Trending News Today: Amgen Sets List Price for Novel Osteoporosis Drug

Amgen has set the annual list price for its recently-approved osteoporosis drug, romosozumab-aqqg (Evenity), at $21,900, or $1825 per month, for a full 12-month course of injections, Reuters reported. According to the article, romosozumab-aqqg was approved last week with a novel bone-building mechanism of action for postmenopausal women who are at high risk of fracture. Amgen estimates that the price of romosozumab-aqqg is 34% to 74% below its competitors, the article reported.

The CDC has estimated that the 2019 US measles count is already the highest since 2014, with most of the new cases being reported in New York, The Washington Post reported. According to the article, health officials reported 90 additional cases in April, bringing the total for 2019 up to 555 cases. Since the outbreak began in October, 329 cases have been reported in New York, of which 273 were reported this year, the article reported.

A new study found that veterans with HIV who experience depressive symptoms may have a higher risk of death than those without HIV, The American Journal of Managed Care reported. According to the article, the study showed a 23% increased risk of death associated with depressive symptoms among veterans with HIV determined by Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ) scores, but no significant increased risk when depression was ascertained by the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9). Veterans who did not have HIV had a 6% increased risk of death associated with depression measured by ICD-9 codes, but no significantly increased risk of death when assessed by PHQ-9, the article reported.