Advances In HIV Treatment And Prevention; Prescription Drug Shortages Are Over In Canada
Read about the biggest pharmaceutical developments and pricing stories from the past week in KHN's Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
ScienceDaily:
A New Technology Offers Treatment For HIV Infection Through A Single Injection
A new study offers a new and unique treatment for AIDS which may be developed into a vaccine or a one-time treatment for patients with HIV. (Tel Aviv University, 6/14)
CIDRAP:
Encouraging Results Found For MDR-TB Treatment In Pregnant Women
A systematic review and analysis of studies on pregnant women with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) found some encouraging results, researchers reported late last week in JAMA Network Open. (6/13)
New England Journal of Medicine:
Intramuscular AZD7442 (Tixagevimab–Cilgavimab) For Prevention Of Covid-19
The monoclonal-antibody combination AZD7442 is composed of tixagevimab and cilgavimab, two neutralizing antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that have an extended half-life and have been shown to have prophylactic and therapeutic effects in animal models. Pharmacokinetic data in humans indicate that AZD7442 has an extended half-life of approximately 90 days. (Levin, M.D., et al, 6/9)
Also —
CIDRAP:
Pandemic Policy Changes In Canada Appear To Have Eased Rx Drug Shortages
Implementation of policy measures in March 2020 in Canada stemmed prescription drug shortages—especially generic drugs—exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, finds an observational study published today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ). ... The authors acknowledged that the reduction in shortages may have stemmed from factors other than the policy changes, such as fewer healthcare visits and reduced demand for drugs amid pandemic restrictions. (Van Beusekom, 6/13)
NerdWallet:
How To Afford Your Meds And Support Your Health
The cost of prescription drugs in the U.S. can be enough to make you sick. What you pay varies enormously depending on the drug, the pharmacy, your insurance plan and your deductible, among many other factors. A drug that may have been cheap or at least affordable the last time you filled it could be far more expensive or not covered at all the next time. (Lis Weston, 6/13)
Miami Herald:
Miami FL Area Men Get Prison After Drug Coupon Fraud
Two Kendall men spent seven years — not even pausing during the two years one of them was in prison — raking in $9 million in a scam involving coupons meant to help people pay for prescription drugs. They used friends, wives of friends, shell companies and pharmacies that existed only on paper. (Neal, 6/12)
