States Investigate Pharma Companies, CVS Health As Diabetes Drug Prices Reach Record Highs

States investigate pharma companies, CVS Health as diabetes drug prices reach record highs

Post a comment / Oct 30, 2017 at 6:44 AM
A patient loads insulin for his routine shot.
With the price of a crucial diabetes drug skyrocketing, at least five states and a federal prosecutor are demanding information from insulin manufacturers and the pharmaceutical industry’s financial middlemen, seeking answers about their business relationships and the soaring price of diabetes drugs.
Attorneys general in Washington, Minnesota and New Mexico issued civil investigative demands this year and are sharing information with Florida and California, according to various corporate financial filings.
Insulin makers Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi and top pharmacy benefit manager CVS Health are targets in the state investigations. Several of the financial filings note that the state and federal prosecutors want information regarding specific insulins for specific dates in relation to “trade practices.”
They appear to be looking into potentially anti-competitive business dealings that critics have leveled at this more than $20 billion niche market of the pharmaceutical industry, according to analysts and court filings reviewed by Kaiser Health News. These include whether drugmakers and middlemen in the supply chain have allowed prices to escalate in order to increase their profits.
At the same time, prominent class-action lawyers are bringing suits on behalf of patients. Steve Berman, an attorney best known for winning a multibillion-dollar settlement from the tobacco industry, alleged collusion and said it was time to break up the “insulin racket.”
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The role of bariatric surgery to treat diabetes: current challenges and perspectives

The role of bariatric surgery to treat diabetes: current challenges and perspectives
1 Carel W. le Roux ,2,3 and Alexander Kokkinos 1
1First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, Diabetes Centre, Laiko General Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
1First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, Diabetes Centre, Laiko General Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
2Diabetes Complications Research Centre, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
3Investigative Science, Imperial College London, London, UK
1First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, Diabetes Centre, Laiko General Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
1First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, Diabetes Centre, Laiko General Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
2Diabetes Complications Research Centre, Conway Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
3Investigative Science, Imperial College London, London, UK
Chrysi Koliaki, Email: moc.oohay@ikailokc .
Received 2017 May 27; Accepted 2017 Aug 6.
Open AccessThis article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Crea Continue reading

Type 1 diabetes: Living with the misconceptions, discrimination and its management

Type 1 diabetes: Living with the misconceptions, discrimination and its management
Living with Type 1 diabetes has many day-to-day challenges and over the years patients have faced confusion, misunderstanding and discrimination.
Not enough insulin and/or insulin resistance
Managed with exercise, diet and medication
This week is Diabetes Awareness Week and while it is becoming more recognised there are still many misconceptions.
There is often confusion between Type 1 and Type 2, which can be frustrating for everyone with diabetes.
In the past, discrimination has caused people with Type 1 diabetes to suffer major changes to their lives.
For Ros Cameron, 68, Type 1 diabetes almost ended her dream of becoming a teacher before it started.
She was diagnosed in January 1967 just after she had finished year 12 and had earned a scholarship to teacher's college.
But because of her diabetes she failed the mandatory medical test and was barred.
"I had to then rearrange my life," she said.
Her father lobbied the Victorian Education to end the discrimination.
"[He] thought, 'this is not right, it should be each person on their merits'," she said.
"Over a long period ... three years, the law was eventually changed that diabetics were admitted into government institutions according to their merits."
Two years later she was able to begin studies and eventually become a teacher.
"It was a very disappointing start to what I'd hoped would have been a long career in teaching," she said.
Diabetes management has changed since Ms Cameron was first diagnosed.
She had to learn ho Continue reading

Peppercorns Benefits Including Preventing Cancer, Diabetes - Dr. Axe

Current: Peppercorns: Can They Help Prevent Cancer and Diabetes?
Peppercorns: Can They Help Prevent Cancer and Diabetes?
Dr. Axe on Facebook104 Dr. Axe on Twitter30 Dr. Axe on Instagram Dr. Axe on Google Plus Dr. Axe on Youtube Dr. Axe on Pintrest174 Share on Email Print Article
Though salt is the most widely used spice, peppercorn is the most widely traded spice in the world. And while its knownas the king of spices, its actually a fruit. Yes, a fruit. From the Piperaceae family, the black pepper vineproducespeppercorns, which are the fruit of the pepper plant that have been dried for use.
There are three types of peppercorns: ( 1 )
Green peppercorns are the unripe version of the dried fruit.
White peppercorns are derived from nearly ripe peppercorn fruits with the skin removed.
Black peppercorns, which have been cooked and then dried, are the most common.
What makes peppercorns so popular? Well, certainly the spice pairs well with an array of food options, and it also exhibits an array of health benefits you may not have known about. For instance, did you know that peppercorns may benefit those with diabetes and even exhibits anticancer activity, much like black pepper essential oil ? Its true, but thats not all.
Turmeric has become very popular due to its amazing healing properties, but researchers indicate that its mosteffective if its combined with black pepper. Why? Because the piperine in black pepper helps the body absorb the amazing benefits of turmeric.
Recent studies share information regarding the positive effects of various spices, such as black pep Continue reading

Join the Fit with Diabetes Challenge

Editors Note:Christel is a blogger, personal trainer, diabetes advocate, fitness bikini champion and fitness personality. She has been living with Type 1 diabetes since 1997.
Beyond Type 1 met up with Christel Oerum from Diabetes Strong for a chat about fitness and her next Fit With Diabetes Challenge which is kicking off on January 3.
Christel has Type 1, but she also has professional training experience that pertains to safely and effectively working out with Type 1 diabetes, no matter what your level of fitness is. Heres what she had to say about the program that canchange the way those with Type 1 think and feel about working out and the physical and mental health that can follow.
BT1: Why did you decide to do the Fit With Diabetes challenge?
CO: I created Diabetes Strong as a website dedicated to diabetes and fitness because I was missing a place online for guidance on how to safely and effectively exercise with diabetes.
Every week, I receive a lot of really good questions from my readers and the people I train about how to manage blood sugars when working out , what to eat for good nutrition and blood sugar control, as well as more emotional questions on how to get motivated or how to manage the fears of hypoglycemia .
In my Fit With Diabetes Challenges, I (and a team of diabetes experts) take people through all of the different aspects of exercising and eating healthily with diabetes in an easy-to-follow, step-by-step fashion and give them the tools they need to be successful.
BT1: What can people expect from the challenge?
CO:This challenge will focus on Continue reading