FDA approves evolocumab for strokes, heart attacks

On Dec. 1, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the PCSK9 inhibitor evolocumab (Repatha) to prevent heart attacks and strokes. It is the first PCSK9 approved for these conditions in adults with cardiovascular disease, notes Amgen in a release. Many patients, who had already been receiving the best therapies available, remained at high risk […]

Adults with hypertension can lower their blood pressure by consuming less sodium and sticking to the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet. That’s according to preliminary data presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2017 in Anaheim. Researchers, led by Stephen Juraschek, of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, studied 412 adults of varying […]

More than half of patients are denied approval for proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors (PCSK9i), according to research published in the journal Circulation. And that’s true even though many appear to meet labeled indicators, the data shows. “Although a combination of clinical characteristics increases the likelihood of approval, payer type is the most significant […]

The causes of migraines are little understood, although genetics and environmental factors play a role, according to the Mayo Clinic. “Migraines are often undiagnosed and untreated. If you regularly experience signs and symptoms of migraine attacks, keep a record of your attacks and how you treated them. Then make an appointment with your doctor to […]

What if life is your migraine trigger? Managing triggers is important. It is also important to understand that sometimes we can’t.

Kenneth Frazier, Merck’s CEO, is not a newcomer to social justice. That is probably why he was ready to speak out first after Charlottesville and resign from the President’s American Manufacturing Council while Jeff Immelt, the CEO of General Electric and others stayed quiet, perhaps afraid of the consequences of a POTUS Twitter storm. (Immelt […]

The term “medical food” can be confusing. It is not “food” in the traditional sense. Rather, medical foods are prescription medicines created from food-based, natural molecules. They deliver highly purified, pharmaceutical-grade ingredients to the body to help restore its own balance and normal metabolic processes. Medical foods must have proven effectiveness and contain only ingredients […]

Postmenopausal women with osteoporosis who took romosozumab for a year experienced “rapid and large reductions” in risk of fracturing vertebrae.

GHLF recently worked with the University of Michigan’s Center for Value Based Insurance Design (V-BID) on a report about Copayment Assistance Programs.

Cholesterol, a waxy fat-like substance in your blood that is made by the liver, is essential to help your body build healthy cells. Too much cholesterol, however, can be dangerous and can increase your risk of heart disease, the number one killer of men and women in the U.S. In fact, high cholesterol is one […]