Latest news with #Farxiga
Medical News Today
28-05-2025
- General
- Medical News Today
Can you take Farxiga while pregnant or breastfeeding?
Farxiga (dapagliflozin) may be unsafe to take while pregnant or breastfeeding. Certain factors, including the risks of fetal harm, may determine whether you should take the drug during this time. If you may be or can become pregnant, it's important to consider whether Farxiga is safe for you. There are limited studies on this drug's effects on human pregnancies. However, animal studies have shown that kidney problems linked to this medication can occur in a fetus. Because of this risk, Farxiga shouldn't be used during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. During the first trimester, Farxiga should only be used if the potential benefits outweigh the potential risks. If you're pregnant or planning to become pregnant, talk with your doctor about the risks and benefits of using Farxiga during pregnancy. It's unknown whether Farxiga passes into breast milk. However, the drug's manufacturer recommends against breastfeeding while taking this medication. This is because if Farxiga does pass into breast milk, there's a possible risk of side effects in a child who's breastfed. If you're taking Farxiga, consult a doctor about safe feeding options for a breastfed child. Disclaimer: Medical News Today has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses. Diabetes Heart Disease Pharmacy / Pharmacist Drugs
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
PDAB weighs diabetes drug affordability, as Moore weighs bill to expand PDAB
Medication vials marked for calibration await counting at the Exchange Pharmacy at Joint Base Andrews, Md., July 27, 2023. (Photo by Staff Sgt. Jared Duhon/U.S. Air Force) A Maryland board tasked with bringing down prescription drug costs is working through a 'dossier' of a medication to treat type 2 diabetes — the first of many such reports to determine if there are ways for the state to save money on certain medications. The Prescription Drug Affordability Board unveiled a 92-page draft report Monday for Farxiga, a brand-name medication for dapagliflozin, to help board members determine if the drug is 'unaffordable' for Marylanders. It is the first of several dossiers analyzing the cost burdens of six popular prescription drugs in an effort to find avenues for the state to save on medications for those on the state's health plan. PDAB staff have been working on the Farxiga dossier since November, according to Andrew York, executive director for the board. He hopes that future dossiers will be easier to pull together now that staff have a format to work with. Six drugs were selected for 'cost review,' and address several conditions including Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, eczema, Crohn's disease and more. Dupixent Farxiga Jardiance Ozempic Skyrizi Trulicity 'I think staff now knows the time it takes to put these dossiers together,' York told the board during the virtual Monday meeting. 'That organizational process and cross referencing to make sure that everything is available to the board — that took a lot of time and effort. But now that that template's in place, I think we'll be moving forward pretty quickly.' Since the board's inception in 2019, it has been involved in a lengthy rule-making process to determine what drugs could be expensive for state employees and to establish methods to bring those costs down. In March 2024, PDAB board members officially selected six drugs to undergo the 'cost review' process, part of which includes an information gathering period to develop a dossier on the drugs. But the board has yet to bring down costs for any drugs on the state health plan. Meanwhile, Gov. Wes Moore (D) is expected to sign off on legislation Tuesday to expand the authority of the board to bring down costs for more Marylanders, not just those on the state plan. Critics in the legislature and the pharmaceutical industry cited the pace of the board's progress to argue unsuccessfully against expanding PDAB's authority, but House and Senate bills to do just that passed by comfortable margins this year. House Bill 424 and Senate Bill 357 would allow the board to establish what are called upper payment limits on the commercial market, to place a limit on how much the state is willing to pay for certain drugs. The board currently has that authority for state employees and others on the state health plan. The expanded authority would only go into effect a year after the board has successfully placed upper payment limits for two drugs on state health plans – meaning it will still be some time before the state can wield its new authority on the commercial market. But the dossier Monday sheds some light on different considerations that the board will use to determine if it will take action to reduce state spending on Farxiga — including overall state spending on the drug, prevalence of the diseases that the prescription drug treats, and costs of the disease to the health care system. In Maryland, about 10.5% of adults aged 18 years or older had been diagnosed with diabetes as of 2022 data, the report says. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX 'In Maryland, for calendar year 2021, total and per-patient medical costs attributable to diabetes were $6.506 billion and $11,909, respectively,' the report says, citing data from the American Diabetes Association. The dossier reports similar data for other conditions Farxiga is often prescribed to treat, such as heart failure and Chronic Kidney Disease. From 2022 through 2023, Maryland spent $1.4 million on the most common dosage of Farxiga (10 MG) for those on the state health plan – about 289 Marylanders, according to the dossier. The dossier reports that out-of-pocket costs for Farxiga can vary, depending on insurance coverage. The median cost for 10 milligrams of Farxiga cost $160 for those with commercial insurance in 2023, but those on the state health plan paid $60 for the same dose. Meanwhile, those on Medicare paid a median of $158.90, according to 2022 data. But portions of the report are redacted from the public due to confidentiality restrictions, and the dossier is not finalized yet. Following Monday's meeting, PDAB staff will make tweaks on the dossier to more clearly relay the information. The Farxiga dossier will then go up for a 15-day public comment period. Staff is working on a dossier for another drug that helps treat type 2 diabetes called Jardiance, which should also be available for public comment soon, according to York. The board still has to officially determine if Farxiga or Jardiance pose an 'affordability challenge' before board members can consider next steps to bring down costs, which could include setting upper payment limits. Savings for the state health plans still appear to be a ways off.
Mint
29-04-2025
- Business
- Mint
AstraZeneca's Soriot Warns US Against Trade Tariffs on Medicines
AstraZeneca Plc's Chief Executive Officer Pascal Soriot warned that trade tariffs are not the best way to manage pharmaceuticals and that drugmakers are calling for no additional US levies on medicines. 'We actually believe that a better incentive to attract investment in manufacturing and in R&D is to have a great tax policy that incentivizes companies to invest in the country,' Soriot said on Bloomberg TV on Tuesday. AstraZeneca believes any impact of levies on the company would be short-lived given its manufacturing presence in the US. Still, Soriot said the industry is calling on the Trump administration not to put levies on imported medicines, after they were excluded from recent announcements. The drugmaker posted higher profit in the first quarter that still disappointed investors due to weaker than expected sales of key cancer medicines. The company's shares fell as much as 4.7% in early trading in London, and are down about 16% over the past year. Astra said it is discontinuing a late-stage trial of its Truqap prostate cancer treatment, based on a recommendation from an independent data monitoring committee. Truqap is already approved for treating breast cancer. Earnings per share, excluding some items, were $2.49, the company said Tuesday, above the $2.26 estimated by analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. Sales of major cancer medicines were lower than anticipated, with Bloomberg Intelligence analyst John Murphy saying in a note that weakness in cancer and rare disease drugs were a potential source of concern. Still, sales of its diabetes and heart disease drug Farxiga were nearly 6% higher than expected, while revenue from its newer cancer medicine Enhertu was also ahead. The British drugmaker confirmed its guidance for the year and also said it was committed to investing and growing in the US. Astra has already announced a $3.5 billion investment in its US business by the end of 2026. The cash will go toward research and development as well as manufacturing. Astra is also trying to move on from a damaging probe into current and former employees in China that ensnared the drugmaker's president in the country. The company said it received an appraisal opinion in April from Shenzhen City Customs Office regarding suspected unpaid importation taxes amounting to $1.6 million, which Astra said likely relates to Enhertu. 'A fine of between one and five times the amount of unpaid importation taxes may also be levied if AstraZeneca is found liable,' the company said. Analysts had previously been reassured by Astra's earlier estimate that it could be fined just $4.5 million for suspected unpaid import taxes for two other cancer medicines Imfinzi and Imjudo. The latest update on China would likely be welcomed by investors, Jefferies' analyst Benjamin Jackson said in a note. This year Astra announced a $2.5 billion research hub in Beijing as it seeks to capitalize on booming interest in the scientific prowess emerging in China. The project indicated a strong partnership with the government despite the probe. The drugmaker has had several positive readouts this year from potential blockbuster medicines, including data from its experimental cholesterol drug that significantly reduced 'bad' cholesterol in a mid-stage trial. That could be part of a powerful combination drug targeting weight loss and related ailments. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. First Published: 29 Apr 2025, 01:36 PM IST
