Ozempic consistently reduced the risk of the composite outcome of time to first occurrence of non-fatal heart attack, non-fatal stroke or cardiovascular death – collectively termed major adverse cardiovascular events, MACE – in people with type 2 diabetes at high cardiovascular risk regardless of previously having had a cardiovascular event at the start of the trial, announced Novo Nordisk. Findings from two post-hoc subgroup analyses of the SUSTAIN 6 trial and one post-hoc meta-analysis of MACE in the SUSTAIN 1-5 trials were presented at the ESC Congress 2018, organized by the European Society of Cardiology. Professor Stephen Bain, School of Medicine, Swansea University, said, “We have seen from clinical trials that diabetes treatments confer variable effects on cardiovascular outcomes and the results of these post-hoc analyses provide further evidence of the consistent cardiovascular risk reduction of Ozempic in people with type 2 diabetes, with varying profiles of cardiovascular risk at baseline.”
Monday, August 27, 2018
Centene unit selected for Florida correctional medical services contract
Centene announced that the Volusia County Florida Council voted to award Centurion Detention Health Services, a contract to provide comprehensive healthcare services to detainees of the County’s detention facilities located near Daytona, Florida. The award is subject to forthcoming contract negotiations. The contract is expected to commence January 1, 2019, with a base term of five years, plus five one-year renewal options.
Jefferies sees good entry point for Eiger BioPharmaceuticals ahead of update
Jefferies analyst Maury Raycroft believes current Eiger BioPharmaceuticals share levels offer a good entry point ahead of news from the Phase III D-LIVR endpoints in hepatitis delta virus based on FDA feedback. The analyst does not anticipate major surprises around the update and expect the outcome to be viewed positively. The announcement should give the stock a bump and add momentum to a second half of 2018 run-up that will include several key catalysts, Raycroft tells investors in a research note. He sees little downside risk in Eiger shares and keeps a Buy rating on the name with a $25 price target.
Pfizer to host conference call
Analyst and Investor Call to review Tafamidis data presentation at European Society of Cardiology Congress 2018 will be held on August 27 at 9 am.
Webcast Link: https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/748/27069
Nabriva Therapeutics price target lowered to $5 from $9 at BofA/Merrill
BofA/Merrill analyst Jason Gerberry lowered his price target on Nabriva Therapeutics to $5, citing his lower expected probability of success of 60% vs. 75% prior in its recently acquired CONTEPO for complicated urinary tract infection. The analyst says the program’s main risk is an “imbalance of liver enzyme elevation while a slightly higher dose reduces read -through from about a 45-year post-market EU safety”. Gerberry now believes that CONTEPO is a “niche opportunity”, and lowers his peak sales view to $50M from $80M prior. The analyst also keeps his Buy rating on Nabriva on valuation as well as the opportunity for its two FDA action dates for lefamulin and CONTEPO in the second half of 2019.
Sunday, August 26, 2018
Portola Pharmaceuticals rating change at Credit Suisse
Portola Pharmaceuticals upgraded to Neutral from Underperform at Credit Suisse
How low is too low? Study highlights risks for intensive blood pressure control
Kaiser Permanente research published today in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found if patients with hypertension taking prescribed medications experience unusually low blood pressures — systolic blood pressure under 110mmHg — they are twice as likely to experience a fall or faint as patients whose treated blood pressure remains 110mmHg and above.
This research is timely because late last year the American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology lowered its definition of high blood pressure from a systolic blood pressure of at least 140 to a systolic of at least 130, said the study’s lead author John J. Sim, MD, a nephrologist with the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center.
“Efforts to reduce blood pressures for patients with hypertension are an important factor in reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke,” Dr. Sim said. “But our study shows that attaining a lower blood pressure could create to a subpopulation of patients whose blood pressures may go too low, which can pose risk for serious falls and fainting.”
To determine the effects of blood pressure reduction among hypertension on patients, Dr. Sim and a team of researchers studied the electronic health records of more than 475,000 Kaiser Permanente patients in Southern California who were prescribed medication to treat hypertension. Over a one-year period, both mean and minimum systolic blood pressure readings of less than 110 mmHg were associated with higher rates of serious falls and fainting that resulted in emergency department visits or inpatient encounters.
Among the patients with treated blood pressure:
27 percent had a systolic blood pressure under 110mmHg during at least one visit
3 percent of patients had an average systolic pressure reading of less than 110mmHg over the one-year study period
Patients with a single episode of systolic pressure lower than or equal to 110mmHg during the one-year period were twice as likely to experience a serious fall or faint
Patients who had an average systolic blood pressure lower than 110mmHg over the one-year study period had a 50 percent greater risk of serious falls and fainting than those who had an average systolic blood pressure higher than 110mmHg
“Physicians considering lower blood pressure targets for their patients should weigh the risks and benefits of aggressive blood pressure lowering on an individual basis, especially in older patients,” said Dr. Sim.
He noted that older patients are more likely to have acute reductions in blood pressure, such as orthostatic hypotension, which is when a patient’s blood pressure drops substantially when they stand or get upright, and have slower reflexes to compensate and normalize their blood pressure. They also are more susceptible to side effects of low blood pressure, he said.
Some characteristics physicians should watch out for before considering lowering a patient’s blood pressure are acute illness, blood pressure variation throughout the day, and orthostatic hypotension, Dr. Sim said.
Story Source:
Materials provided by Kaiser Permanente. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
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