Pharmacy

President Donald Trump sent letters to leaders of 14 countries, informing them of new additional tariff rates, some as high as 40%, CNN reported July 8.  The tariffs were scheduled to take effect July 9, but have been delayed until…

The FDA has approved Ekterly, the first oral treatment for hereditary angioedema. With the approval, the drug is now cleared for treatment in adults and children ages 12 and older.  Before Ekterly, all approved on-demand treatments for hereditary angioedema required…

A commonly prescribed medication used to counteract lung cancer therapy side effects could be minimizing a cancer treatment’s efficacy, according to research from Los Angeles-based Keck Medicine of USC.  To evaluate how baseline steroid use can affect immune checkpoint inhibitor…

The FDA has approved Novartis Coartem Baby, the first malaria treatment designed for newborns and young infants.  The medicine, developed in collaboration with Medicines for Malaria Venture, a nonprofit partnership, is intended for babies weighing less than 10 pounds, an…

Cuts at the FDA are slowing inspections of overseas drug manufacturers, prompting concerns from former and current employees that medication safety could be at risk, ProPublica reported July 7.  Dozens of individuals who help coordinate the travel for complex inspections…

A late-stage trial testing Novartis’ Cosentyx in individuals with giant cell arteritis failed to meet its primary endpoint.  The phase 3 study tested Cosentyx alongside a 26-week steroid taper and compared it with a placebo along with a longer, 52-week…

The sweeping One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into federal law July 4, amended CMS’ drug price negotiations authority that could absolve nearly $5 billion in projected savings, according to the Congressional Budget Office.  CMS gained the authority to negotiate…

A new study suggests that the introduction of a real-time prescription benefit tool did not lead to meaningful changes in prescription spending or medication use among Medicare Advantage beneficiaries during its first year of implementation.  The analysis, published in JAMA…

A 79-year-old man with recurrent oropharyngeal cancer has developed the first documented case of severe drug-induced interstitial lung disease following photoimmunotherapy with cetuximab-sarotalocan sodium, according to a July 5 case report published in Science Direct.  Here are four notes: 

A new study projects that aligning U.S. cholesterol treatment with clinical guidelines could significantly reduce cardiovascular events nationwide.  The study, led by researchers at Baltimore-based Johns Hopkins University and Merck and published June 30 in the Journal of General Internal…