CMV Infection in Transplant Recipients: Clinical Cases and Expert Opinion

  • Author: Health Informer
  • Filed under: Health News
  • Date: Dec 16,2008

A Complimentary Continuing Education Virtual Lecture for Healthcare Professionals

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is a serious condition and an important cause of morbidity and mortality in recipients of hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) and solid organ transplant (SOT). Controversy exists regarding the best method for CMV prevention. It is important for healthcare professionals working with transplant recipients to be aware of the advantages and limitations of the current strategies available for managing CMV infection and disease in this population.

To address the need for current education on CMV infection in transplant recipients, Robert Michael Educational Institute LLC (RMEI) and Postgraduate Institute for Medicine (PIM) are jointly sponsoring a complimentary continuing education virtual lecture for physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and other infectious disease specialists. This activity is supported by an educational grant from ViroPharma Incorporated.

Faculty for this virtual lecture include Michael J. Boeckh, MD, Associate Member of the Program of Infectious Diseases at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Associate Professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, Washington; John R. Wingard, MD, Professor and Price Chair of Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics and Director of the Blood and Bone Marrow Transplant Program at the University of Florida Shands Cancer Center in Gainesville, Florida; Raymund R. Razonable, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota; and Ajit P. Limaye, MD, Associate Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Co-Director of the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory and Director of the Organ Transplant Infectious Diseases Program at the University of Washington Medical Center in Seattle, Washington.

Healthcare professionals can access CMV Infection in Transplant Recipients: Clinical Cases and Expert Opinion virtual lecture at www.RMEI.com/CMV053.

“Robert Michael Educational Institute LLC is committed to providing healthcare professionals with opportunities for quality, innovative, and convenient continuing medical education,” says President and CEO, Robert M. Colleluori.

RMEI is a medical education company that specializes in independent, accredited, and nonaccredited education. The goal of all accredited RMEI educational offerings is to promote a spirit of lifelong learning and continuous professional development. RMEI works closely with medical experts to design activities that improve diagnosis and treatment. These activities include national and international symposia, teleconferences, live meetings, enduring print materials, and interactive Internet programs.

For other educational opportunities, please visit http://www.rmei.com/currentprograms

Source: Robert Michael Educational Institute LLC


People with cancer enrolled in Medicare Part D plans will spend more out-of-pocket for their Part D drugs and face increased restrictions on access to them in 2009, according to new research released by Avalere Health and the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN).

The Avalere-ACS CAN research found that Medicare stand-alone prescription drug plans (PDPs) have been increasingly shifting name-brand oral cancer drugs to higher formulary tiers over the last four years, meaning that with each year, the products have cost more for consumers.

In 2009, the large majority of PDPs placed name-brand oral oncology products — including Gleevec, Sutent, Tarceva, Thalomid, and Tykerb — on specialty tiers that require cost sharing of 26 percent to 35 percent for each prescription. For example, 84 percent of PDP enrollees are in plans that put Gleevec — a name-brand drug used to treat leukemia and other forms of cancer — on their most expensive tiers (fourth or higher) in 2009, up from 39 percent in 2006.

“This pattern of shifting the costs of branded medications to patients needs to be scrutinized, especially in light of the economic difficulty being experienced by so many seniors,” said Valerie Barton, a vice president at Avalere Health.

“Shifts in drug coverage can limit access to treatment for people with cancer, significantly reducing their treatment options or even requiring a stoppage of treatment,” said Daniel E. Smith, president of ACS CAN. “We urge policymakers to pay close attention to how these changes impact people with cancer. At the same time, it is critical that people with cancer understand their health coverage and the potential hurdles that may impact their treatment.”

In addition to changing tier placement, PDPs in 2009 are increasing their use of prior authorization to control access to branded cancer drugs. The Avalere-ACS CAN research found that Gleevec had the largest increase in the number of PDPs requiring prior authorization, with 70 percent of plans requiring it, up from 35 percent in 2006. Tarceva had the next highest increase, with 62 percent of plans requiring prior authorization in 2009, up from 35 percent in 2006. Thalomid was next, with 68 percent of plans requiring prior authorization in 2009, up from 43 percent in 2006.

Geography and plan choice influence how much a person with cancer will spend out-of-pocket in Medicare Part D. Avalere and ACS CAN modeled hypothetical drug regimens for women with breast cancer and found that total out-of-pocket costs for a woman enrolled in AARP MedicareRx Saver in Florida will be about $1,985, while total out-of-pocket costs for beneficiaries enrolled in Humana PDP Standard in California will average about $2,551.

ACS CAN and the American Cancer Society are closely monitoring these issues as part of their nationwide efforts to ensure access to quality, affordable health care for all Americans. The organizations believe that the health care system needs to be retooled with an emphasis on prevention and early detection; meaningful health insurance that is adequate, affordable, available and administratively simple; and reducing pain and suffering with an emphasis on quality of life.

Avalere continues to analyze Medicare drug benefit data. Since the inception of the Medicare drug program, Avalere has used its proprietary DataFrame(R) database to track trends in drug pricing, plan strategy and structure, and the beneficiary experience.

Source: Avalere Health


Give Extra Thought for People with Asthma & Allergies

With everyone mindful of budgets and spending this holiday season, now is the perfect time to think beyond the routine perfume or socks and to give gifts that are not just fun, but are good for the health too. Finding special gifts for loved ones with asthma or allergies is easy this year. The asthma and allergy friendly(TM) Certification Program is helping holiday shoppers all over the U.S. find products that have been scientifically tested and proven to be more suitable for people with asthma and allergic sensitivities.

Currently more than 100 gift items in 11 categories are Certified asthma & allergy friendly(TM) including bedding, plush toys, dolls, pillows, vacuum cleaners, washing machines, and more. Certified products are already on the shelves in more than 20 major retail stores including Wal-Mart, Target, Bed Bath and Beyond, Home Depot, Lowes, Kohl’s, Build-a-Bear Workshop and Amazon.com, among others. Holiday shoppers should look for the asthma & allergy friendly(TM) Certification Mark on store shelves and product packaging, and visit http://www.asthmaandallergyfriendly.com/ for more information.

Each certified gift comes with a unique registration code and instructions to help people keep them in “asthma & allergy friendly” condition. For example, the certified plush toys come with a tag containing wash and care instructions. Other certified products such as pillows and encasements come with special wash and care instructions, as well as other tips.

ASTHMA, ALLERGIES AFFECT 60 MILLION AMERICANS

More than 60 million people in the U.S. have asthma and/or allergies, making them two of the most common chronic diseases among children and adults. Prevalence rates for both diseases have doubled in the past 20 years, and doctors and scientists warn that asthma and allergy triggers are everywhere.

“Symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, wheezing and difficulty breathing can be triggered by many things around the house,” says Dr. Bob Overholt, a Board Certified allergist with adult and pediatric patients in Knoxville, Tennessee. “Carpets, bedding and plush toys can carry dust mites and other allergens that are a major problem for asthma and allergy sufferers,” says Overholt.

For years, allergists have instructed their patients to look for household products that help to reduce exposure to allergens and irritants, and, according to Overholt, the asthma care guidelines from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) make a strong case for such measures. “The NIH guidelines are clear that household environmental control and avoidance of allergens is critical for patients,” says Overholt.

Visit http://www.asthmaandallergyfriendly.com/ for more information.


This week the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a division of the World Health Organization (WHO), released updated cancer death projections in a call to action, asking the government to help fund cancer prevention and research initiatives and international tobacco control policies. According to the report, the burden of cancer doubled globally between 1975 and 2000, and cancer is expected to become the leading cause of death worldwide in 2010.

“This is a very important issue and does indeed deserve the attention of governments around the world,” said Timothy Gardner, M.D., President of the American Heart Association.

The report states that reasons for the growing cancer burden include the adoption in less developed countries of “Western” habits such as tobacco use and high calorie, high-saturated and trans-fat diets.

“These factors are also significant contributors to the global burden of cardiovascular disease,” said Gardner. “The IARC’s aggressive support of tobacco control is particularly important, as cigarette smoking is the main preventable cause of premature death in the United States, as well as worldwide.”

Cigarette smoking accounts for nearly 440,000 of the more than 2.4 million annual deaths in the U.S. “Tobacco use is, obviously, an enormous health burden across the globe, and makes a significant contribution to deaths from both cancer and cardiovascular disease,” he said.

In the United States, while progress is being made in reducing deaths from heart disease and stroke, rates remain high for many of the risk factors that lead to these deaths. In 1998, the American Heart Association set an aggressive goal to reduce coronary heart disease, stroke – the No. 1 and No. 3 killers in the U.S. – and risk by 25% by 2010. The nation has already achieved these reductions in these death rates, but progress continues to lag significantly on some of the key risk factors, including obesity and physical inactivity.

“Without a concerted effort to reduce these risks, the momentum of reducing heart disease and stroke deaths will be lost,” Gardner said. “We will see our children developing heart disease earlier, experiencing early deaths or needing major medical care sooner. This could reverse the progress in cardiovascular death rates that we have seen over the last decade.

“The American Heart Association has been working for decades to move out of that ‘top spot’ of being the number one killer,” he said. “It’s a distinction that none of us want to have. And unless we can do better in reducing these risk factors in the United States, it may be a long time before we can shed the title of number one.”

“We applaud the findings of the IARC report because we know that tobacco control, advocacy and outreach by non-governmental organizations, culturally sensitive risk reduction campaigns and increased federal funding of medical research will move the missions of all of our organizations forward in building healthier lives.”

Source: American Heart Association


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