former NIH postdoctoral fellow at HMS, spoke with HMNews about the increasingly important role these providers play in our health care system.

    Harvard Medicine News: How did we get to the point where a quarter of all medical visits are conducted by nurse practitioners and physician assistants, not by physicians?

    Mehrotra: The roles of nurse practitioners and physician assistants were created in the mid 1960s to address what were already identified at that time as physician shortages. We looked specifically at the years from 2013 to 2019, when the proportion of all traditional health care visits delivered by nurse practitioners and physician assistants increased from 14 to 25.6 percent. 

    That’s the average, but it varied across different conditions. Forty-seven percent of respiratory infection visits and 31 percent of visits for anxiety disorders were conducted by nurse practitioners and physician assistants, but it was only 13 percent for eye disorders and 20 percent for hypertension.

    HMNews: What’s driving this recent growth? 

    Mehrotra: The short answer is supply and demand. The U.S. has fewer physicians per capita than most of our peer nations. Who is going to provide that care? The number of nurse practitioners and physician assistants has grown more quickly than the number of physicians. And this trend will only continue as we move forward.  

    The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that between 2019 and 2031 the number of nurse practitioners in the U.S. will increase by 80 percent and the number of physician assistants by nearly 50 percent. In contrast, the growth rate for physicians over the next decade or so is estimated at less than 5 percent.

    HMNews: Are there some patients who are more likely to see nurse practitioners or physician assistants than others?

    Patel: Nurse practitioners and physician assistants are very widespread: Among all patients with at least one visit in 2019, 42 percent had one or more nurse practitioner or physician assistant visits. But there were some groups more likely to see nurse practitioners and physician assistants. The likelihood was greatest among patients who were lower income, rural residents, and people with disabilities.

    That’s another reason it’s so important to get this right. We’ve known that these groups often have greater difficulty accessing care, and nurse practitioners and physician assistants are critical to providing this access.

    HMNews: When people are sick, they usually think about “going to the doctor.” Is this change worrying? Is there a difference in quality or cost between the care delivered by nurses and physician assistants versus the care delivered by physicians?

    Mehrotra: First of all, it’s very important to emphasize that it’s not really a question of one or the other. Almost all these practitioners work in teams that include physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants working together.

    Most of the research agrees that all three professions can do a good job delivering care in most settings, especially primary care. And it turns out that there is not a significant difference in spending. But there are clinical conditions that might be better suited to one profession or another.

    Patel: One of the things that we wanted to do with this study was to start looking at the specific types of care these allied professionals were most likely to deliver.

    HMNews: What did you learn?

    Patel: As Ateev mentioned, patients were less likely to see a nurse practitioner or a physician assistant for an eye disorder, and more likely to see them for a respiratory infection. That seems like a reasonable allocation of resources, given the relative complexity of the clinical conditions. 

    The high use of nurse practitioners and physician assistants for anxiety disorders is another interesting example. There simply aren’t enough psychiatrists to treat all the people who need care for mental health conditions. But the good news is that there are highly effective evidence-based treatments that can help a lot of people with depression and anxiety that do not require a physician to deliver.

    Mehrotra: Hopefully one benefit that will follow from this research is that we will be able to identify the services that allied health professionals can deliver and provide the training and support services they need to take care of their patients, like proactively planning for remote supervision in more complex psychiatric services or specialist consults by telemedicine.

    HMNews: Any predictions on how these changes will shape health care going forward?

    Mehrotra: The increase in care delivery by nurse practitioners and physician assistants represents a massive change. We need more research on how to best structure teams of clinicians — nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and physicians — so that they can work together to provide the most effective care possible. If we are thoughtful about how we move forward as those changes continue to happen, that’s millions of opportunities to do it better. I hope we take advantage of that opportunity.

    This interview was edited for length and clarity.

    Harvard Medical School

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  • Ahead of UN General Assembly, pharmaceutical industry underscores need for pandemic preparedness plans to support innovation and equity

    Ahead of UN General Assembly, pharmaceutical industry underscores need for pandemic preparedness plans to support innovation and equity

    • Global pharmaceutical industry trade body calls for pandemic preparedness plans to protect what worked well in response to COVID-19 pandemic and ensure equity in the roll out of vaccines and treatments.  

    • Industry underlines that future plans must ensure science and innovation can again deliver at record speed and scale. It is critical to ensure scientists continue to have unhindered access to pathogen data and supporting voluntary technology transfer. 

    • Pharmaceutical industry urges support for its proposals to ensure equitable access to vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics in lower income countries for future pandemics. 

    Newswise — 13 SEPTEMBER 2023, GENEVA – Ahead of discussions at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA78), the trade association representing the innovative pharmaceutical industry, the IFPMA, has warned that current pandemic preparedness plans should not undermine what worked well in response to COVID-19 and must support both “innovation and equity.” 

    The UNGA will see world leaders consider a political declaration on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response as one of three health-focused high-level meetings. IFPMA has called for current plans to be strengthened to support the development of vaccines and treatments that will be needed for the next pandemic, alongside practical measures to ensure there is equity in access to medical countermeasures in lower-income countries.  

    Pharmaceutical industry commitment to innovate to address future pandemics   

    Effective vaccines and treatments were critical in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent research estimates that if effective vaccines are rolled out 100 days after the discovery of a new pathogen, the likelihood of a pandemic as deadly as COVID-19 taking place in the next decade drops from 27.5% to 8.1%.   

    The pharmaceutical industry has committed to play an active role in plans to prevent and prepare for future pandemics, and is a partner to the 100 Days Mission, which sets the ambition to deliver safe and effective vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics within 100 days of a pandemic threat being identified.  

    Seven leading pharmaceutical companies have also established The INTREPID Alliance, working to accelerate progress in the discovery and development of new antiviral treatments for future pandemics. The Alliance seeks to have 25 antiviral therapies for respiratory viral diseases with pandemic potential ready for Phase II/III clinical trials by 2026.  

    Placing innovation at the heart of future pandemic preparedness  

    However, progress will require coordinated action by industry, governments, and multilateral organizations. This will include putting in place the right incentives to support the pipeline of vaccines and treatments that will be needed to respond to future pandemics; ensuring scientists have rapid and unhindered access to pathogens and their genetic information; and the ability for companies to partner on a voluntary basis to rapidly scale up production.   

    IFPMA calls for these measures to be integrated into pandemic preparedness plans, including in the pandemic preparedness Political Declaration being considered by the UN General Assembly, alongside the focus on ensuring greater equity of access.   

    To rapidly scale-up production and deliver vaccines and treatments to at risk groups in the most affected regions, alongside wider measures, the industry has underlined the importance of sustainably boosting local capabilities in underserved regions and the need to support voluntary collaborations between companies, necessary to rapidly scale up production. Almost 450 voluntary collaborations are in place to support the global supply of COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. Pharmaceutical companies continue to extend their manufacturing and supply chain footprint via partnerships and investments in such regions. 

     

    Delivering equitable access to medical countermeasures in future pandemics 

    IFPMA has reiterated that future pandemic plans must also tackle the inequity we saw in the roll out of vaccines and treatments in response to COVID-19.  

    Last year, the industry published plans to address this in the Berlin Declaration, proposing a commitment by pharmaceutical companies to reserve an allocation of real-time production of vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics for priority populations in lower-income countries. The plans were endorsed by the Developing Countries Vaccines Manufacturing Network and the Biotechnology Industry Organization. 

    The Berlin Declaration is designed to provide a concrete solution to avoid a small number of countries securing the majority of supply of vaccines and treatments in the early months of a pandemic. 

    Alongside this, the industry has repeated that governments of countries that host manufacturing facilities need to commit to facilitating the export and import of raw materials and finished products to prevent trade restrictions hampering equitable rollout as we saw in response to COVID-19.   

    Thomas Cueni, Director General of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations said:  

    “When the next pandemic hits, the success of our response will depend on how well we prepared and worked together in this moment between pandemics.  

    “The collective challenge facing us is to deliver innovation and equity: how to incentivize the research needed to develop the vaccines and treatments we will need, and how we make sure there is equitable access to these medical countermeasures across the globe when we have them.   

    “A new Political Declaration presents an opportunity to get all stakeholders around the table and get this right, but it is critical that we don’t undermine what worked well in response to COVID19 and instead strengthen the innovation ecosystem that underpins the development of new medicines and vaccines for when we need them most.” 

     

    Notes to editors 

    • The UNGA will see world leaders gather to consider political declarations on three important global health security priorities – pandemic preparedness, ending tuberculosis, and delivering universal healthcare coverage.  

    • The innovative pharmaceutical industry set out a vision for equitable access to medicines and vaccines in future pandemics in the Berlin Declaration. The Declaration includes the commitment to reserve an allocation of real-time production of vaccines, treatments, and diagnostics for priority populations in lower income countries and take measures to make them available and affordable. 

    • Following the publication of the Berlin Declaration, IFPMA also published five priorities for future pandemic preparedness and response, which set out action needed in the following areas: sustaining a thriving innovation ecosystem; building equitable access early on into pandemic responses; fostering sustainable manufacturing globally; removing barriers to trade; and ensuring greater country readiness. 

    • The 100 Days Mission was put forward by the UK during its G20 presidency in 2021. It aims to have safe and effective vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics within 100 days of an epidemic or pandemic threat being identified. IFPMA and the pharmaceutical industry continue to be a supporter of the 100 Days Mission. 

    • The INTREPID Alliance is a group of seven pharmaceutical companies who are working to accelerate progress in the discovery and development of new antiviral treatments for future pandemics and in support of the 100 Days Mission. The Alliance seeks to have 25 antiviral therapies for viral diseases with pandemic potential ready for Phase II/III clinical trials by 2026. 

       

    About the IFPMA  

    The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) represents over 90 innovative pharmaceutical companies and associations around the world. Our industry’s almost three million employees discover, develop, and deliver medicines and vaccines that advance global health. Based in Geneva, IFPMA has official relations with the United Nations and contributes industry expertise to help the global health community improve the lives of people everywhere. For more information, visit ifpma.org. 

     

     

    …

    International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations

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  • UTHealth Houston study: Unruptured brain aneurysms may be missed in routine clinical care, but AI-powered algorithm can help

    UTHealth Houston study: Unruptured brain aneurysms may be missed in routine clinical care, but AI-powered algorithm can help

    Newswise — Unruptured cerebral aneurysms of sizes and locations that require attention may be frequently missed in routine clinical care, but a machine learning algorithm could minimize missed care opportunities, according to a new study from UTHealth Houston.

    The research, published today in Stroke: Vascular and Interventional Neurology, was led by senior author Sunil A. Sheth, MD, associate professor in the Department of Neurology with McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, as well as co-first authors Hyun Woo Kim, MD, vascular and interventional neurology fellow at UTHealth Houston, and Anjan Nagesh Ballekere, MS, research coordinator in the neurology department.

    Approximately 30,000 people living in the U.S. experience a ruptured aneurysm annually. The estimated prevalence of unruptured cerebral aneurysms is 3.2%. Currently, many of these aneurysms are found incidentally on brain imaging, performed often for unrelated reasons, and getting an accurate count remains challenging.

    “We have already seen the tremendous benefit that machine learning can bring to patients suffering from acute stroke,” said Sheth, who is also director of the vascular neurology program at McGovern Medical School. “In this study, we see a similar possibility for substantially improving the way in which we identify, counsel, and help patients with brain aneurysms.”

    The team studied a prospectively maintained registry that included eight certified stroke centers. They identified patients who underwent computed tomography (CT) angiography for evaluation of possible stroke from March 14, 2021, to Nov. 31, 2021. A machine learning algorithm called Viz Aneurysm analyzed imaging to identify unruptured brain aneurysms at least 4 millimeters in size.

    Of the 1,191 CT angiograms performed during the study period, 50 were flagged by the machine learning algorithm as possibly demonstrating an unruptured cerebral aneurysm. Among those, 36 true aneurysms were identified from the 31 CT angiograms, with four cases of multiple aneurysms.

    Twenty-four of the 36 aneurysms (67%) were previously not referred for follow-up, with a median size of 4.4 millimeters. Among them, five aneurysms measured greater than 7 millimeters and had an average risk of rupture of 2.4% over five years. In other words, only 33% of unruptured cerebral aneurysms – many of which require attention and may warrant treatment – were originally referred for follow-up in routine clinical care.

    “Before Viz Aneurysm, the referral rate of unruptured cerebral aneurysms were significantly lower than we expected,” Kim said. “We believe that machine learning algorithm screening and alerting clinicians to studies that may harbor cerebral aneurysms could improve rates of detection and follow-ups.”

    Overall, the most common locations of aneurysms included the internal carotid artery (46%).

    The researchers said machine learning algorithms have the potential to improve the identification of unruptured cerebral aneurysms by flagging CT angiograms suspected of aneurysm, and coordinating the potential follow-up with referral and communication options for the entire care team in the same application.

    “We hope to continue and improve upon this work in order to benefit patients,” Ballekere said. “This will help improve quality of care for acute stroke patients when implemented.”

    Co-authors with McGovern Medical School included Iman Ali, third-year student; neurology residents Sergio Salazar Marioni, MD, and Arash Niktabe, MD; and neurology research coordinators Hussain Azeem and Ananya Iyyangar. Other UTHealth Houston co-authors included Rania Abdelkhaleq, MPH, third-year student at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, and Luca Giancardo, PhD, associate professor of health data science and artificial intelligence with McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston. Also co-authoring the study were Omri Segev, BMedSc; Orin Bibas; and Christopher J. Love, PhD, with Viz.ai; and Dan Paz, MD, with Galilee Medical Center in Israel. Viz.ai sponsored the study in part.

    University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

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  • Ochsner MD Anderson First in Louisiana to Use CAR T cell Therapy to Treat Cancer in Adults

    Ochsner MD Anderson First in Louisiana to Use CAR T cell Therapy to Treat Cancer in Adults

    Newswise — NEW ORLEANS, La. – Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center at The Gayle and Tom Benson Cancer Center in New Orleans is proud to be the first institution in Louisiana to use CAR T cell therapy in adults, the revolutionary treatment for certain types of blood cancers.

    A New Orleans adult patient received CAR T cell therapy in June, with a complete response and no evidence of cancer in late July, putting them in full remission. The patient is being treated under the guidance of Clark Alsfeld, MD, hematologist/oncologist and cellular therapy specialist at Ochsner MD Anderson.

    CAR T cell therapy, also known as Chimeric Antigen Receptor T cell therapy, is an innovative, personalized form of immunotherapy treatment that harnesses the patient’s immune system to target and destroy cancer cells.

    How does CAR T cell therapy work?

    The patient’s own T cells, a type of white blood cell, are extracted from their blood. These T cells are then genetically modified in a laboratory to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) on their surface.

    These CARs are designed to recognize specific proteins, known as antigens, that are present on the surface of cancer cells. Once the T cells are modified and expanded in number, they are infused back into the patient’s bloodstream. The engineered CAR T cells then seek out and bind to the cancer cells, leading to their destruction.

    CAR T cell therapy is particularly effective against certain types of blood cancers, such as acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), certain types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and multiple myeloma. Patient eligibility depends on the type of cancer and prior treatment—some must have already gone through multiple unsuccessful standard treatments. However, recent studies have even shown a benefit for CAR T cell therapy in certain patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma after one line of therapy. Given this success, clinical trials at Ochsner MD Anderson and MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston are evaluating CAR T cell therapy as first-line treatment in non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

    The success of CAR T cell therapy is very promising, with significant remission rates observed in patients who have not responded to standard cancer treatments, as evidenced by Ochsner

    MD Anderson’s first patient. CAR T cell therapy represents a momentous advancement in cancer treatment and has the potential to revolutionize the way certain types of cancers are managed. Ongoing research and development are focused on expanding its use to other cancer types, including solid tumors, and improving its safety and efficacy.

    “While a patient’s cancer journey can be challenging, CAR T cell therapy empowers the immune system to rise as a force against cancer cells—paving the way for advancements in ending cancer,” said Dr. Alsfeld. “At Ochsner MD Anderson, we are continuously striving to treat our patients with some of the latest and most effective treatment options to give them more good days with their families. We are thrilled that our first CAR T cell patient’s treatment was successful and look forward to helping more people.”

    Since Ochsner MD Anderson’s first CAR T cell patient’s therapy in June, its Bone Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy team has begun the CAR T cell treatment process on one additional patient and is currently evaluating three others, with more patients to receive the treatment this fall.

    For more than 80 years, Ochsner has been dedicated to cancer research and new cancer therapy development, bringing innovations to treatment with more clinical trials than anywhere else in Louisiana. It is accredited by the Commission on Cancer of the American College of Surgeons, the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the American College of Radiology, the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy (Bone Marrow Transplant) and the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers.

    In June 2023, Ochsner Health announced a partnership with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to create Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center in southeastern Louisiana, providing the region’s patients with access to cancer treatments among the most advanced in the nation. Through this collaboration, Ochsner is the first and only provider in Louisiana with a fully integrated cancer program based on MD Anderson’s standards and treatment plans.

    Cancer care at Ochsner is recognized by U.S. News & World Report, ranking as high performing in leukemia, lymphoma and myeloma treatment and colon, lung and prostate cancer surgeries. Ochsner’s ear, nose and throat specialty is also ranked by U.S. News & World Report as a top 50 program in the country, which includes head and neck surgical oncology. The Ochsner Cancer Institute treats more than 40,000 patients each year and has cared for patients from all 50 states and 28 countries. Each patient’s care team can include as many as 20 multidisciplinary cancer specialists working together to provide high-quality treatment. In 2022, more than 300,000 preventive cancer screenings were performed at Ochsner facilities across its system.

    To learn more about Ochsner MD Anderson Cancer Center and the treatment options available to patients, please visit ochsner.org/cancerservices.

     ###

    About Ochsner Health

    Ochsner Health is an integrated healthcare system with a mission to Serve, Heal, Lead, Educate and Innovate. Celebrating more than 80 years of service, it leads nationally in cancer care, cardiology, neurosciences, liver and kidney transplants and pediatrics, among other areas. Ochsner is consistently named both the top hospital and top children’s hospital in Louisiana by U.S. News & World Report. The not-for-profit organization is inspiring healthier lives and stronger communities through its Healthy State initiative, a bold and collaborative plan to realize a healthier Louisiana. Its focus is on preventing diseases and providing patient-centered care that is accessible, affordable, convenient and effective. Ochsner Health pioneers new treatments, deploys emerging technologies and performs groundbreaking research, including 4,000 patients enrolled in 685 clinical studies in 2022. It has more than 37,000 employees and over 4,700 employed and affiliated physicians in over 90 medical specialties and subspecialties. It operates 46 hospitals and more than 370 health and urgent care centers across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Gulf South; and its cutting-edge Connected Health digital medicine program is caring for patients beyond its walls. In 2022, Ochsner Health treated more than 1.4 million people from every state and 62 countries. As Louisiana’s top healthcare educator of physicians, Ochsner Health and its partners educate thousands of healthcare professionals annually. To learn more, visit https://www.ochsner.org/.

    Ochsner Health

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  • CDC recommends updated COVID shots for people 6 months of age and older

    CDC recommends updated COVID shots for people 6 months of age and older

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Tuesday recommended updated COVID-19 vaccines for people 6 months of age and older.

    Director Mandy Cohen late Tuesday backed the findings of CDC advisers, who voted 13-to-1 for approval earlier in the day. The updated vaccines from Moderna Inc.
    MRNA,
    -0.53%
    and Pfizer Inc.
    PFE,
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    -BioNTech
    BNTX,
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    should become available later this week.

    “We have more tools than ever to prevent the worst outcomes from COVID-19,” Cohen said in a statement. “CDC is now recommending updated COVID-19 vaccination for everyone 6 months and older to better protect you and your loved ones.”

    The move comes just one day after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the updated shots from Moderna and Pfizer. The FDA approved single-dose vaccines for people 12 and older and authorized emergency use of new shots for children as young as 6 months.

    The CDC recommendations Tuesday include some key changes from the recommendations that previously applied to the bivalent COVID vaccines. People age 65 and older were recommended to get a second bivalent dose, for example, but the CDC is not currently recommending two doses of the new shot for older adults. The CDC said it will monitor epidemiology and vaccine effectiveness to determine if additional doses are needed.

    The recommendations come as the vaccines are transitioning from federal procurement and distribution to the commercial market. The new shots are expected to have list prices of $110 to $130 per dose. But the Affordable Care Act requires insurers to cover most vaccines recommended by the CDC advisory committee at no cost to plan enrollees, and people with Medicare and Medicaid also have no-cost access to the vaccines. 

    The CDC meeting Tuesday addressed some concerns about the accessibility and cost of the vaccines for people without health-insurance coverage. The CDC’s new Bridge Access program will provide free shots to uninsured people within days at retail pharmacies as well as local health centers, the CDC said. The agency had previously said that the free shots might not arrive in retail pharmacies until mid-October. The federal government’s vaccines.gov website will be updated later this week to list Bridge Access program sites, the CDC said.

    Roughly 25 million to 30 million U.S. adults do not have health insurance. About 85% of people without coverage live within 5 miles of a Bridge Access program site, according to CDC data.

    Under the Bridge Access program, CVS Health Corp.
    CVS,
    +2.57%
    will administer doses in stores and Minute Clinics, the CDC said, and Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc.
    WBA,
    +1.35%
    will offer doses in stores and at off-site events that target areas of low access and uptake. Healthcare-services company eTrueNorth is also working with the program to reach lower-access areas without other coverage under the program, the CDC said.

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  • New Study Confirms HeartFlow FFRCT Leads to Improved Patient Outcomes

    New Study Confirms HeartFlow FFRCT Leads to Improved Patient Outcomes

    Newswise — CLEVELAND – A diagnostic test, first offered in the United States at University Hospitals (UH) Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute, has now shown through a clinical study to significantly decrease cardiovascular mortality, reduce additional non-invasive heart testing, and increase cath lab efficiency. These results show a promising, new approach that benefits not only patients’ health, but their pocketbooks.

    Developed by HeartFlow Inc., FFRCT (Fractional Flow Reserve – Computed Tomography) is the first and only non-invasive integrated heart care solution that creates a 3D model of the coronary arteries used to help physicians detect blockages, as well as identify their extent and impact on heart function. It aims to be a new standard of care for the diagnosis and management of coronary artery disease (CAD) – the number one killer worldwide. CAD affects an estimated 16.8 million American adults and is one of the most expensive medical conditions to the U.S. health care system.

    UH Harrington & Heart Vascular Institute’s Daniel Simon, MD, and Hiram Bezerra, MD, PhD were the first to use the FFRCT test in the U.S. on Jan. 16, 2015.

    “This is another example of UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute’s commitment to research and defining the future of medicine,” said Mehdi Shishehbor, DO, MPH, PhD, President of UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute, and Angela and James Hambrick Chair in Innovation. “Every day, our teams work to find new treatments and approaches to reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Eight years later, our early adoption of HeartFlow’s FFRCT technology has proven incredibly beneficial to our patients.”

    Now, promising results from a real world, multi-center, retrospective clinical study have been  released. The National Health Service England conducted the two-year FISH&CHIPS study and presented its findings at the 2023 European Society of Cardiology Congress meeting in Amsterdam.

    The study, involving more than 90,000 patients, was designed to assess at a national level the incremental impact of adding FFRCT to a CCTA-first (Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography) diagnostic pathway to evaluate and manage CAD.

    FISH&CHIPS key outcomes associated with availability of FFRCT include:

    • A significant 14% relative reduction in cardiovascular mortality and a significant 8% relative reduction in all-cause mortality.
    • An increase in cath lab efficiency, driven by a 5% relative reduction in invasive cardiac angiography (ICA) and an 8% relative increase in Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI).
    • A 14% relative reduction in additional non-invasive heart testing following CCTA.
    • High prognostic value for FFRCT whereby patients with severely abnormal FFRCT values (≤0.50) had a 2x risk of all-cause death and a 3x risk of non-fatal MI compared to patients with normal FFRCT values.

    After performing the first American FFRCT case in 2015, Dr. Simon, then president of UH Harrington Heart & Vascular Institute, said he believed FFRCT had the potential to completely change the way CAD was managed globally.

    “FFRCT is indeed a game changer,” said Dr. Simon, now President of Academic & External Affairs and Chief Scientific Officer, and Ernie and Patti Novak Distinguished Chair in Health Care Leadership at University Hospitals, as well as Professor of Medicine and Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. “This technology has changed our approach to the diagnosis of coronary artery disease. We have embraced FFRCT as the first line, preferred test because it saves lives, reduces unnecessary invasive procedures, and increases cardiac cath lab efficiency.”

    Non-invasive tests are widely used to diagnose CAD, but studies have shown a need to improve their accuracy. Most other diagnostic tests provide information regarding a patient’s overall risk of CAD, but they cannot help the clinician determine the extent to which a specific blockage is impeding blood flow to the heart. This missing piece leads to more testing and potentially more cost to the patient. HeartFlow’s FFRCT technology is designed to address this unmet need.

    “The nationwide CCTA-first approach for evaluating patients with possible cardiovascular disease has become the model of both clinical efficacy and efficiency, which is why clinical guidelines across the globe have adopted it,” said Campbell Rogers, Chief Medical Officer, HeartFlow. “FISH&CHIPS demonstrates that the decision to incorporate the HeartFlow FFRCT Analysis into patient care extended the lives of many patients and ensured efficient and effective use of noninvasive and invasive testing and treatment.”

    The recent Prospective Randomized Trial of the Optimal Evaluation of Cardiac Symptoms and Revascularization (PRECISE) trial, which compared a non-invasive precision pathway to traditional testing, proved the CCTA+FFRCT pathway to be a more effective approach in guiding and informing treatment. FISH&CHIPS confirms and extends these results at a population level, delivering marked improvements in the hard clinical endpoints of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, extending patients’ lives without adversely impacting other clinical events.

    ###

    About University Hospitals / Cleveland, Ohio Founded in 1866, University Hospitals serves the needs of patients through an integrated network of 21 hospitals (including five joint ventures), more than 50 health centers and outpatient facilities, and over 200 physician offices in 16 counties throughout northern Ohio. The system’s flagship quaternary care, academic medical center, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, is affiliated with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Oxford University, the Technion Israel Institute of Technology and National Taiwan University College of Medicine. The main campus also includes the UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital, ranked among the top children’s hospitals in the nation; UH MacDonald Women’s Hospital, Ohio’s only hospital for women; and UH Seidman Cancer Center, part of the NCI-designated Case Comprehensive Cancer Center. UH is home to some of the most prestigious clinical and research programs in the nation, with more than 3,000 active clinical trials and research studies underway. UH Cleveland Medical Center is perennially among the highest performers in national ranking surveys, including “America’s Best Hospitals” from U.S. News & World Report. UH is also home to 19 Clinical Care Delivery and Research Institutes. UH is one of the largest employers in Northeast Ohio with more than 30,000 employees. Follow UH on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. For more information, visit UHhospitals.org.

     

     

     

     

    University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center

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  • New Online Nutrition Program Marks a Pivotal Advancement for Type 2 Diabetes Management With Outstanding Clinical Outcomes

    New Online Nutrition Program Marks a Pivotal Advancement for Type 2 Diabetes Management With Outstanding Clinical Outcomes


    WATERTOWN, Conn., September 12, 2023 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Innovative digital health research published in NATURE Nutrition & Diabetes on Aug. 27, 2023, demonstrated the effectiveness of the T2Diet Program to change the health of people living with type 2 diabetes. Led by Dr. Jedha Dening, type 2 diabetes nutritionist and founder of Diabetes Meal Plans, the T2Diet Study has shown that people can achieve significant improvements in blood sugar control, and reductions in weight and diabetes medications, in just a short time. 

    “The findings of the T2Diet Study are incredibly important and exciting,” remarks Dr. Dening. “The study proves we can make a significant and positive impact on people’s lives by reaching them anywhere to provide effective, accessible and practical solutions.”

    Addressing a Critical Gap in Diabetes Management

    With type 2 diabetes impacting an estimated 34 million Americans and projected to affect 1.3 billion globally by 2050, innovative solutions are paramount. 

    “With the growing number of people living with type 2 diabetes, scientifically proven digital interventions are the best way to reach people with the education and support they urgently need,” said Dr. Dening. 

    Life-Changing Results of the T2Diet Study

    In the 16-week blinded randomized controlled trial, 98 participants were divided into two groups: one engaging with the online T2Diet Program plus standard care, and the other continuing standard care alone.

    T2Diet Program participants saw vastly improved blood sugar control with an average reduction of nearly 1% in hemoglobin A1c, an average weight loss of 9.6 pounds and considerably reduced diabetes medications. In contrast, the standard care group saw marginal health changes and increased medication.

    “Beyond the confines of the study, we’ve seen people all across America, Canada and Australia achieving great results with the program,” notes Dr. Dening. “One person recently lowered their A1c by 4% and shed 40 pounds in 16 weeks. Witnessing these life-changing results is truly inspiring.” 

    A Leap Forward for Diabetes Health

    “Research on the effectiveness of digital dietary interventions for people with type 2 diabetes is still extremely limited, so this is a big step forward,” said Dr. Dening. 

    The success of the T2Diet Program marks a pivotal advancement in the field of type 2 diabetes management. By harnessing the power of online nutrition education and support, people can access the tools and resources they need to achieve lasting health improvements.

    The T2Diet Program is available to people around the globe, and provided alongside standard care, the study results show the enormous potential to make a real difference in many people’s lives.

    For more information on the T2Diet Program, visit https://t2diet.com 

    Source: Diabetes Meal Plans

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  • Medical ethics committees: Nobody regulates membership or quality of decisions

    Medical ethics committees: Nobody regulates membership or quality of decisions

    BYLINE: Leslie C. Norins, MD, PhD

    Newswise — Medical ethics committee decisions lack quality review, says Dr. Leslie Norins, on OpEdist.com

    Medical ethics committees (MEC) make many life and death decisions affecting patients.  Yet it is unclear who, if anybody, validates the quality of their membership or their work, says Leslie Norins, MD, PhD, editor of the web forum OpEdist.com.

    He describes this current MEC situation as “the perfect trifecta of ‘uns’: unlicensed, unregulated, unaudited.”

    Forty years ago, Dr. Norins created and launched the first professional advisory newsletter for hospital MECs, Medical Ethics Advisor. (It was subsequently acquired by another company, which publishes it today.)

    Having a MEC is mandatory for hospitals, according to The Joint Commission, the leading certification body for healthcare facilities.

    However, there are no rules for qualifying to be a member of an MEC.  And, Dr. Norins says, apparently anybody can call himself a “medical ethicist” without penalty.  He labels this a “do it yourself” situation, and compares it to instantly obtaining an online certificate permitting one to perform marriages.

    Another gap in quality assurance for MEC decisions is the lack of any required reviews or audits by third parties, he says.

    The absence of detailed scrutiny of MECs by accrediting bodies has been noted recently by several leading medical ethicists.  In response, The Joint Commission issued a statement stressing its continuing interest in hospital ethics.  But Dr. Norins calls this a “benign edict, with no teeth to assure quality of an MEC’s membership or its decisions.”

    Dr. Norins says medical ethical challenges will increase with advances in biomedical technology and genetics, and the rise of artificial intelligence systems. 

    Thus, he says it is time for MECs membership and decisions to be subject to the proven procedures of quality assurance employed in other niches of medicine.

    OpEdist LLC

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  • Trouble in paradise: Shock guilty plea roils case of yoga gurus charged with stealing millions from bipolar Malibu doctor

    Trouble in paradise: Shock guilty plea roils case of yoga gurus charged with stealing millions from bipolar Malibu doctor

    Their shared hippie spirit brought them together over a vegan potluck dinner, but the prospect of  years in federal prison for allegedly stealing millions from a mentally-ill Malibu doctor, has driven a wedge between them. 

    A federal fraud prosecution against a pair of yoga gurus accused of siphoning cash from Dr. Mark Sawusch’s $60 million fortune took a significant turn at the end of August when one pleaded guilty and agreed to testify against the other, her ex-boyfriend, according to court documents and people familiar with the matter.

    Anna Moore’s guilty plea before a federal judge in Los Angeles on Aug. 28 represents a serious legal challenge to her longtime partner, Anthony Flores, who faces decades behind bars if convicted in the case. Flores pleaded not guilty after his arrest in January. 

    Details of Moore’s agreement with federal prosecutors remain under seal, but people familiar with the matter say her ultimate sentence in the case will largely be determined after her level of cooperation is evaluated. A sentencing hearing for Moore was set for Nov. 6. 

    “We are aware of Ms. Moore’s decision to plead guilty. Obviously this changes Mr. Flores’ legal situation in the case, and we are currently reviewing our options,” Flores’ attorney Ambrosio Rodriguez said.         

    Messages left with Moore’s attorney weren’t immediately returned. A spokesman for the U.S attorney’s office for the central district of California declined to comment.

    The tragic end to Sawusch’s life began on June 23, 2017, when the brilliant, but troubled, ophthalmologist met Flores and Moore in a chance encounter at a vegan ice cream parlor in Venice Beach, Calif.

    Flores, who went by Anton David, was a guru-esque figure with long, flowing hair and a beard. He worked as a hair stylist on film shoots. Moore, a pixie-like blond, was an actress and singer. The couple had met years earlier at a vegan potluck dinner and had fallen in love over what they described as a shared hippie spirit. Together, they ran a yoga center in Fresno, Calif., while going back-and-forth to L.A.  

    Their spiritual vibe cast a spell on Sawusch, who had just days earlier been released from a mental health facility, where he had been committed after suffering a breakdown, court filings said. Within a week, Flores and Moore had moved into Sawusch’s multi-million dollar beachfront home in Malibu, Calif., federal prosecutors said. 

    Over the next year, the pair gained increasingly firm control over the doctor’s life and finances, with Flores establishing power of attorney over Sawusch’s vast fortune while plying him with a steady diet of marijuana and LSD as he also underwent experimental ketamine treatments for his bipolar disorder that left him addled, investigators said. 

    Sawusch later died in May 2018 of a lethal mixture of ketamine and alcohol, according to a coroner’s report. The Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office ruled the death an accident.

    In her guilty plea, Moore said she was not immediately aware of the scope of Flores’ alleged efforts to steal the doctor’s money, but admitted that following Sawusch’s death she participated in a later effort in probate court to keep the stolen money. Prosecutors have alleged that this was a separate fraud.

    When Sawusch’s family sought to take control of his estate, they discovered that almost $3 million had been transferred from his accounts to ones controlled by Flores in the days before and after the doctor’s death, federal prosecutors said.   

    Sawusch’s family launched a civil lawsuit against the yogi couple and convinced a California state judge to issue a restraining order freezing Flores’ and Moores’ accounts, and order they return the money. Instead, federal prosecutors say, the two engaged in a second fraud by making false claims in probate court that Sawusch had verbally told them he would give them a third of his fortune plus his Malibu beach house.

    The couple claimed that the doctor had given them the money in return for them taking care of him and as part of an effort to protect his fortune from his family, from whom he was estranged. The family said those claims were untrue and that the pair had kept Sawusch isolated from his friends and family.  

    Eventually, the couple returned around $2 million of the doctor’s money, but around $1 million remained unaccounted for, according to federal prosecutors.  

    Flores and Moore broke up during the pandemic after nearly a decade together. Moore moved to Mexico while Flores remained in Fresno, where he was arrested in late January. Moore was arrested at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston upon her return to the U.S. around the same time. Both have been held without bail since.  

    Read the series:

    Part 1: Death and deceit in Malibu: How yogi couple befriended and stole millions from vulnerable rich doctor

    Part 2: Rich Malibu doctor’s final days defined by fight between family and suspect yogis over declining mental health

    Part 3: A star-crossed trade: Yogis offered friendship to a rich Malibu doctor in exchange for a third of his $60 million fortune

    Part 4: Money, mania and LSD: A Malibu doctor’s tragic final weeks under yoga gurus’ sway

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  • AI more accurately identifies patients with advanced lung cancer that respond to immunotherapy and helps doctors select treatments

    AI more accurately identifies patients with advanced lung cancer that respond to immunotherapy and helps doctors select treatments

    Newswise — Treatment planning for lung cancer can often be complex due to variations in assessing immune biomarkers. In a new study, Yale Cancer Center researchers at Yale School of Medicine used artificial intelligence (AI) tools and digital pathology to improve the accuracy of this process.

    Researchers compared AI-powered digital scoring with traditional manual scoring of the PD-L1 immune biomarker to determine if a new immunotherapy treatment, atezolizumab, could benefit patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. PD–L1 expression is considered the best biomarker to predict responsiveness to immune-checkpoint inhibitors.

    Roy S. Herbst, lead study author and deputy director of Yale Cancer Center, will present the new findings at the World Conference on Lung Cancer in Singapore on Sept. 11.

    “Our study suggests that artificial intelligence has the ability to improve the identification of PD-L1 positive patients by providing a predictive accuracy that was better than manual scoring,” said Herbst, who is also the assistant dean of translational research at Yale School of Medicine. “The research underscores the potential of digital pathology and AI tools in enhancing PD-L1 scoring accuracy for both clinical practice and clinical trials.”

    To conduct this study, researchers used data from the phase III trial IMpower 110, which tested the effectiveness of atezolizumab compared to chemotherapy as a first-line treatment for advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Using both manual and AI-powered tumor cell scoring, researchers found that the AI model was able to identify more patients as PD-L1 positive compared to the conventional manual scoring.

    The study also demonstrated that both manual and digital scoring methods were equally adept at predicting patient outcomes, including overall survival and progression-free survival. The AI model also helped conclude that among patients with squamous histology (a specific subtype of NSCLC), the presence of PD-L1+ lymphocytes correlated with improved progression-free survival when treatment included atezolizumab.

    “The insights gained with AI and digital scoring could make diagnosing and choosing the right treatment easier,” said Herbst. “Our data shows that this AI technology can help refine strategies for treating advanced non-small cell lung cancer.”

    Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer Hospital

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  • Medical Care publishes article collection on integrating evidence-based programs into clinical practice

    Medical Care publishes article collection on integrating evidence-based programs into clinical practice

    Newswise — September 8, 2023 — As part of its partnership with the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), Medical Care has published its first PCORI-sponsored article collection, which provides specific information about the costs that healthcare systems can expect to incur in promoting the uptake of specific evidence-based programs. Medical Care, https://journals.lww.com/lww-medicalcare/pages/default.aspxthe official journal of the Medical Care Section of the American Public Health Association, is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer. 

    In the September issue, five project teams that received Implementation Award funding from PCORI describe their approaches and methods for determining the costs of implementing programs into routine clinical practice, and they report their cost findings. 

    “Having cost information available during the decision-making process—before implementation occurs—has been found to be particularly important so that leaders can consider financial implications and weigh trade-offs before investing in implementing an evidence-based practice change,” Valerie Lehman, MHA, program officer for dissemination and implementation at PCORI, and colleagues note in an introductory editorial. “Yet information about the cost of implementation is not often available.” 

    Accounting for context-specific considerations when assessing costs of implementation is crucial 

    One paper in the collections reports on a team that assessed the costs of implementing Connect to Health, an evidence-based pediatric weight management program, into three healthcare systems that care for pediatric populations with a disproportionately high prevalence of obesity: Denver Health; Prisma Health in Greenville, South Carolina; and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. 

    Natalie Smith, PhD and Douglas E. Levy, PhD, investigators at the Mongan Institute Health Policy Research Center at Mass General, together with colleagues, used time-driven activity-based costing methods. Specifically, each of the three sites developed a process map and a detailed report of all implementation actions taken, aligned with major implementation requirements (e.g., electronic health record integration) or strategies (e.g., providing clinician training). For each action, sites identified the personnel involved and estimated the time they spent, and the research team then estimated the total costs of implementation and broke down the costs for major categories of implementation activities. 

    Process maps showed the program integrated easily into well-child visits. Overall implementation costs ranged from $77,103 to $142,721, with setting up the technological aspects of the program being a major driver of costs. Other drivers included training, engaging stakeholders, and audit and feedback activities, but there was variability across healthcare systems based on how they chose to implement the program and expend resources. 

    Site-specific data can be useful to other healthcare centers 

    “Beyond just the technological aspects of the program, our findings provide valuable information for future adoption and implementation decisions as they clearly delineate what kinds of costs sites should expect, the personnel involved in various implementation actions, and how costs were distributed across pre-implementation and implementation,” Dr. Smith and her co-authors say. “Disaggregating costs across different categories allows future sites to better plan for what to expect in implementation, even if the exact dollar amounts will likely be different than what was observed in the three research sites.” 

    Ms. Lehman and the other editorialists add that all five papers “provide more information to healthcare decision-makers on the actual observed costs associated with implementing evidence-based practices. Each team was able to capture the specific types of personnel, as well as the detailed tasks and activities, involved in implementation, essentially laying out clear pathways for future sites considering whether and how to put these evidence-based practices into place.” 

    Read Article [Costs to Implement a Pediatric Weight Management Program Across 3 Distinct Contexts]

    Wolters Kluwer provides trusted clinical technology and evidence-based solutions that engage clinicians, patients, researchers and students in effective decision-making and outcomes across healthcare. We support clinical effectiveness, learning and research, clinical surveillance and compliance, as well as data solutions. For more information about our solutions, visit https://www.wolterskluwer.com/en/health and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @WKHealth. 

    ### 

    About Medical Care 

    Rated as one of the top ten journals in healthcare administration, Medical Care is devoted to all aspects of the administration and delivery of healthcare. This scholarly journal publishes original, peer-reviewed papers documenting the most current developments related to the research, planning, organization, financing, provision, and evaluation of health services. 

    About The American Public Health Association 

    The American Public Health Association is the only organization that combines a 150-year perspective, a broad-based member community, and the ability to influence policy to improve the public’s health. The Member Care section advocates for strengthening the social, economic, and environmental conditions that preserve and enhance health as well as a medical care system that assures high-quality care, accessible preventive medicine, and cultural sensitivity for all. 

    About Wolters Kluwer  

    Wolters Kluwer (EURONEXT: WKL) is a global leader in professional information, software solutions, and services for the healthcare, tax and accounting, financial and corporate compliance, legal and regulatory, and corporate performance and ESG sectors. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with specialized technology and services. Wolters Kluwer reported 2022 annual revenues of €5.5 billion. The group serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 20,900 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. 

    Wolters Kluwer Health: Lippincott

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  • Walgreens Is Looking for a New CEO. Why That Could Make the Stock a Winner.

    Walgreens Is Looking for a New CEO. Why That Could Make the Stock a Winner.

    Usually, the announcement of a CEO change at a struggling company brings optimism and maybe even a stock pop. Not for


    Walgreens Boots Alliance


    Its shares have tumbled since Rosalind Brewer announced on Sept. 1 that she was stepping down. That could present a buying opportunity if the company makes the “right” choice…

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  • MD Anderson and Panacea launch Manaolana Oncology to develop antibody-based therapies for cancer

    MD Anderson and Panacea launch Manaolana Oncology to develop antibody-based therapies for cancer

    Newswise — HOUSTON and SAN MATEO, Calif. ― The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and Panacea Venture today announced the launch of Manaolana Oncology Inc., a new company created to develop and advance antibody-based therapies against novel cancer antigens.

    Manaolana Oncology seeks to build upon the innovative antibody production capabilities and intellectual property of MD Anderson to research and develop novel monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and other antibody-based therapies for a variety of cancer types, with the goal of advancing promising therapies into clinical studies at MD Anderson.

    The company will be headquartered in Thousand Oaks, Calif., and will be led by an executive team with more than 100 years of combined experience in product development and strategic partnering. Panacea will fund start-up expenses for Manaolana Oncology and will support the recruitment of additional experienced executives to shape the company.

    “By developing therapies targeting new tumor antigens, Manaolana Oncology aims to address a critical need for patients with cancer. Manaolana is the Hawaiian word for hope, and it is our intent to offer patients renewed hope against this disease,” said Winson Tang, M.D., co-founder of Manaolana Oncology. “Manaolana Oncology brings together MD Anderson’s expert scientists and clinicians with Panacea’s experienced biotechnology team to create a focused organization working to develop a novel portfolio of monoclonal antibodies.”

    Monoclonal antibody therapies have emerged as important treatment options for many types of cancer. They are designed to recognize and bind to specific targets, or antigens, on cancer cells in order to manipulate certain signaling pathways or recruit immune cells to the tumor.

    The laboratory of Samir Hanash, M.D., Ph.D., professor of Clinical Cancer Prevention at MD Anderson, has conducted an extensive characterization of the cancer surfaceome, resulting in a comprehensive catalogue of proteins found specifically on the surface of cancer cells across tumor types.

    “By combing through petabytes of proteomic data, our team has uncovered many cancer-restricted antigens that may offer prime targets for monoclonal antibody therapies,” Hanash said. “We look forward to collaborating with Manaolana Oncology to develop novel antibody-based therapeutics that offer patients impactful new treatment options.”

    Kevin McBride, Ph.D., associate professor of Epigenetics and Molecular Carcinogenesis at MD Anderson, has pioneered a high-throughput platform to clone and produce mAbs from isolated B cells, enabling  the development of highly specific antibodies against a particular cell surface target to create novel therapeutic mAbs.

    “This is an important evolution because current approaches to creating high-quality monoclonal antibodies require lengthy and intensive production protocols, which can be costly and are not always successful,” McBride said. “We look forward to working with Manaolana Oncology to build on these techniques and rapidly bring forward innovative therapies for clinical evaluation.”

    Manaolana Oncology intends to optimize the techniques developed at MD Anderson in order to improve the speed and efficiency in of producing antibodies against promising candidate antigens.

    Read this press release in the MD Anderson Newsroom.

    – 30 –

    Disclosure

    MD Anderson has an institutional conflict of interest (COI) with Panacea and Manaolana Oncology due to MD Anderson’s ownership interest in Manaolana and the future research to be conducted at MD Anderson. These relationships will be managed according to an MD Anderson Institutional COI Management and Monitoring Plan.

    About Panacea Venture

    Panacea Venture is a life sciences venture capital firm with global vision and presence across three continents. The firm was founded in 2017 and is currently managing four funds investing in early-stage companies through public investments. Panacea incubates early-stage companies with breakthrough technologies and discoveries that can potentially address unmet medical needs to enhance quality of life on a global scale. The investment team has more than 100 years of combined investing experience and, along with venture partners and advisors, provides broad coverage across emerging and established biotech, diagnostic and medtech sectors. In addition, Panacea’s highly experienced team has a strong track record navigating portfolio companies to success. 

    About MD Anderson

    The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston ranks as one of the world’s most respected centers focused on cancer patient care, research, education and prevention. The institution’s sole mission is to end cancer for patients and their families around the world, and, in 1971, it became one of the nation’s first National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated comprehensive cancer centers. MD Anderson is No. 1 for cancer in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals” rankings and has been named one of the nation’s top two hospitals for cancer since the rankings began in 1990. MD Anderson receives a cancer center support grant from the NCI of the National Institutes of Health (P30 CA016672).

     

    University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

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  • Study: health equity an important aspect of improving quality of care provided to children in emergency departments

    Study: health equity an important aspect of improving quality of care provided to children in emergency departments

    Newswise — INDIANAPOLIS—A new multi-site study led by Indiana University School of Medicine found increasing pediatric readiness in emergency departments reduces, but does not eliminate, racial and ethnic disparities in children and adolescents with acute medical emergencies.

    The study also involved researchers from Oregon Health and Science University and UC Davis Health. They recently published their findings in JAMA Network Open.

    “Ours is a national study group focused on pediatric emergency department readiness,” said Peter Jenkins, MD, associate professor surgery at IU School of Medicine and first author of the study. “We have been very productive in demonstrating that the more prepared an ED is to take care of kids, the better their chances of survival, and that includes children with traumatic injuries and medical emergencies.”

    “Readiness” can include a variety of factors for an ED, including staffing, materials, training and protocols. Jenkins said the more prepared the hospital, and the more protocols in place, then the more likely a child is to survive a traumatic injury or acute medical emergency. But until now, it was unclear whether children of all races and ethnicities benefit the same from increased levels of readiness.

    “We believe that treatment protocols help to overcome biases and racism because if a child meets criteria, then we do one thing or another,” Jenkins said. “We saw that for kids with traumatic injuries, whose care is largely determined by such protocols, there weren’t significant differences in survival based on race and ethnicity. But for children with medical emergencies, where treatment protocols are often lacking, we found significant disparities in mortality between Black and White kids. Importantly, the higher the level of readiness of the ED, the lower the level of disparity between racial and ethnic groups.”

    Researchers looked at 633,536 pediatric patients at hospitals in 11 states from 2012-2017, making this one of the largest studies of racial and ethnic disparities among children to date.

    “A lot of times when we talk about health equity, people are concerned that improving the condition of one group may result in another group losing out,” Jenkins said. “This study shows the opposite to be true. All groups benefit from improved readiness, and we also have this extra layer of social justice woven into the narrative of improved health care quality. These findings only strengthens the case to provide resources to hospitals so they’re prepared to take care of all sick kids.”

    In the future, the group plans to look at updated surveys of hospitals to determine if there have been changes in pediatric readiness over time. Jenkins said they also plan to promote the importance of health equity into the national platform for pediatric readiness.

    Other lead collaborators include Nathan Kuppermann, MD, MPH from UC Davis and Craig Newgard, MD, MPH from OHSU. Read the full publication in JAMA Network Open.

    About Indiana University School of Medicine

    IU School of Medicine is the largest medical school in the U.S. and is annually ranked among the top medical schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The school offers high-quality medical education, access to leading medical research and rich campus life in nine Indiana cities, including rural and urban locations consistently recognized for livability.

    Indiana University

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  • Nestle Sells Peanut-Allergy Treatment Business to Stallergenes Greer

    Nestle Sells Peanut-Allergy Treatment Business to Stallergenes Greer

    By Adria Calatayud

    Nestle said it has sold its Palforzia peanut-allergy treatment business to biopharmaceutical company Stallergenes Greer.
    

    The Swiss consumer-goods company said Monday that it will receive milestone payments and royalties from Stallergenes Greer. The deal was closed upon signing, Nestle said.
    

    

    The sale allows Nestle’s health-science operations to focus on its core strengths and key growth drivers, the unit’s Chief Executive Greg Behar said.
    

    Nestle last year said that it would conduct a strategic review of Palforzia after a slower-than-expected adoption by patients and healthcare professionals.
    

    Write to Adria Calatayud at adria.calatayud@dowjones.com
    

    

    


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    J&J Dividend Decision Shows Power of Free Cash Flow
    
			
    J&J Dividend Decision Shows Power of Free Cash Flow
    
			
    

    

    

    This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. To order presentation-ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers visit http://www.djreprints.com.
    

    https://www.barrons.com/articles/johnson-and-johnson-stock-dividend-aristocrats-aa46e2db
    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

      

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    Weight loss surgery outcomes linked to inflammation, study finds
    
			
    Weight loss surgery outcomes linked to inflammation, study finds
    
			
    

    

    Newswise — Research funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has shown that higher levels of inflammation in the blood of patients with obesity undergoing bariatric surgery predicts poorer weight loss six months after the procedure.
    

    Published in Psychological Medicine and led by researchers from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London, this is the first study to investigate the links between depression and inflammation in patients with obesity before and after bariatric surgery. The analysis showed a strong relationship between depression and inflammation in obese patients before and after surgery and it indicated that it was increased inflammation, rather than depression that was driving poor weight loss after bariatric surgery. 
    

    Lead author and Clinical Professor of Psychoneuroimmunology at IoPPN, King’s College London, Valeria Mondelli, said: “Our study has important clinical implications as it identifies specific targets for future personalised interventions which could improve physical and mental health outcomes after bariatric surgery. For example, our data showing that increased inflammation predicts lower weight-loss after bariatric surgery suggests that personalised treatments involving approaches that lower inflammation could enable better outcomes after surgery.”
    

    Obesity costs the NHS around £6 billion a year, and this figure is predicted to rise to £9.6 billion per year by 2050. Bariatric surgery physically alters the stomach and/or the bowel to reduce the amount of food people can eat and to reduce the absorption of nutrients: obese patients can lose up to 70 per cent of excess weight after surgery but there is variation in the outcomes. To help patients with obesity and ensure costly treatments are as effective as possible (private bariatric surgery can cost £4,000 to £10,000), it is important to understand the factors that can influence surgery.
    

    Depression and obesity are known to often occur together, and previous research suggests the release of inflammatory proteins as part of the immune response may be a shared disease mechanism that is driving both conditions. To improve the understanding of this relationship and its potential role in obesity and bariatric surgery outcomes, the study investigated the differences in proteins released in the body during inflammation between obese patients with and without depression undergoing surgery.
    

    The 85 participants in the study, enrolled from King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in south London, were all obese (BMI >35) and part of the ongoing Bariatric Surgery & Depression study.. Levels of proteins released during inflammation, such as C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and cytokines, such as interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-4 (IL-4), were measured before and after surgery in participants’ blood and tissue.
    

    Before surgery, 41 participants had symptoms of depression that reached the threshold of a clinical diagnosis, while in the remaining 44 participants, the symptoms of depression were below this threshold. The study showed that those with depression had higher levels of the inflammatory proteins CRP and IL-6 in the blood and lower levels of the anti-inflammatory protein IL-4. They also had higher levels of one inflammatory protein in their adipose tissue.
    

    Six months after surgery, the bariatric patients who had depression before surgery continued to have higher levels of IL-6 and CRP in the blood, despite no difference in weight loss between those with and without depression.
    

    Overall bariatric surgery led to weight loss in all patients in line with what is expected , and the majority of patients who previously had depression before surgery also experienced a reduction in their symptoms so that they were no longer considered clinically depressed. Out of 44 patients who had depression before surgery, 29 completed the six-month follow-up and only about one-third (34.5 per cent;10 patients) of those still had clinical depression after surgery. 
    

    Researchers analysed whether measures of inflammation and depression before surgery might be able to predict weight loss and depression after surgery. This showed that higher levels of CRP predicted reduced weight loss at six-month follow-up. However, levels of CRP in the blood before surgery did not predict levels of depression afterwards; instead, this was predicted by depression before surgery and experience of childhood trauma.
    

    First author Dr Anna McLaughlin, Postdoctoral Research Associate at IoPPN, King’s College London, said “Our study is the first to show that inflammation levels in the blood, rather than depression, play a significant role in weight loss outcomes after bariatric surgery. Additionally, our research aligns with previous findings, emphasising that patients with childhood trauma may benefit from more psychological support after surgery. As we move forward, combining inflammation data with clinical insights will be crucial to pinpointing risk factors and improving outcomes for bariatric patients.”
    

     
    

    ‘Peripheral inflammation associated with depression and reduced weight loss: a longitudinal study of bariatric patients’ by McLaughlin, A. P et al was published in Psychological Medicine. Doi: 10.1017/S0033291723002283
    

    After the embargo lifts the paper will be available online: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291723002283
    

     
    

    For more information and to receive an embargoed copy of the paper please contact: 
    

      

    • Franca Davenport, Communications and Engagement Manager (part-time), NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre, [email protected]  Tel: ++ 44 (0) 7976 918968
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    • Alex Booth, Communications and Engagement Manager (part-time), NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre, [email protected]
      • 

    

     
    

    Notes to editors
    

    The paper is under strict embargo until Friday 1 September 2023 00:01 UK time
    

    The labels have been added to this press release as part of a project run by the Academy of Medical Sciences seeking to improve the communication of evidence. For more information, please see: http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/AMS-press-release-labelling-system-GUIDANCE.pdf
    

     
    

    The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)
    

    The mission of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is to improve the health and wealth of the nation through research. We do this by:
    

      

    • Funding high quality, timely research that benefits the NHS, public health and social care;
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    • Investing in world-class expertise, facilities and a skilled delivery workforce to translate discoveries into improved treatments and services;
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    • Partnering with patients, service users, carers and communities, improving the relevance, quality and impact of our research;
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    • Attracting, training and supporting the best researchers to tackle complex health and social care challenges;
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    • Collaborating with other public funders, charities and industry to help shape a cohesive and globally competitive research system;
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    • Funding applied global health research and training to meet the needs of the poorest people in low and middle income countries.
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    NIHR is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care. Its work in low and middle income countries is principally funded through UK Aid from the UK government.
    

    

    


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    Analysis Reveals Factors Associated With Patients With Sepsis Who Require Mechanical Ventilation
    
			
    Analysis Reveals Factors Associated With Patients With Sepsis Who Require Mechanical Ventilation
    
			
    

    

    Newswise — An analysis of 10 years of health data showed that risk factors for needing mechanical ventilation changed for patients with newly diagnosed sepsis as more time passed after onset. 
    

    In the study, 13.5% of patients with a new diagnosis of sepsis required initiation of mechanical ventilation. More than half of these patients required mechanical ventilation within the first 24 hours after sepsis onset, while initiation of mechanical ventilation occurred after 24 hours in 47.4% of patients.
    

    “Factors Associated With Initiation of Mechanical Ventilation in Patients With Sepsis: Retrospective Observational Study” examined 10 years of data from the University of Michigan Medical Center electronic health data warehouse. The analysis included adult patients with sepsis who were not receiving mechanical ventilation at sepsis onset. The study is published in American Journal of Critical Care (AJCC).
    

    Co-author Robert Freundlich, MD, MS, MSCI, is an associate professor, department of anesthesiology, and chief of the anesthesiology informatics research division at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee. The research was conducted during his research fellowship in critical care at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
    

    “Requiring mechanical ventilation is often a pivotal point for patients with sepsis, and their risk of respiratory failure may vary with time,” he said. “Identifying patients at high risk and implementing targeted interventions in a timely manner has the potential to significantly improve outcomes.”
    

    A total of 35,020 patients met sepsis criteria, and 28,747 patients were eligible for inclusion after exclusion criteria were applied. The dataset spanned July 10, 2009, to Sept. 7, 2019.
    

    Of all eligible patients, 3,891 (13.5%) required mechanical ventilation within 30 days after sepsis onset. Of these, 2,046 (52.6%) required mechanical ventilation within 24 hours of diagnosis. Mechanical ventilation was subsequently initiated for 441 (11.3%) patients from one to two days after sepsis onset, and for 312 (8.0%) patients from two to three days following diagnosis. The remaining 1,092 (28.1%) experienced late respiratory failure or required mechanical ventilation three to 30 days after diagnosis.
    

    Patients requiring mechanical ventilation had higher baseline illness severity and a higher prevalence of 27 of the 35 comorbidities on the Elixhauser Comorbidity Index, which measures overall severity of comorbidities.
    

    They also had a higher in-hospital mortality rate (21%) than patients who did not require mechanical ventilation (7%). Further analysis revealed that of the patients who received mechanical ventilation before but not after sepsis onset, only 35 (4% of 822) died prior to hospital discharge.
    

    Factors that were independently associated with an increased likelihood that mechanical ventilation would be needed included race, systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) score, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score and congestive heart failure. Risks decreased with time for the SOFA score and congestive heart failure and varied with time for four comorbidities and three culture results.
    

    The researchers recommend future proactive studies focus on the effects of fluid resuscitation and other processes of care on the need for mechanical ventilation in this patient population. The use of noninvasive ventilation and high-flow nasal cannula may also impact the need for intubation and mechanical ventilation and should be evaluated.
    

    To access the article and full-text PDF, visit the AJCC website at www.ajcconline.org.
    

    About the American Journal of Critical Care: The American Journal of Critical Care (AJCC), a bimonthly scientific journal published by the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, provides leading-edge clinical research that focuses on evidence-based-practice applications. Established in 1992, the award-winning journal includes clinical and research studies, case reports, editorials and commentaries. AJCC enjoys a circulation of about 130,000 acute and critical care nurses and can be accessed at www.ajcconline.org.
    

    About the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses: For more than 50 years, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN) has been dedicated to acute and critical care nursing excellence. The organization’s vision is to create a healthcare system driven by the needs of patients and their families in which acute and critical care nurses make their optimal contribution. AACN is the world’s largest specialty nursing organization, with about 130,000 members and nearly 200 chapters in the United States.
    

    American Association of Critical-Care Nurses, 27071 Aliso Creek Road, Aliso Viejo, CA 92656; 949-362-2000; www.aacn.org; facebook.com/aacnface; twitter.com/aacnme
    

    

    


     American Association of Critical-Care Nurses (AACN)
    

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    Higher Prostate Cancer Rates Topic of Expert Panel
    
			
    Higher Prostate Cancer Rates Topic of Expert Panel
    
			
    

    

    September is prostate cancer awareness month, so the American College of Surgeons is teaming up with their urologist colleagues to promote better prevention for men at risk for this growing category of cases. A recent report from the American Cancer Society detailed the alarming increase in rates of late-diagnosed cases. With that in mind, this panel will address proper screening and prevention and discuss the higher risks for minority groups, reluctance to discuss the issue, and advice for both patients and practitioners. 
    

     
    

    What: Expert panel from the American College of Surgeons will address proper screening and prevention of prostate cancer
    

    When: September 11, 2023, at 12 PM EDT
    

    Who: Panelists to be announced
    

    Where: Newswise Live Events Zoom Room (link will be given once you register)
    

    Details:
    

    A recent report from the American Cancer Society detailed the alarming increase in rates of late-diagnosed cases of prostate cancer. With Prostate Cancer Awareness month in September, this panel will address proper screening and prevention and discuss the higher risks for minority groups, reluctance to discuss the issue, and advice for both patients and practitioners.
    

    Media register to attend and/or receive transcript and video
    

    

    


     Newswise
    

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