Second PCSK9 Inhibitor Wins FDA Approval | Medpage Today

The FDA announced a unique naming pattern for biologics and the Health Resources and Services Administration issued guidance on a controversial drug-discount program.

Also this week, the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said it would extend a program aimed at improving health outcomes and eliminating inappropriate hospitalizations for nursing facility residents.

As expected, the FDA granted marketing approval on Thursday to evolocumab (Repatha), the second in a new class of lipid-lowering drugs — PCSK9 inhibitors — to become available in the U.S.

As with alirocumab (Praluent), which was approved in July, evolocumab was approved for use in patients who fail to achieve LDL cholesterol lowering through diet and maximally-tolerated statin therapy in adults who require additional LDL cholesterol lowering, including patients with heterozygous or homozygous familial hypercholesterolemia.

The FDA announced a unique naming pattern for biologics and the Health Resources and Services Administration issued guidance on a controversial drug-discount program.

WASHINGTON — This week in the District, Amgen won approval for a new lipid-lowering drug, the PCSK9 inhibitor evolocumab (Repatha). Alirocumab (Praluent), its competitor, was approved last month.

 

 PodMed: A Medical News Roundup From Johns Hopkins | Medpage Today

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This week’s topics include screening for COPD, a new drug for hyposexuality in women, a combination medicine for CHF, and light to moderate alcohol consumption and cancer.

 

Gains in life spans seen around the globe

The analysis of data from 188 countries found that life expectancy for both sexes increased from just over 65 years in 1990 to 71.5 years in 2013, while healthy life expectancy rose from almost 57 years to slightly more than 62 years.

 The findings regarding healthy life expectancy versus total life expectancy mean that people are living more years with illness and disability, according to the authors of the study published Aug. 27 in The Lancet.

“The world has made great progress in health, but now the challenge is to invest in finding more effective ways of preventing or treating the major causes of illness and disability,” study author Theo Vos, a professor at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle, said in a journal news release.

Other countries with the lowest life expectancies were Afghanistan, Chad, Central African Republic, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, South Sudan, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The analysis of data from 188 countries found that life expectancy for both sexes increased from just over 65 years in 1990 to 71.5 years in 2013, while healthy life expectancy rose from almost 57 years to slightly more than 62 years.

(HealthDay News) — Average life expectancy among people worldwide has risen by more than six years since 1990, and healthy life expectancy has climbed by more than five years, a new report shows.

Curated from Gains in life spans seen around the globe – KiiiTV.com South Texas, Corpus Christi, Coastal Bend