Less than one-quarter of Americans get the government-recommended amount of exercise, according to an annual health survey published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  The National Health Statistics Report examined responses to an annual survey and found only 23 percent...

Management of type 1 diabetes in pediatric patients could become easier following the approval of an automated insulin delivery and monitoring system for use in children between the ages of seven and 13. Medtronic’s MiniMed 670G hybrid closed loop system monitors glucose levels and...

Americans suffering from severe emphysema now have a new treatment option available following the decision by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve the Zephyr Endobronchial Valve, or Zephyr Valve. The device, marketed by Pulmonx Inc, is placed into diseased areas of the lungs by a...

Patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes now have a new option for monitoring their glucose levels following the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) decision to approve the first continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system with a fully implantable sensor.  The Eversense CGM can be...

Patients struggling to break dependence on opioids will soon have a cheaper treatment option available following the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) decision to approve the first generic sublingual version of Suboxone (buprenorphine and naloxone).  In April 2017, the US...

Americans have been urged to take precautions to protect against ultraviolet (UV) radiation and skin cancer during the hotter months of the year. In a statement issued by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, highlighted the dangers and prevalence of skin...

Fulphila (pegfilgrastim-jmdb) is the first biosimilar to Neulasta (pegfilgrastim) to gain approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Mylan GmbH medicine was approved as a treatment to reduce the risk of infection as suggested by febrile neutropenia (fever caused by a lack of...

Among white and Hispanic people born after 1965, rates of lung cancer are now higher in women than men, according to researchers from the American Cancer Society and National Cancer Institute.  The study, published last month in the New England Journal of Medicine, revealed an overall decline...

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning to parents over the dangers of over-the-counter (OTC) teething products containing benzocaine when these oral health medications are administered to children. The agency announced benzocaine-containing teething products will no longer...

The average American should start regular colorectal cancer screenings at the age of 45, according to new guidelines issued by the American Cancer Society (ACS). Previous recommendations from the organization suggested people at average risk of the condition should begin a screening schedule at the...

Concern over the cost of cost of health care resulted in more than one-quarter (27 percent) of American adults forgoing medical treatment over concerns about their ability to pay, according to a recent report. The Federal Reserve’s Report on the Economic Well-Being of US Households in 2017...

A new treatment option will soon be available for children aged five and over with asthma following the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) decision to expand its approval of the GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Arnuity Ellipta (fluticasone furoate) inhaler.  The medication was first approved...

One in three waterborne disease outbreaks in the United States between 2000 and 2014 occurred in hotel pools and hot tubs, according to recent findings published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The  Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report found more than half the...

Senior patients with diabetes could be more than $350 better off each year if a share of negotiated manufacturer rebates is passed on the patients at the point of sale, according to recent IHS Markit analysis commissioned by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA). Passing...

A “novel” new preventative treatment for migraines in adults, which works by blocking the activity of a molecule involved in migraine attacks, has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Approval for Aimovig (erenumab-aooe) was granted to Amgen Inc following three...

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval to Gilenya (fingolimod) as a treatment for children and adolescents with multiple sclerosis (MS). The Novartis medication is the first drug approved by the FDA for treatment of pediatric patients with MS.  Gilenya first gained FDA...

Patients with anemia caused by chronic kidney disease, chemotherapy, or those with HIV who take Retrovir (zidovudine) will soon have a new medication option in the form of Retacrit (epoetin alfa-epbx). The drug is the first biosimilar for epoetin-alfa to gain US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)...

President Donald Trump has unveiled a “blueprint” to lower the price of prescription drugs in the United States. The plans include building on the existing administrative efforts of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to increase generic drug approvals, reforms to the Medicare...

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the protein kinase inhibitor Tagrisso (osimertinib) as a first-line treatment option for certain patients with metastatic non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Earlier this month, AstraZeneca presented new data from a Phase III FLAURA trial...

GlaxoSmithKline’s once-daily triple therapy, the Trelegy Ellipta (fluticasone furoate, umeclidinium, vilanterol), is superior to dual combination therapies in reducing exacerbations in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with a history of exacerbations, new research...