Author: IQ TIMES MEDIA
By Sriparna Roy and Sneha S K March 12 (Reuters) – Artificial intelligence is being deployed on both sides of the tug-of-war between U.S. healthcare systems that want to be paid more for medical procedures and insurers who want proof the services were necessary, and experts are having a hard time predicting a winner. Centene, an insurer focused on the Medicaid program for low-income people, recently raised the issue, saying hospitals were aggressively or even improperly using revenue software to trigger reimbursement. “There have been some of these pockets where folks coming into the emergency department with a fever, all…
Ashley Elizabeth Harden logged on recently from her home in small-town Louisiana and searched for a weight-loss drug. She found plenty of options and settled on a cheaper, imitation version of the name-brand drugs for $177 a month that she could buy without going through insurance. Subscribe to The Post Most newsletter for the most important and interesting stories from The Washington Post. “It’s absolutely odd,” she said of paying a cash price for medicine she sees as vital but whose cost rivals her monthly electric bill, “having to research, compare prices and make decisions online for something so important…
March 13 (Reuters) – British drugmaker GSK said on Friday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has expanded the approved age range for its respiratory syncytial virus vaccine, Arexvy, to include adults aged 18 to 49 who are at increased risk of lower respiratory tract disease caused by the virus. * The vaccine is already approved in the U.S. for preventingRSV-related disease in adults aged 60 and above, and in at-riskadults aged 50 to 59. * RSV is a common respiratory virus that causes seasonalinfections such as the flu and is a leading cause of pneumoniaand death in infants and…
March 17 (Reuters) – Indian drugmakers Zydus Lifesciences and Lupin have signed a licensing and supply deal on Tuesday to co‑market semaglutide injections in the country ahead of the ingredient’s patent expiry. Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist used to treat Type 2 Diabetes and, increasingly, for weight management by helping regulate blood sugar and appetite. The upcoming patent expiry for semaglutide has triggered a rush among Indian drugmakers to develop cheaper versions to capture market share in the world’s most populous nation, which has the second-highest number of adults with diabetes after China. Here are some key details: *…
March 17 (Reuters) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration declined to approve Aldeyra Therapeutics’ drug for a type of eye disease, the company said on Tuesday, sending its shares down 65% in premarket trading. The drug, reproxalap, treats dry eye disease (DED), a condition in which the eyes produce insufficient or poor-quality tears, leading to discomfort and potential vision problems. The FDA, in its so-called complete response letter, said the drug had failed to show enough efficacy for approval. Aldeyra said the regulator raised no concerns about safety or manufacturing. This marks the third consecutive setback for Aldeyra, which…
Costco is taking steps to make fertility treatments cheaper for members after announcing a new partnership that could make fertility drugs 80% less expensive. The partnership between Costco, Sesame and IVI RMA was announced March 9. According to a news release, Costco members will gain immediate access to Sesame fertility care coordination as part of their monthly membership agreement to complete diagnostic workups and a clear path to special treatment. “The collaboration delivers widespread access to high-quality fertility care and advanced reproductive medicine specialists, affordable and competitive pricing, and coordinated care throughout the fertility journey,” the companies said. Every Sesame…
By Sriparna Roy March 18 (Reuters) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Johnson & Johnson’s oral pill for psoriasis, the company said on Wednesday, paving the way for a more convenient treatment option for patients with the chronic autoimmune condition that causes itchy, scaly, and inflamed patches of skin. The drug will help J&J expand into the psoriasis market, as its blockbuster injectable Stelara comes under increasing competition from low-cost copycat drugs. The health regulator approved the drug for moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis in adults and pediatric patients 12 years of age and older who weigh at least…
March 19 (Reuters) – Eli Lilly’s next-generation obesity drug showed a reduction in blood sugar levels during a late-stage trial, the drugmaker said on Thursday, as it looks to widen its lead in the heavily contested market for GLP-1 drugs. Drug developers are racing to enter the highly competitive and booming obesity market dominated by injectable drugs such as Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Lilly’s Zepbound, prompting heavy investment in next-generation treatments that could deliver faster, deeper, or more durable weight loss. Lilly tested the drug, retatrutide, in patients with type 2 diabetes who had inadequate glycemic control with diet and…
Sorting through the nuances of copays, deductibles, premiums and other jargon can be frustrating. Tfilm/Moment via Getty Images Since the Affordable Care Act subsidies expired at the end of 2025, Americans have undoubtedly been encountering a great deal of confusing information surrounding health care costs and insurance plans. From five-figure deductibles to premiums higher than people’s mortgages, costs are rising across the board. With this comes difficult decisions around health care plan enrollment. No one can know exactly what their health care needs will be in any given year, so people are forced to hedge their bets in choosing plans.…
March 20 (Reuters) – U.S. consumer health products maker Prestige Consumer Healthcare said on Friday it would buy the Breathe Right brand and other assets from Foundation Consumer Healthcare in a deal valued at $1.045 billion. The deal also equates to about $900 million after tax benefits, Prestige said. The acquisition of Breathe Right, a popular nasal strip brand, represents the company’s expansion into a new category. The Breathe Right brand, set to be the largest in Prestige’s portfolio, had a revenue of about $200 million and core profit of $95 million in 2025. “Today’s acquisition fits squarely within our…