Understanding treatment patterns and patient-reported outcomes associated with the use of authorized generics and corresponding independent generics across multiple therapeutic areas.

Objectives: To assess patient characteristics, treatment patterns, and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) associated with authorized generics (AGs) and independent generics (IGs) use.

Methods: Prescription claims and National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS) data were linked. Adults with billable national drug code (AG or IG), NHWS completion from June 2015 to July 2019, AG or IG on-hand at NHWS completion, and continuous insurance eligibility in 12 months pre- and post-NHWS completion were included.

New Strategies to Improve Patient Adherence to Medications for Noncommunicable Diseases During and After the COVID-19 Era Identified via a Literature Review.

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) place a huge burden on healthcare systems and society as a whole. Relatively early in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, clinicians became aware that in individuals infected with COVID-19, those with preexisting NCDs such as diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease (CVD) were at a greater risk of poor outcomes and mortality than those without. The importance of adherence to medications and lifestyle changes to control and prevent NCDs has been a major focus for many years, but with limited success - the proportion of patients adherent and persistent to their medications remains very low.

How excluding some benefits from value assessment of new drugs impacts innovation.

Payers often assess the benefits of new drugs relative to costs for reimbursement purposes, but they frequently exclude some drugs' option-related benefits, reducing their reimbursement chances, and making them less attractive R&D investments. We develop and test a real options model of R&D investment that shows that excluding option-related benefits heightens drug developers' incentives to avoid high-risk (volatile) R&D investments and instead encourages them to focus on "safer" (positively skewed) investments. Our model and empirical results could partly explain the decline in the number of risky new molecular entities.

Prior authorization in the treatment of patients with pDPN and FM.

Purpose: To determine prior authorization (PA) impact on healthcare utilization, costs, and pharmacologic treatment patterns for painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy (pDPN) and fibromyalgia (FM).

Methods: This retrospective, observational, longitudinal cohort study used medical and pharmacy claims data. Newly diagnosed patients treated for FM or pDPN between 7/1/2007 and 12/31/2011 were included.

Enhanced viability of corneal epithelial cells for efficient transport/storage using a structurally modified calcium alginate hydrogel.

Aims: Therapeutic limbal epithelial stem cells could be managed more efficiently if clinically validated batches were transported for 'on-demand' use.

Materials & Methods: In this study, corneal epithelial cell viability in calcium alginate hydrogels was examined under cell culture, ambient and chilled conditions for up to 7 days.

Results: Cell viability improved as gel internal pore size increased, and was further enhanced with modification of the gel from a mass to a thin disc.

A flow system for the on-line quantitative measurement of the retention of dosage forms on biological surfaces using spectroscopy and image analysis.

Measuring the retention, or residence time, of dosage forms to biological tissue is commonly a qualitative measurement, where no real values to describe the retention can be recorded. The result of this is an assessment that is dependent upon a user's interpretation of visual observation. This research paper outlines the development of a methodology to quantitatively measure, both by image analysis and by spectrophotometric techniques, the retention of material to biological tissues, using the retention of polymer solutions to ocular tissue as an example.

pH induced swelling of PVP microgel particles--a first order phase transition?

The pH-induced swelling of poly(2-vinylpyridine) microgel particles was studied using dynamic light scattering. The increase in particle diameter with decreasing pH was modeled using a well-established thermodynamic model for microgel swelling. The Maxwell construction was applied to extend the model and yield a prediction for a pH-responsive microgel across the entire pH range.

Microwave-assisted hydrogel synthesis: a new method for crosslinking polymers in aqueous solutions.

It has been found that hydrogels may be formed by microwave irradiation of aqueous solutions containing appropriate combinations of polymers. This new method of hydrogel synthesis yields sterile hydrogels without the use of monomers, eliminating the need for the removal of unreacted species from the final product. Results for two particularly successful combinations, poly(vinyl alcohol) with either poly(acrylic acid) or poly(methylvinylether-alt-maleic anhydride), are presented.

Generic protease detection technology for monitoring periodontal disease.

Periodontal diseases are inflammatory conditions that affect the supporting tissues of teeth and can lead to destruction of the bone support and ultimately tooth loss if untreated. Progression of periodontitis is usually site specific but not uniform, and currently there are no accurate clinical methods for distinguishing sites where there is active disease progression from sites that are quiescent. Consequently, unnecessary and costly treatment of periodontal sites that are not progressing may occur.

The effect of perchlorate ions on a pyridine-based microgel.

The effect of perchlorate ions as counterions in the acid-induced swelling of poly(2-vinylpyridine) microgel particles was investigated. The pH was modified with perchloric, hydrochloric and hydrobromic acids and the particle diameter measured using dynamic light scattering and the viscosity monitored using a capillary viscometer. The microgel particles were found to have a lower apparent pK(a) with perchloric acid, 4.

Pharmaceutical risk-sharing agreements.

Increased spending on pharmaceuticals continues to foster debate over healthcare policy. The increasing costs of bringing products to the market, as well as increased utilization of pharmaceuticals contribute to increased pharmaceutical expenditure; however, appropriate pharmaceutical use can, in certain cases, reduce overall healthcare costs. Nevertheless, the perception of high drug prices still puts pressure on pharmaceutical companies to build confidence in the proposition that their products are worth the additional expense.