CER Daily Newsfeed

CACTUS Study: CZA and C/T Similarly Effective Against Resistant Pseudomonas

(10/13, Gina Shaw, Infectious Disease Special Edition) reports “A multicenter, observational study that compared the effectiveness of ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA) with ceftolozane-tazobactam (C/T) for multidrug-resistant (MDR) Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections shows no difference in overall clinical success, mortality, recurrent infections or resistance development between the two combinations, in data presented at IDWeek in Boston, on Oct. 13, 2023 (poster 1109)...“We have now started to see real-world evidence emerge that both agents are superior to aminoglycoside- or polymyxin-based combinations...” Full

CMS Expands Coverage of PET Imaging for Confirmation of Alzheimer Diagnosis

(10/13, Marco Meglio, Neurology Live) reports “...New novel antiamyloid therapies like lecanemab (Leqembi; Eisai) require a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment or mild AD that is supported by documentation of amyloid-ß in the brain. In accordance with CMS’ NCD, Medicare will cover lecanemab when physicians and clinical teams actively participate in collecting real-world evidence through a registry. In the proposed change, patients under the original Medicare will have a standard 20% coinsurance for the Medicare-approved amount of lecanemab that will be applied once Part B of their deductible is met.” Full

The First Year of Hospice VBID Is the Hardest for Payers and Providers

(10/13, Jim Parker, Hospice News) reports “...The U.S Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) commissioned the RAND Corp. to conduct the analysis of the program, formally called the hospice component of the value-based insurance design model (VBID). CMS launched the carve-in in 2021. The RAND analysis released this week covers the calendar year 2022. The results suggest that the first year of participation is the hardest for both payers and providers.” Full

Patient Organisations 'A Major Source of R&D Funding'

(10/13, Phil Taylor, PharmaPhorum) reports “...[M]ore than 150 registries are now run by patient organisations, of which almost two-thirds (62%) focus on rare diseases, positioning them as ‘custodians of data’ for their communities. That is important as the demand for clinically rich data and real-world evidence (RWE) is accelerating, needed to guide regulatory decisions, as well as reimbursement decisions that can be pivotal in accessing new therapies.” Full

OC Women's Health Summit Speakers Take Look at Women's Health and Access to Care

(10/13, Destiny Torres, The Orange County Register) reports “...‘Roe v. Wade and the Dobbs decision didn’t just impact abortions,’” Sora Park Tanjasiri, a UCI public health professor, said. “‘We’re talking about an assault on evidence-based medicine. And we need to fight for physicians to be able to offer the best care they can to every patient. And we need to make sure to educate our policymakers.’” Full