Free Republic

One of the biggest advantages of Social Security is that its payments get annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs). When inflation is high -- as seniors have seen during the past couple of years -- these COLAs cause monthly checks to rise the following January to help retiree purchasing power keep pace. 2022's COLA boosted benefits by 5.9% this year, and early estimates make it likely that the COLA that will take effect in early 2023 will be between 8% and 9%. What's even better news is that, unlike in 2022, many Social Security recipients are more likely to see the full...

The FDA perspective If you need to get up to speed on the controversy, look here. The approval was based on three studies. 197 patients in a double-blind cohort study looking at increasing doses of aducanumab (Aduhlem). There was a dose-related improvement in both patients’ clinical improvement and reduction in visible Aβplaque (the anatomic biomarker of Alzheimer’s Disease found within the brain). These findings were statistically significant only at the highest dose, 10mg/kg monthly. Two Phase III studies, involving roughly 1650 patients each, both double-blind, placebo-controlled. The first of these showed the same clinical improvement as the previous smaller study...

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had asked for a federal investigation into its approval of a controversial Alzheimer's drug. Dr Janet Woodcock, acting commissioner of the FDA, announced she sent a letter to the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services for a probe into communications between FDA staff and Biogen Inc representatives in the lead up to the approval of Aduhelm, the company's Alzheimer's drug. 'Given the ongoing interest and questions, today I requested that [The Office of the Inspector General] conduct an independent review and assessment of interactions between representatives...

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday approved what it described as a “first-of-its-kind” treatment for Alzheimer’s disease, which it says “targets the fundamental pathophysiology of the disease.” The approved drug, aducanumab, is what the Washington Post described as the “first drug cleared that is designed to alter the course of the disease by slowing the deterioration of brain function — not just to ease symptoms.”