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Washington State Drops Budget Provision That Would Have Cut Medicaid Pharmacy Payments
Washington state lawmakers this week eliminated a budgetary proposal that would have reduced Medicaid payment rates to pharmacies to the lowest levels in the country, the AP/Spokane Spokesman-Review reports. The provision would have reduced the payment rate from 86% to 80% of the average wholesale price of branded drugs. It had been approved by the state House and Gov. Chris Gregoire (D) and was intended to address the state"s $9.3 billion shortfall for the current fiscal year.The state"s Department of Social and Health Services moved to make the rate change on April 1, but pharmacy operators and a person living with HIV/AIDS brought a suit in federal court in Tacoma, Wash., and a judge blocked the change. According to the judge"s order, the plaintiffs likely could prove that their best interests had not been sufficiently considered and that the proposal would diminish the quality of Medicaid care in the state. Walgreen had stated that if the rate change occurred, 44 of its 111 stores in the state would no longer be able to fill Medicaid prescriptions. Other pharmacies made similar arguments. The state prepared an argument on behalf of the rate cut, but later decided against it.Along with eliminating the payment reduction, state legislators added a provision that a DSHS analysis is required before rates can be lowered in the next budget, as well as one placing a 2% cap on any future rate cuts. DSHS spokesperson Jim Stevenson said the agency had not started to analyze what would be required to get a rate cut approved, but added, "I think we"re at a stage where we"re going to have to do it soon if we want to get ready for July 1," the start of fiscal year 2010 (AP/Spokane Spokesman-Review, 5/13).
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Study Challenges Routine Use Of MRI Scans To Evaluate Breast Cancer
Reviewing the records of 577 breast cancer patients, Fox Chase Cancer Center researchers found that women with newly diagnosed breast cancer who receive a breast MRI are more likely to receive a mastectomy after their diagnosis and may face delays in starting treatment. The study demonstrates that, despite the lack of evidence of their benefit, routine use of MRI scans in women newly diagnosed with breast cancer increased significantly between 2004 and 2005, and again in 2006.
News of the day
Potential New Drugs: 970 Million And Still Counting - Journal Of The American Chemical Society
Like astronomers counting stars in the familiar universe of outer space, chemists in Switzerland are reporting the latest results of a survey of chemical space - the so-called chemical universe where tomorrow"s miracle drugs may reside. The scientists conclude, based on this phase of the ongoing count, that there are 970 million chemicals suitable for study as new drugs. Scheduled for the July 1 issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society, the study represents the largest publicly available database of virtual molecules ever reported, the researchers say.
Diagnostics

Innovative Digital Sperm Analysis To Infertile Couples Worldwide Provided By UB Start-Up

Couples struggling with fertility problems have a new option for assessing their ability to have a child with the start-up of a new Buffalo-based company called LifeCell Dx, Inc. (LCDX). The company was founded by Lani J. Burkman, Ph.D., a reproductive physiologist in the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at the University at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and a nationally recognized specialist in andrology, the medical specialty dealing with male reproduction. Burkman provided sophisticated sperm evaluation services at Women & Children"s Hospital of Buffalo for 14 years, using her proprietary methods and computer-assisted semen analysis. Her new patent-pending technologies now make digital semen analysis available to affiliated clinical sites worldwide through the Internet. Over the past 20 years, Burkman has developed unique sperm fertility tests, including special methods for computer tracking of vigorous swimming patterns and binding of sperm to the cover of human eggs. She has focused on sperm functioning that can predict whether a man is fertile, as well as on studies on marijuana and methamphetamine -- chemicals that alter sperm fertility. Previously, she was a member of the Norfolk, Va., clinic that performed the first successful in vitro fertilization in the U.S, and produced key advances in sperm evaluation. Her UB laboratory carried out clinical and basic research on new contraceptive drugs, on the use of sperm for toxicity testing and on the negative effects of nicotine on sperm. LCDX supplies the necessary equipment -- including a microscope and camera -- at no cost to U.S. and Canadian clinics who become affiliated with the company. Clinic physicians create a digitized video of the sperm sample and transmit the video over the Internet to the LCDX central computer lab in Buffalo. The proprietary videos are analyzed by Burkman and her staff, who provide a detailed LCPredict report to the clinician, along with a video clip. LCDX is the first business to offer advanced semen analysis using sperm video transmission through the Internet (e-fertility diagnostics). Burkman says her mission is to make reliable fertility testing accessible to the millions of infertile couples who are begging for an answer to their key question: Can these sperm produce a pregnancy? International expansion to serve infertile couples in any country is projected to begin in 2010, with the company hiring 20 new technical and management employees over the next several years. The LCDX methods and laboratory are now certified by the New York State Department of Health. Burkman said experts estimate that 15 percent of younger couples will seek help in having a child --- including having a semen analysis as the first step. "In the U.S., more than 90 percent of these infertile couples have no easy access to expert andrology testing," said Burkman. "They are desperate for answers and are looking for specialized help close to home. The current barriers include lack of computer-assisted semen analysis and andrology training in most laboratories, great distance from the nearest andrology lab and the fact that semen has to be analyzed within one hour of collection. "The current basic semen analysis is the only option offered at thousands of traditional laboratories around the globe," noted Burkman. "This basic test, which hasn"t changed much in 50 years, can"t predict whether the man"s sperm could fertilize an egg. It relies on subjective, manual methods -- basically "eye-balling" the sample through a microscope -- and is poorly standardized. Semen data from these labs are often unreliable," she said. At the outset, patients will pay out-of-pocket for the advanced semen analysis. "If the report shows that the sperm have low fertility potential, their choices are finally clear," said Burkman. "Couples want to make informed decisions. With our LCPredict information, they can move forward. They can change their treatment options, go for a sperm donor or have the partner"s sperm injected into the egg -- called intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Knowing the true sperm potential, they may choose to use donor embryos or adopt." The LifeCell Dx service is available in Buffalo and in Boston, Mass., where the first affiliated clinical laboratory is located. Four more clinics will be operational after a brief training period. Expansion throughout the U.S. will take place in the coming months. LifeCell Dx is headquartered in Buffalo. Burkman has retired from the UB faculty to serve as chief scientific officer for the new company. Lois Baker University at Buffalo


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