Biotechnology Healthcare - July/August 2008 - (Page CB5)

FIGURE 3 Frequency distribution of local vs. regional median values for RSV seasonality 100% 90% 80% 70% 11 22 20 32 3 5 8 9 18 60% 50% 40% 30% 30 38 9 11 29 9 or more 5–8 more 1–4 more No change 1–4 fewer 5–8 fewer 9 or fewer 20% 10% 0 16 7 3 17 5 6 3 Onset week (%) Peak week (%) Duration weeks (%) Variance in local values from regional medians (in weeks) The columns show the percentages of local measurements of RSV seasonality (onset, peak, duration) that vary by a given number of weeks from the regional median RSV season values. The dark and light orange segments at the top of each column show the percentage of local measurements that are 5 or fewer weeks later/longer than the regional median. The dark and light red segments at the bottom of each column show the percentage of local measurements that are 5 or more weeks earlier/shorter than the regional median. SOURCE: ADAPTED FROM MULLINS JA. PEDIATR INFECT DIS J. 2003 1999 RSV seasons), local onset occurred 5 or more weeks earlier than the regional median onset weeks (Mullins 2003). In addition, RSVAlert data collected since 2004 show that significant RSV activity occurs during the so-called “shoulder months,” the 2 months before or after an RSV season — September/October and April/May (Tables 3, 4). RSV is a local event Studies of RSV seasonality show substantial variations in the timing and duration of RSV outbreaks across the United States (Fergie 2007, Peret 1998, Peret 2000, Panozzo 2007). More important, surveillance data show that RSV virology is local — not only does the RSV season vary temporally and geographically, it also varies among communities in any one locale (Mullins 2003, Peret 1998, Peret 2000). The data strongly support that Managed Care Organizations should use at least 3 years of historical data to define the onset and duration of the RSV season in their respective geographic areas as a basis for TABLE 4 States with RSV activity during the September – October “shoulder months” over 4 RSV seasons 2004–2005 Arizona Florida Georgia Hawaii 2005–2006 Arizona Delaware Florida Georgia 2006–2007 Alabama Arizona Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Kentucky Mississippi New Jersey Nevada Nevada Rhode Island South Carolina Virginia West Virginia SOURCE: MEDIMMUNE DATA ON FILE 2007–2008 Florida Georgia Hawaii Maryland Mississippi Nebraska New Jersey Texas Virginia 5

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Biotechnology Healthcare - July/August 2008

Biotechnology Healthcare - July/August 2008 Openers Contents Editorial/David B. Nash, MD, MBA Drug Track Health Plan Confidential Rheumatoid Arthritis A Decade of Trial, Error, False Starts, and Hope What Path Will Comparative Effectiveness Research Take? RA Therapies in Development: A New Generation of Relief Assessing the Full Impact of RA on Employers and Payers Stem Cells: Health Insurance You Can Bank On Specialty Pharmacy Employer to Employer Personalized Medicine Trends Clinical Briefs

Biotechnology Healthcare - July/August 2008

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