Gale Scott

Results from the Turquoise III trial show an antiviral combo cured patients with chronic hepatitis C genotype 1b infections, according to data to be released June 26 at the International Symposium on Viral Hepatitis and Liver Diseases in Berline, Germany.

Neurologists may need a new ICD-10 code for this one. Australian researchers report on the mysterious case of a woman whose temporary inability to walk was traced to her "skinny jeans."

Medical marijuana's effectiveness is far from scientifically proven, physicans argue in an editorial and research article published in JAMA. They also question whether the rush to try cannabinoids on patients is merely a way to justify recreational use.

The US Food and Drug Administration today approved the use of cangrelor (Kengreal/The Medicines Company) for adults undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI).

The new antivirals for hepatitis C have a growing target market. According to the latest CDC analysis, the infection is on the rise in the US. One expert calls for making HCV testing a new quality metric for providers.

A US Supreme COurt Decision on the legality of the Affordable Care Act is expected Monday, June 19. Analysts are predicting no winners. It will be expensive eiither way the court decides.

A CDC report recommends that when physicians prescribe opioids, appropriate patients should also get naloxone kits in case they overdose.

Global drug sales will reach nearly $1 trillion by 2020, a new report predicts. In 2014 the top sellers were the rheumatoid arthritis drug Humira and the hepatitis C anti-viral Sovaldi.

A new study shows the autism risk is higher not just in older parents but in couples with a big gap in their ages. Teen mothers also have a higher risk.

Two more US senators have signed on to sponsor a bill addressing the rising prices of some generic drugs. The measure would penalize manufacturers when prices rise faster than inflation. The office of the US Inspector General for Health and Human Services also announced last week that it will soon begin a study of those increases.

After discussing nearly 250 issues, delegates to the AMA's annual meeting left the organization with a towering to-do list. Here's a wrap-up of MD Magazine's on-site coverage of the June 6-10 meeting in Chicago.

A flying lacrosse ball weighs more than 5 lbs and goes about 60 mph in the girls' version of the sport. Despite objections that there have been no definitive studies showing wearing headgear protects players, the AMA wants sports authorities to require girls teams to wear helmets.

The violent death of Boston, MA cardiac surgeon Michael Davidson Jan. 20 was much on the minds of physicians at the AMA's meeting in Chicago. Davidson was honored in a memorial and the delegates resolved to lobby for ways to protect physicians from such assaults.

Despite assurances from the Obama administration that physicians who provide marijuana to patients for therapeutic use in states where that is legal will not face federal prosecution, the AMA is calling for a law. They want an ironclad guarantee these doctors will have legal immunity.

In what could be a tough political fight, members of the American Medical Association's House of Delegates today passed a resolution authorizing a campaign to get all states to ban philosophical and religious beliefs as grounds for opting out of routine vaccinations. Only medical exemptions should be allowed, the delgates agreed.

Alogliptin appears to slow the progression of carotid atherosclerosis in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The FDA rightfully cracked down on compounding pharmacies under a 2013 law brought on by 64 deaths traced to contaminated drugs at a dirty compounding facility. But physicians are concerned the FDA's new powers could end in-office compounding for individual patients, a common practice in many medical specialities.

The Congressional repeal of the Medicare sustained growth rate formula for calculating doctors' payments has the American Medical Association energized and ready to push for more reform. First up is trying to delay or stop the implementation of a new billing code system the group says will be costly for its members. It's known as ICD-10.

Generic drugs used to be the cheaper alternative to name brand drugs. Now they are sometimes more expensive. The blame could go to Wall Street, the Obama administration, or even pharma collusion, but someone better put a stop to the increases, AMA delegates agreed today.

A wilderness medicine physician fuses medicine with improvisation as he provides urgent care in extreme locations.

DPP-4 inhibitors may also enhance beta cell function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Diabetes researchers looked at the impact of chronic kidney disease on the glucose-regulating drug empagliflozin.

A rat study shows saxagliptin has promise for renal protection.

Empagliflozin, a diabetes drug that controls glucose levels, may also help ameliorate erectile dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The American Medical Association's 538 delegates will convene in Chicago, Il June 6-10. Vaccination policy, the ethics of doctors promoting unproven remedies, transgender military medical care, and are sunglasses sufficiently regulated are just of few of the 250 topics due to come up for discussion.

The FDA extended the use of toparimate, an anti-seizure drug, to children as young as 2.

Physicians' total annual Medicare part B fee-for-service payment data for 2013 was released by CMS today. The American Medical Association fears a replay of last year's release when many physicians appeared, inaccurately, to be getting very rich from Medicare payments.

People who have type 2 diabetes —but not type 1— are statistically less likely to get amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a new study found.

So far, gene studies have not shed much light on the question of how ALS develops and who gets the disease. A geneticist says the studies have to be bigger, wider, and deeper.