A recent study demonstrates that bilateral oophorectomy decreases the risk of ovarian cancer but increases the risk of death from other causes. Researchers from PHAR,LLC; the John Wayne Cancer Institute; USC; Stanford; Brigham and Women’s Hospital/ Harvard; and the University of Auckland conducted a prospective cohort study following over 30,000 Nurses’ Health Study participants for 28 years to investigate long-term health outcomes in women who had either bilateral oophorectomy or ovarian conservation at hysterectomy. Bilateral oophorectomy was associated with increased mortality in women younger than 50 years who never used estrogen therapy, and at no age was oophorectomy associated with increased survival. The full article is now available online ahead-of-print in Obstetrics & Gynecology. An accompanying editorial comments, “Dr. Parker and colleagues have made a significant contribution to our understanding of the effect of estrogen deprivation on women’s health, and they elegantly outline the dramatic increases in mortality.” The editorial is also available online.
Better Cancer Screening Does Not Save Money, but Does Provide Good Value
According to the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services, one major goal of health reform is to “lower health care costs through better health care quality.” Improved quality can take many forms-one of them is greater use of simple, low-cost, cancer screening tests, like mammograms. Researchers at PHAR, LLC, the UCLA Center for Surgical Outcomes and Quality, and RAND developed a framework to assess the cost-effectiveness of improving compliance in the US with the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set, a comprehensive set of quality indicators. The investigators found that improving quality on three cancer screening measures (cervical, breast, and colon) might save lives, but it will not save money. Results were presented at the 2012 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting. View the abstract at the ASCO Annual Meeting website ; the poster is available for download here.
Longer Half-life of Antipsychotic Medication May Lessen Hospital Admission Risk for Patients with Schizophrenia
PHAR, LLC, in collaboration with Bristol-Myers Squibb and Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc, conducted a study to evaluate how antipsychotic medication half-life affects the risk of psychiatric hospital admission and emergency department (ED) visits for patients with schizophrenia. The study found that patients taking medication with a longer half-life had fewer comorbid mental health conditions, took fewer psychiatric medications, and had a lower risk of hospital admission and ED visits for mental disorders. The full study can be found in the January 2012 edition of the Journal of Medical Economics.
PHAR Conducts Study on Chronic Idiopathic Urticaria
The literature on chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) lacks information on demographic characteristics and comorbidities. To fill this gap, investigators at PHAR, LLC initiated an analysis to better define the insured population. By conducting a cross-sectional analysis of insurance claims, investigators found that although antihistamines were the most common treatment for CIU, physicians also frequently prescribed oral corticosteroids. The study was conducted in partnership with Genentech, Inc. as well as investigators at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and NOVA Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine. View the abstract at the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology website.
Claims Data Analysis Finds Omalizumab Appropriately Prescribed
Using a retrospective cohort analysis, investigators at PHAR, LLC and Genentech, Inc. examined patterns of omalizumab use in the first 5 years after the drug’s approval. The study found that omalizumab is most often used with appropriate concomitant medications. In addition, most omalizumab prescriptions come from specialist physicians. These findings were published in the December 2011 edition of the Journal of Asthma.
Study of Adherence and Persistence Among Omalizumab Users Presented at ACAAI
Investigators at PHAR, LLC and Genentech, Inc. conducted research that was presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology 2011 Annual Scientific Meeting. Researchers found that the number of chronic conditions and respiratory comorbidities predicted adherence and persistence to omalizumab therapy.
21-Gene Assay May Improve Health of Breast Cancer Patients With No Incremental Cost
Cost-effectiveness techniques can provide valuable insight into breast cancer treatment. A recent PHAR, LLC study assessed the impact on health outcomes and healthcare expenditures of adopting a 21-gene assay for women with early-stage, minimally node-positive, estrogen receptor-positive HER2-negative breast cancer. The study found that the use of this 21-gene assay was associated with improved outcomes for these breast cancer patients, with no additional cost. To see the publication in its entirety, visit The American Journal of Managed Care website.
PHAR Presents Posters on Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting
Four posters presenting research conducted by PHAR, LLC in collaboration with Eisai Inc. were featured at the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer 2011 International Symposium in Athens, Greece. Investigators examined the risks of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) following the use of several chemotherapy regimens and the costs associated with CINV.
PHAR Study Examines How Obesity and Health Vary by Race and Gender
PHAR investigators used nine health-related quality of life (HRQoL) measures to study how HRQoL varies by body mass index category among gender and racial subgroups. The research found that a lower HRQoL score was associated with being obese or overweight rather than with having a normal body mass index. The associations were driven primarily by physical health. The degree of the associations varied by the index used. PHAR, LLC investigators collaborated with the RAND Corporation, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health, UCLA School of Public Health, Kaiser Permanente Northwest Region, and Health Utilities Inc. For more detailed results, visit the Quality of Life Research website.
Impact of Adherence to Pulmozyme® Treatment on Health Status and Costs
Using a retrospective cohort analysis, PHAR, LLC investigators collaborated with researchers at the University of Michigan and Genentech, Inc. to study adherence to Pulmozyme® in patients with cystic fibrosis. The findings were presented at the 34th European Cystic Fibrosis Society Conference.