April 2012 Drug Information Update - Pharmacy Benefits ...

finding that it also may reduce the risk of many cancers and stop the spread of tumors.
Article link: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/26/how-much-aspirin-is-too-much-of-agoodthing/?ref=science
Source website: http://www.nytimes.com/
Drug to Cut Cholesterol Tests Better Than Statin
March 26, 2012
An experimental drug that works in a novel way to lower cholesterol proved even more effective
than statins and had few undesirable side effects, newly released data shows.
The drug works by modifying the way cholesterol levels are naturally controlled. A protein
produced in the liver helps limit the amount of LDL, or “bad” cholesterol, that liver cells can
remove from the bloodstream. The new drug, called REGN727, is a monoclonal antibody, made
in a laboratory, that blocks the action of that protein.
Article link: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/27/health/drug-to-cut-cholesterol-level-testsbetterthan-statins.html?_r=2
Source website: http://www.nytimes.com/
Should Cystic Fibrosis Patients Get So Many Antibiotics?
March 26, 2012
Study suggests that less-aggressive antibiotic therapy might be better Antibiotics can prolong
cystic fibrosis patients' lives, but the drugs also help treatment-resistant bacteria thrive in their
lungs, a new, small study suggests. The findings from the 10-year investigation suggest, but do
not prove, that the current standard of aggressive antibiotic treatment for cystic fibrosis patients
may not always be the best approach.
Article link: http://consumer.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=663070
Source website: http://consumer.healthday.com/
Low 'Bad' Cholesterol Levels May Be Linked to Cancer Risk
March 27, 2012
There may be a link between low levels of "bad" low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and
increased cancer risk, according to new research. In the study, researchers looked at 201 cancer
patients and 402 cancer-free patients. They found that cancer patients who never took
cholesterol-lowering drugs had low LDL cholesterol levels for an average of about 19 years prior
to their cancer diagnosis.
Article link: http://news.yahoo.com/low-bad-cholesterol-levels-may-linked-cancer-risk-
180207158.html
Source website: http://news.yahoo.com/
Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients Who Quit Statins May Face Raised Death Risk
March 28, 2012
Cardiovascular disease very common among these patients, experts note people suffering from
rheumatoid arthritis who stop taking their cholesterol-lowering drugs may raise their risk of
dying, a new study finds. In fact, those who stopped taking statins raised their chances of dying
from cardiovascular disease by 60 percent and dying from any cause by 79 percent during the
course of the study, the Canadian researchers reported.
Article link: http://consumer.healthday.com/Article.asp?AID=663177
Source website: http://consumer.healthday.com/
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