Source: Reuters Novartis AG is offering price discounts in negotiations with U.S. health insurers on its gene therapy for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a treatment that could cost more than a million dollars, but the gesture comes with strings attached. The Swiss drugmaker wants insurers to commit to coverage for patients identified with the rare
In double-blind, placebo-controlled trials, budesonide–formoterol used on an as needed basis resulted in a lower risk of severe exacerbation of asthma than as-needed use of a short-acting β2 -agonist (SABA); the risk was similar to that of budesonide maintenance therapy plus as-needed SABA. The availability of data from clinical trials designed to better reflect clinical
Last week, RESTORE held its Kick-off Meeting in Berlin. Maxing out the capacity of the venue, 200 representatives of supporters and partners came together for discussions, presentations and networking. We are humbled by the engagement and spirit of all involved in speaking, drawing and discussing over two packed days and making this event a success! At the
Four clinical sepsis phenotypes were identified that correlated with host-response patterns and clinical outcomes, researchers reported here. The four novel sepsis phenotypes — alpha (α), beta (β), gamma (γ), and delta (δ) — with different demographics, laboratory values, and patterns of organ dysfunction were derived, validated, and shown to correlate with biomarkers and mortality, according
As a physician trying to keep up with all the new information about artificial intelligence, I want to know how machine learning and deep learning are impacting medicine now and to separate the hype from reality. Here’s a look at some ways AI is being used successfully in health care and some ways it is
A predictive machine learning model was able to identify how effectively patients with Crohn’s disease would respond to long-term usage of ustekinumab, according to a new study in JAMA Network Open. Researchers from the University of Michigan trained the model using demographic and laboratory data obtained in previous clinical trials. The data described 401 patients with active Crohn’s
By the time they reach school age, about 90 percent of children will have experienced a condition in which fluid fills the middle ear, muffling sound and sometimes triggering infection. Diagnosis usually requires a visit to a specialist—but researchers have now developed an app that detects this fluid just as accurately, with only a smartphone
For the first time, immunologists from The University of Texas at Austin have captured on video what happens when T-cells – the contract killers of the immune system, responsible for wiping out bacteria and viruses – undergo a type of assassin-training program before they get unleashed in the body. A new imaging technique that allowed
Only about 25 percent of U.S. patients survive when their hearts stop in hospitals. Crucial minutes elapse before help arrives, sometimes because alarms are missed amid the din of beeping monitors. But the call that day didn’t come from within the hospital. It came from a darkened room in an office park several miles away, where a
A new ‘biological glue’ developed by Chinese researchers could one day stop hearts and arteries from uncontrollable bleeding. Placed on an open wound and activated through UV light, this life-saving sealant rapidly morphs into a non-toxic hydrogel, capable of withstanding both slippery surfaces and the pulsing of heart tissue. The adhesive sealant hasn’t been tested
