MDNN: World's Largest COPD Trial, Opioid Prescription Lengths, HIV Therapy Milestones, FDA Approvals, and More

Hi, I’m Jenna Payesko, and this is MD Magazine News Network - it’s clinical news for connected physicians.

This week, 3 healthcare companies are kicking off the world’s largest pragmatic clinical trial on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Boehringer Ingelheim, along with Anthem Health Insurance and its subsidiary, Heathcore, will run the 3200-patient AIRWISE trial, which will study common therapies for exacerbation risk reduction in patients with COPD. The trial results will be made public in 2020.

A recent study from Harvard Medical School investigated the optimal duration of opioid prescriptions in an attempt to alleviate some of the burdens faced by physicians in the wake of the US opioid crisis. Findings showed that dependent on the type of procedure, prescriptions lasting 4 to 13 days could potentially optimize the medication while minimizing refills. Opioids remain a topic of contention, as a lack of guidelines for prescription methods and misconceptions surrounding the recovery experience after surgery confound patients and practitioners alike.

The CDC has joined more than 400 organizations worldwide, in the Undetectable=Untrasmittable campaign. In a milestone moment for HIV treatment, the agency stated that “people who take the therapy daily as prescribed, and achieve and maintain an undetectable viral load have effectively no risk of sexually transmitting the virus to an HIV-negative partner.” The agency’s HIV Care Continuum data shows that an estimated 49% of Americans with HIV, have achieved viral suppression.

The US Food and Drug Administration was busy last week, approving Stelara for the treatment of plaque psoriasis, as well as Rhopressa ophthalmic solution for intraocular pressure, and Zilretta, the first extended-release injectable for osteoarthritis knee pain. The administration also announced its approval of the first 7-Tesla MRI device, the Mangatom Terra, and the Senhance System, for robotically-assisted surgery.

To read these stories and more, visit us at mdmag.com.

I’m Jenna Payesko with MDNN, thank for you watching.