Linda Vahdat

Recent developments in Alzheimer's research include a unanimous thumbs-up from an FDA panel for the investigational anti-amyloid donanemab, indicating its effectiveness in early symptomatic Alzheimer's disease. Additionally, a study suggests that daily multivitamins might delay cognitive aging by two years, although more research is needed to confirm these findings. Donanemab is an investigational anti-amyloid drug designed to slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease by targeting and clearing amyloid plaques in the brain, which are a hallmark of the condition. #unitedseniorassociation #USA #eldercare #FDA #seniorliving #ADA #community #patientcare #compliance #hospitals #OIG #healthcare #digitalhealth #assistedliving #HSS #CMS #nursinghomes #seniorcare #medicare #seniorcitizen #homehealthcare #caregiver #nurse #dementia #inhomecare #seniorhealth #HHSOIG #kloekorby #healthcarefraud #healthcarepolicy #HIPPA #alzheimers #mentalhealth

1

Let's talk #Stelara® (ustekinumab) for a moment. It will be the next higher-cost biological with biosimilars coming in 2025. And the next big one for self-funded plans to manage. If you're a plan fiduciary, you should be asking your #PBMs how they're going to handle it now in prep for the biosimilars coming in 2025. -According to the brand manufacturer's website, the list price of Stelara® is $25,497.12 every 8 weeks for the 90 mg dose as of March 2022. After initial doses and based upon the indication, it's used every 8 or 12 weeks. FDA Biosimilars thus far: 1. Wezlana (ustekinumab-auub) - The first Stelara biosimilar to be approved by the FDA, Wezlana is interchangeable with Stelara and is manufactured by Amgen.  2. Selarsdi (ustekinumab-aekn) - Developed and manufactured by Alvotech and Teva Pharmaceuticals, Selarsdi is approved for both adults and children. It is expected to be marketed in the US in February 2025.  3. Ustekinumab-ttwe - Sandoz will commercialize this biosimilar in the US, and it is expected to be one of the first to launch in the US. *Indications may vary Ask your PBMs: 1. If you have access to your data as a self-funded plan (you should, it's your data) - check and see if you have any on the plan now. If not, ask if there's any Stelara on the plan at present. 2. Which biosimilar will be on formulary? 3. By when? (Hint - the PBM should have it coming early in 2025.) 4. Will it be a high cost with drug rebates, or low cost without--or worst of both worlds, both, and then which one is the PBM choosing? (They'll probably be going high with drug rebates...) 5. If there are rebates, what will be coming back to the plan? 6. What will the members' copays be? 7. What will be the plan's cost? -Note: There is a high dose form of Stelara that hides out over in your medical benefits, because it is IV. Ask your PBM about that one too.... https://lnkd.in/geecGUnR Last, if you're a large employer with 1000+ employees, consider hiring a #pharmacist to manage your healthcare benefits plan and #prescriptiondrug spend. They are worth their weight in gold! #pharmacy

15

3 Comments

More for self-funded plan fiduciaries to ask....for plans in 2025. There are some high-cost biologicals coming off patent in 1Q25. I posted about Stelara earlier this week: https://lnkd.in/gac4wjTv Next up, Soliris® (eculizumab). First off, this an IV-infused drug - so look for claims over in your MEDICAL benefits, not the PHARMACY benefits. You won't find it at the corner drugstore. I couldn't find a list price on the manufacturer's site, but the average sales price according to the Oct preliminary ASP file with CMS for a maintenance dose (1200 mg) is $26,955.96, and is typically dosed every 2 weeks after loading doses. If maintained, we're talking over $700,000 per patient per year on this therapy. Second, there are a few biosimilars that have been approved thus far in 2024: 1. The first, Bkemv (eculizumab-aeeb, Amgen), was approved in May 2024 (and interchangeable) 2. The second, Epysqli (eculizumab-aagh, Samsung Bioepis) approved in July 2024. The biosimilars should be out at the end of 1Q2025. Questions to ask your #PBM, your #MedicalCarrier, and your #broker: (And yes, keep in mind this drug is rarely in the pharmacy benefit, so you'll need to ask both the PBM and the medical carrier): 1. Do we have any Soliris or Ultomiris claims? 2. If so, what is the plan for the biosimilars here? 3. What will be the preferred biosimilar on the drug formulary? 4. What will be the cost to the member? 5. What will be the cost to the plan? 6. Are there any rebates on any of the biosimilars, and if so, what's coming back to the plan, and how often will it come back to the plan? (Hint, medical carriers often stare blankly when plans ask about medical drug rebates. Push them on this, because there ARE rebates on medical drugs.) 7. Are there any savings programs on the other side of the benefits (like the pharmacy benefits) if the PBM handles the drug instead of the medical benefit? (This is why you need to ask both the PBM and the medical carrier here.) 8. What about Ultomiris? (This is a longer-acting biological than Soliris and not coming off of patent in early 2025.)

4

We think of medical doctors and nurses as having wonderful and noble professions. Their work certainly is noble and often amazing. Saving people that are on the brink of death, surgically repairing an arm, and knowing the right medicine to give to overcome a disease is astounding. But if making healthcare facilities more like corporations is destroying their morale, then something has to change. We have already seen how bad the university has gotten by treating it like a corporation that considers only the "bottom line." This way of thinking has seeped into politics. And now the healthcare profession is being overrun by corporate thinking. As money is necessary even for life-saving organizations, we need people who are good at finance and other business-like things. But when we allow that way of thinking to control the care of patients, then there is a more serious concern. One facet of changing these working environments is through aesthetics. The corporate model in business has produced many boring, beige offices that fail to help alleviate stress. Better aesthetics has been shown, for instance, to reduce cortisol levels and help people relax. This would be a good starting point for healthcare environments to begin changing the culture back to human- and patient-centered. #aesthetics #healthcare #hospitals #beauty #business https://lnkd.in/eTNNA2Up

1

Excited to share our latest CDC funded study that analyzed IBD treatment patterns and outcomes based on provider specialization 🧪🔬 📊 Findings: Patients receiving care from specialized IBD providers showed higher utilization of biologics, combination therapy, imaging/endoscopy and a decrease in the use of mesalamine for Crohn's disease. Over time, biologic use has increased and narcotic use decreased. Surprisingly, outcomes like hospitalization and surgery were not influenced by provider specialization or time period. 🔎 Implications: The study highlights the importance of finding innovative approaches to standardize complex IBD management, bridging the gap between variable care processes and provider expertise. 🌍 Let's work together to improve IBD care and enhance patient outcomes! 💪 #IBDResearch #PatientCare #HealthcareInnovation #CronhsandColitisFoundation https://lnkd.in/gusgRqRB

52

1 Comment

Toward a Biomedical Research Enterprise That Better Serves the United States "The decline of the U.S. biomedical research enterprise would have grave implications not only for scientific progress but also for the national health, economy, and overall prosperity." "we can easily imagine a future in which the United States no longer leads the pack in biomedical innovations and medical breakthroughs" "we need a strategic vision and oversight body, as well as enhanced coordination at the national level" "because of silos and lack of coordination, redundant investigations occur in parallel, and important research questions are left unexplored" "we need a workforce that is adequately compensated and able to focus on the issues that matter most" "It is essential to act now, and act with purpose, to strengthen and reinvigorate the U.S. biomedical research enterprise." National Academy of Medicine The National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute (NCI) AACI (Association of American Cancer Institutes) The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University The New England Journal of Medicine American Association for Cancer Research American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) The Cancer Letter https://lnkd.in/emMBWHHB

13

1 Comment

Positive 18-month data on #bemdaneprocel from its phase 1 study (NTC04802733) at the 2024 #International Conference on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease (AD/PD), held March 5-9, in Lisbon, Portugal. Conducted by lead author #Claire Henchcliffe, MD, chair of the department of neurology at the #University of Califorina, Irvine, and colleagues, the results showed that the agent was safe and well-tolerated, with treated patients demonstrating improvements in ON and OFF time over that period.2 #FDA #RMATdesignation #Alzheimer #Innovation

1