June 6 RxAdvocate June, 2022 — Newsletter
June Stories:
- FDA Approves Alopecia Drug
- Cancer Study Results in 100% Patient Remission
- COVID-19 & Cardiovascular Health
- COVID-19 Vaccinations Authorized – Children 4 & Under
- RxConnection Organization Announcements
Originally approved in 2018 to treat moderate to severe rhumatoid arthritis, Olumiant has been approved by the FDA to treat adults with severe alopecia areata earlier this month. Alopecia is a non-contagious autoimmune disorder where the body attacks hair follicles, causing hair anywhere on the body to fall out. More than 300,000 people in the United States struggle with Alopecia every year. Source
COVID-19 & Cardiovascular Health
New evidence is emerging regarding the link between COVID-19 infection and its effects on cardiovascular health. Biomarkers for cardiac injury are more common in those who have severe devilitating COVID-19 symptoms and long COVID-19 infection. Race and past medical history also play a role as Blacks, Asians, and Hispanics along with those with preexisting cardiovascular disease are at higher risk for infection. Studies show reduced cardiac function in COVID-19 recovered patients 2-3 months after diagnosis. Further research is needed to understand the varied responses to COVID-19 and to improve treatment strategies for those with long-term cardiovascular effects. Click here to read more.
COVID-19 Vaccinations Authorized – Children 4 & Under
As of June 17, 2022, the FDA has authorized Moderna and Pfizer-BioNtech Covid-19 vaccines for use in children as young as 6 months of age. This expands eligibility for vaccination to nearly 20 million additional children and that means that all Americans aged 6 months and older are now eligible for vaccination. Prior to making the decision to authorize these vaccines for the respective pediatric populations, the FDA’s independent Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee was consulted and voted in support of the authorizations. The Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine is administered as a primary series of two doses, one month apart, to individuals 6 months through 17 years of age. The Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine is administered as a primary series of three doses in which the initial two doses are administered three weeks apart followed by a third dose administered at least eight weeks after the second dose in individuals 6 months through 4 years of age. According to the CDC, parents and caregivers can play an active role in monitoring the safety of these vaccines by signing up for v-safe, a personalized and confidential health check-in via text messages and web surveys where they can easily share with the CDC how a child feels after getting a COVID-19 vaccine.
RxConnection Organizational Announcements
Welcome, Anna!
Anna DiFranco graduated in May, 2020 from The University of Maine with a degree in Finance. She know she wanted to work with all things data during her internship as a Data Science Intern at Optum in college. She worked for Eversource Energy after college and now, after 5 years of experience, is very excited to start her journey as a Data Analyst.
Welcome, Jesse!
Jesse Fields comes from an extensive mix of Government and PBM experience. After obtaining a BA in Economics, an MBA, and an MS-BIA at Rockhurst University, he went on to work for a local government in Environmental Quality. His focus was to improve compliance rates as well as enhance the collection and analytics of energy and utility data.
Welcome, Erica!
Erica Marquez joins RxConnection as a Strategic Account Executive and brings with her over 19 yers of experience in pharmacyand healthcare. Prior to RxConnection, she held an Account Executive role at a Pharmacy Benefit Management compnay with a focus on pharmacy benefits. During this time, she worked closely with clients on critical projects, implementation initiatives, and benefit administration. Erica’s responsibilities at RxConnection include managing implementation support, strategic consulting, and serving as the PBM liaison for daily service-related activities. She also holds a Certified Pharmacy Technician license.
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Orlando.Neal@rxconnectionllc.com