The New York Times: Judge Strikes Down Arkansas Law Banning Gender Transition Care For Minors
A federal judge in Arkansas on Tuesday struck down the state’s law forbidding medical treatments for children and teenagers seeking gender transitions, blocking what had been the first in a wave of such measures championed by conservative lawmakers across the country. The case had been closely watched as an important test of whether bans or severe restrictions on transition care for minors, which have since been enacted by 19 other states, could withstand legal challenges being brought by activists and civil liberties groups. It is the first ruling to broadly block such a ban for an entire state, though judges have intervened to temporarily delay similar laws from going into effect. (Rojas and Cochrane, 6/20)

Also —

AP: Hospital Turns Over Transgender Patient Records To Tennessee Attorney General In Investigation
Vanderbilt University Medical Center has turned over medical records for transgender patients to the Tennessee attorney general’s team in what his office confirmed is an investigation into potential medical billing fraud. A Vanderbilt University Medical Center spokesperson confirmed to The Tennessean on Tuesday that the hospital provided the records to Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti’s office. (6/20)

Columbus Dispatch: Ohio House To Vote On Transgender Student Athlete, Medical Care Bans
How Ohio's LGBTQ children experience life at school, what sports they play, and the kinds of medical care they can access would change if two pieces of Republican legislation expected to pass the House on Wednesday become law. Known as House Bills 8 and 68, these proposed laws would require schools to notify parents before sexual orientation or identity is discussed, immediately report students who question those identities, ban transgender girls from playing on female sports teams in high school and college and prohibit doctors from prescribing hormones, puberty blockers or gender reassignment surgery before age 18. (Staver, 6/20)

The Wall Street Journal: Senate Confirms Abortion-Rights Lawyer To U.S. Appeals Court 
The U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed abortion-rights lawyer Julie Rikelman to a U.S. appeals court, resolving a high-profile nomination by President Biden that had been pending nearly a year. Rikelman, 51 years old, will join the Boston-based First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over four northeastern states, plus Puerto Rico. She has worked as an advocate for abortion rights for more than a decade, most recently leading U.S. litigation for the Center for Reproductive Rights.  (Kusisto, 6/20)

Vox: The Abortion Rights Movement’s Top Supreme Court Lawyer Is Now A Federal Judge
Julie Rikelman is arguably the nation’s preeminent attorney representing the cause of abortion rights. She is almost certainly the most important pro-abortion rights litigator of her generation. And now she will serve as a federal appellate judge. Among other things, Rikelman made a doomed effort to save Roe v. Wade from a hostile Supreme Court in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Center (2023). Three years earlier, in June Medical Services v. Russo (2020), she unexpectedly convinced conservative Chief Justice John Roberts to preserve abortion rights for a few years before the Court’s new 6-3 Republican majority eliminated the constitutional right to an abortion in Dobbs. (Milhiser, 6/20)

In other abortion news from the federal government —

The Hill: Democrats Fed Up With Tuberville Want To Change Senate Rules 
Senate Democrats say they’re ready to take another look at rules reform to break through the blockade Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) has put in place against more than 200 military promotions to protest the Pentagon’s abortion policy. (Bolton, 6/20)

Politico: The Sleeper Legal Strategy That Could Topple Abortion Bans 
As the nation nears the one year anniversary of the fall of Roe, a Missouri case is one of nearly a dozen challenges to abortion restrictions filed by clergy members and practitioners of everything from Judaism to Satanism that are now making their way through state and federal courts — a strategy that aims to restore access to the procedure and chip away at the assumption that all religious people oppose abortion. (Ollstein, 6/21)

AP: Jill Biden: Consequences Of Overturning Roe V. Wade 'Go Far Beyond The Right To Choose' 
Jill Biden said Tuesday that the consequences for women of losing the constitutional right to an abortion “go far beyond the right to choose” as she hosted a conversation with four women, including a Texas doctor, who shared emotional stories of being denied necessary reproductive care. (Superville, 6/20)

Billboards, protests are planned later this week —

CBS News: DNC To Raise Billboards In Times Square, Across U.S. To Highlight Abortion Rights A Year After Roe V. Wade Struck Down 
The Democratic National Committee (DNC) will launch a billboard campaign beginning on Thursday in Times Square and battleground states across the country. The ads will highlight the contrast between Democrats' efforts to protect abortion rights and Republicans' attempts to ban abortion, according to a DNC official. (Ewall-Wice, 6/21)

Reuters: Abortion Rights Supporters And Opponents Mark One Year Without Roe V. Wade
Ahead of a rally set for Saturday in Washington, Rachel Carmona, executive director of the Women's March activist organization, acknowledged the devastating blow dealt to reproductive rights by the Supreme Court's reversal last year. "We are framing this to lift up the wins that we've had in the last year, but of course it's a somber day for us," Carmona said. (Harte, 6/20)

AP: Controversial Virginia State Senators, Including 'Pro-Life' Democrat, Ousted In Primary Election
A handful of Virginia incumbents prevailed over challengers in Tuesday’s primary election, but two of the state’s most controversial political figures — Democratic Sen. Joe Morrissey and Republican Sen. Amanda Chase — lost their party’s nomination, along with at least three more of their Senate colleagues. Morrissey, a political centrist and increasingly rare Democrat who supports limits on abortion access, lost to former state legislator Lashrecse Aird, an unapologetic, “100%” supporter of abortion rights. (Rankin, 6/21)

Politico: Abortion Still Dominates Democratic Politics: 3 Takeaways From Virginia’s Primary Night 
Aird's victory is just the latest in a series of small but significant data points that show Democratic voters are still motivated by abortion rights at the ballot box. Earlier this year, Democrats flipped a state Senate seat in Virginia after a campaign that drew outsized attention from both pro-abortion rights and anti-abortion groups. And Wisconsin saw unrivaled turnout in an April state Supreme Court race that was very much about abortion. (Montellaro, 6/20)

More abortion news from South Carolina, New York, Kansas, and Kentucky —

Reuters: U.S. Supreme Court Revives South Carolina Planned Parenthood Defunding Case
The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday threw out a lower court ruling that blocked South Carolina from ending public funding to Planned Parenthood, giving the Republican-governed state another chance to defend its bid to deprive the reproductive healthcare and abortion provider of government money. (Chung, 6/20)

CBS News: New York Passes Bill To Protect Doctors For Out-Of-State Telehealth Abortion Pill Prescriptions
The New York State Legislature passed a bill Tuesday that would legally protect New York doctors who prescribe abortion pills to patients living in states where the procedure has been outlawed. The bill passed the New York State Assembly by a 99 to 45 margin, and cleared the state Senate last month by a vote of 39 to 22. It has now been sent to the desk of Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is expected to sign it into law. (Mandler, 6/20)

AP: Kansas Won't Enforce Its New Law On Medication Abortions For At Least 5 Weeks
Kansas officials have agreed not to enforce a new restriction on medication abortions for at least five weeks before a state court judge decides whether to put it on hold until he decides a lawsuit challenging it and other existing rules. Providers and their attorneys announced the agreement Tuesday. For now, providers won’t have to tell patients that they can stop a medication abortion using a regimen that providers and major medical groups consider unproven and potentially dangerous. The new rule was set to take effect July 1. (Hanna, 6/20)

AP: Abortion Rights Groups Drop Suit Challenging Kentucky's Ban But Continue Legal Fight 
Abortion-rights groups filed a court motion Tuesday to dismiss their lawsuit challenging Kentucky’s near-total abortion ban but signaled that the legal fight is far from over. The groups’ strategy will focus on the next legal challenge expected to come from pregnant women who were denied abortion services in Kentucky. “We will be back in court when we have a patient plaintiff,” Tamarra Wieder, Kentucky state director for Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates, said in a statement. (Schreiner, 6/21)

From Missouri and Mississippi —

AP: Missouri Judge Orders End To GOP Officials' Standoff Over Proposed Abortion Rights Ballot Measure
A constitutional amendment to restore abortion rights in Missouri will move forward after a judge on Tuesday broke a standoff between two Republican officials that had halted the process. Cole County Presiding Judge Jon Beetem ordered Attorney General Andrew Bailey to approve fellow Republican Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick’s estimated $51,000 price tag on the proposal within 24 hours. Bailey had refused to approve the price estimate, arguing that if the proposal were to succeed, it could cost the state as much as a million times more than that figure because of lost Medicaid funding or lost revenue that wouldn’t be collected from people who otherwise would be born. (Ballentine, 6/20)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch: Survey Shows Missourians Don't Know If Birth Control Is Legal
Many Missourians are confused about the legality of birth control in the state and worried about future access, according to results released Tuesday of a survey of more than 1,000 residents. One in four Missourians do not believe or know that birth control pills are legal in the state, the survey found. More than half — 53% — do not believe or do not know that emergency contraception is legal; and 40% do not believe or know that intrauterine devices (IUDs) are legal. (Munz, 6/20)

CBS News: How Abortion Ban Has Impacted Mississippi One Year After Roe V. Wade Was Overturned 
Mississippi has the highest infant mortality rate in the country, and the maternal death rate is worsening, particularly for Black mothers, according to data from the Mississippi State Department of Health. Getty Israel, a public health expert, warned about this possibility last year as the state's only abortion clinic prepared to close. (Huey-Burns, 6/20)

On abortion care providers —

ABC News: Majority Of OBGYNs Believe Overturning Roe Led To More Maternal Deaths: Survey
A majority of OBGYNs say the overturning of Roe v. Wade last summer is linked to more maternal deaths, according to a new survey released early Wednesday from KFF. The decision -- known as Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization -- determined there is no constitutional right to an abortion and gave individual states full power to regulate abortion. Since then, at least 15 states have ceased nearly all abortion services, according to an ABC News tally. (Kekatos, 6/21)

Axios: Medical Residents Must Travel For Abortion Training Post-Dobbs
Abortion restrictions are forcing some medical residents to travel out-of-state to learn how to perform an abortion as a part of their medical training. Some states tightened abortion restrictions and banned the procedure in response to the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade, forcing both providers and patients to travel further distances for care and training. (Dreher, 6/21)

The Washington Post: White House Meets With Drug Firms On Cost Of Overdose-Reversal Drugs 
White House officials met with pharmaceutical company representatives Tuesday in an effort to address long-standing concerns about the affordability of overdose-reversal drugs that the Biden administration views as crucial to saving lives amid the nation’s raging opioid crisis. The meeting was held with representatives from 10 companies, including Emergent BioSolutions, which later this summer will start selling without a prescription an overdose-reversal drug called naloxone. Critics have slammed Emergent for plans to price the nasal spray, sold under the brand name Narcan, at “less than $50” per two-dose kit, which they say is too expensive for many people, let alone those who regularly use drugs. (Ovalle, 6/20)

Stat: Xylazine, Or ‘Tranq,’ Is Making Opioid Overdoses Harder To Reverse
For years, public health guidance about opioid overdoses has been relatively simple: Administer naloxone, then call 911. But the days of simply spraying naloxone into an overdose victim’s nose, then watching that person resume breathing and wake up within minutes, are over. (Facher, 6/21)

Also —

Bangor Daily News: Maine Senate Votes Down ‘Safe Injection Sites’ That Janet Mills Opposed
The Democratic-led Maine Senate narrowly voted down a bill on Tuesday to allow “safe injection sites” that are beginning to emerge nationally to fight opioid overdose deaths but remain federally illegal. Senators voted 18-16 against a measure from Rep. Grayson Lookner, D-Portland, that would allow cities and towns to approve sites where people could use heroin and other illegal drugs under the supervision of medical staff who could revive them if they overdose. (Shepherd, 6/20)

Los Angeles Times: L.A. Health Officials Warn About Fentanyl-Tainted Pills In Mexican Drug Stores
Los Angeles County public health officials on Tuesday issued an alert warning Angelenos that some pharmacies in Mexico have been selling counterfeit medications containing fentanyl and other narcotics. “The landscape of overdose deaths no longer primarily affects those who are using substances regularly,” the alert said. “Due to fentanyl, we are seeing people overdose and die the first time they try an illicit substance or counterfeit pill.” (Blakinger and Sheets, 6/20)

The Texas Tribune: Fentanyl Dominates Headlines, But There’s A Bigger Drug Problem In Texas
Opioids, including heroin, prescription pills and fentanyl, have caused the most overdose deaths in Texas, according to a Texas Health and Human Services report that studied death certificate data from 2010 to 2019. And because opioids are often mixed with other drugs, there’s been a rise in deaths known as polysubstance overdoses. The most recent state data shows those deaths reaching a rate of four per 100,000 people in 2019.The most prevalent drug combinations were commonly prescribed pills, like hydrocodone and oxycodone, mixed with depressants like benzodiazepines and psychostimulants that include amphetamine and methamphetamine. (Simpson, 6/19)

KFF Health News: What You Need To Know About The Opioid Settlement Funds 
The money, which comes from companies like Purdue Pharma, McKesson, CVS, and others that made, distributed, and sold opioid painkillers,  is meant as restitution for their roles in fueling the epidemic. KFF Health News senior correspondent Aneri Pattani breaks down the money’s path – from when it lands to how it’s spent. (Pattani, Norman and Tempest, 6/21)

The Wall Street Journal: U.S.-Funded Scientist Among Three Chinese Researchers Who Fell Ill Amid Early Covid-19 Outbreak
A prominent scientist who worked on coronavirus projects funded by the U.S. government is one of three Chinese researchers who became sick with an unspecified illness during the initial outbreak of Covid-19, according to current and former U.S. officials. The identity and role of the researchers is one piece of intelligence that has been cited by proponents of the judgment that the pandemic originated with a lab leak, though the nature of their illness hasn’t been conclusively established. (Gordon and Strobel, 6/20)

More on the pandemic —

CNBC: Pfizer, Moderna And Novavax Gear Up For Fall Covid Vaccine Rollout With An Important Head Start
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Covid strain selection for the next round of shots puts Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax on track to deliver new jabs in time for the fall — a decisive win for the vaccine makers as they gear up to compete against one another. ... The FDA’s strain selection means the companies won’t have to scramble to manufacture shots targeting an entirely different strain, which would delay the timing of delivery. (Constantino, 6/20)

The Guardian: Air Pollution ‘Aged’ Hospital Covid Patients By 10 Years, Study Shows 
People exposed to air pollution experienced Covid-19 as if they were 10 years older, according to research. It found people recently exposed to dirtier air before contracting the illness spent four days longer in hospital, the same impact as on those 10 years their senior. The Belgian study also showed that air pollution levels measured in patients’ blood were linked to a 36% increase in the risk of needing intensive care treatment. A separate study in Denmark showed air pollution exposure was linked to a 23% increase in the risk of death from Covid-19. In both studies, the level of air pollution was below legal EU standards. (Carrington, 6/21)

CIDRAP: Clinicians Describe Lack Of Support, Waning Motivation In Year 2 Of COVID-19
Interviews with clinicians who provided direct patient care at US healthcare facilities in the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic describe a disconnect between official messaging about crisis conditions and their own experience, waning morale, and having to allocate scarce resources in the absence of system-level support. ... Three themes emerged from the interviews: isolation, in-the-moment decision-making, and eroding motivation. Clinicians said they had a limited view of events outside of their immediate practice area and observed a disconnect between official messaging about conditions and their own experience. (Van Beusekom, 6/20)

Also —

AP: Outgoing CDC Director Says Resignation Spurred By Sense Of Accomplishment And Exhaustion
The outgoing head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday her reasons for stepping down were complicated, driven in part by a desire to take a break from the frenetic pace of the job during a pandemic. Dr. Rochelle Walensky surprised many in public health circles last month by announcing her departure after two years and five months — one of the shortest tenures for a CDC director in recent decades. She resigned as the pandemic’s national public health emergency was winding down. “I did what I came to do — which was get us through the darkest days of a pandemic,” she said in an interview with The Associated Press. (Stobbe, 6/20)

Axios: Scientists On Twitter Head For The Exit
A feud broke out on Twitter over the weekend between popular podcaster Joe Rogan and prominent vaccine researcher Peter Hotez, with the podcaster challenging the scientist to a debate about vaccines in an online skirmish that drew fire from a few billionaires. The incident — which ultimately resulted in individuals approaching the scientist outside his home — highlighted the potential risks for researchers and medical professionals using the platform, which saw a rise in hate speech after its acquisition by billionaire Elon Musk. (Reed, 6/20)

NBC News: Anxiety Screening Recommended For All Adults Under 65, Panel Says
All young and middle-age adults should be screened regularly for anxiety and depression, even if they don't have symptoms, an influential public health group said Tuesday. While the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has recommended doctors assess patients for depression since 2002, it is the first time the group has advocated for routine screening of anxiety in adults. Pregnant women and those who gave birth within the past year were highlighted as people who should be screened. (Edwards, 6/20)

In related news about anxiety —

Axios: Stress Relief Tips That Aren't Exercise
If you're feeling stressed but can't fit in a stress-relieving workout today, you may literally need a hug. Americans are stressed out. While exercise is a proven way to support mental health — which made evolutionary sense for our ancestors — it's not the only way to de-stress. There are other options we often overlook. (Mallenbaum, 6/20)

New Atlas: First-Of-Its-Kind Noninvasive CRISPR Method Knocks Out Anxiety Gene
Anxiety affects many people, and for some, medication doesn’t help. Researchers have developed a novel, noninvasive method of delivering CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technology into the brain – previously a challenge – to knock out a gene that causes anxiety. While the technique has so far only been used on mice, the findings open the door to developing new therapeutics, especially for people resistant to medication. (McClure, 6/20)

Military Times: Why Troops Should Be Wary Of Blue Lotus When Using Vapes, E-Cigarettes
An Egyptian plant called Nymphaea caerulea, more commonly known as “blue lotus,” is a flower featuring natural properties purported to help with sleeplessness and anxiety. In high doses, it can also cause paranoia, hallucinations, and even seizures. However, because it is not considered a controlled substance, blue lotus is legally available in a majority of U.S. states — namely, in the form of vape and electronic cigarette products. A 2021 study of several service members who ingested such blue lotus products highlighted the concoction’s possible dangers. (Sicard, 6/20)

Also —

Stat: National Panel Rejects Calls For Broader Suicide Risk Screening
A panel of advisers is sticking with its recommendation that providers screen most adults for major depression, but, to the chagrin of mental health advocates, will not advise broad screening for suicide risk. (Owermohle, 6/20)

If you are in need of help —

Dial 9-8-8 for 24/7 support from the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. It's free and confidential.

Fox News: Kids’ Stomach Pain Is Common Complaint, Yet Many Parents Don’t Seek Medical Care, Poll Finds
Stomach pain is one of the most common complaints among kids, but most parents have trouble pinpointing the cause and taking action to relieve it, a new poll found. The C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan, polled 1,061 randomly selected adults with kids between the ages of three and 10 in February 2023. (Rudy, 6/20)

Fox News: Doctors Increasingly Using AR Smart Glasses In Operating Room: 'Potential To Revolutionize Surgeries' 
As artificial intelligence and other technologies continue to move into the medical field, a growing number of doctors are showing interest in how these innovations can transform all aspects of patient care — including surgery. Augmented reality (AR) smart glasses are wearable devices that enhance how people interact with the world around them. This is one such technology that's seeing wider use. (Rudy, 6/21)

CNN: Heavy Drinkers Really Don’t ‘Handle Their Liquor,’ Study Says 
It’s a misnomer that heavy drinkers can “hold their liquor,” a new study found. Instead, people with alcohol use disorder — what used to be called alcoholism — were significantly impaired on cognitive and motor tests up to three hours after downing an alcoholic drink designed to mimic their typical habits. (LaMotte, 6/19)

Stat: Scientists Successfully Unfroze Rat Organs And Transplanted Them
The rat kidney was peculiarly beautiful — an edgeless viscera about the size of a quarter, gemstone-like and gleaming as if encased in pure glass. It owed its veneer to a frosty, minus 150-degree Celsius plunge into liquid nitrogen, a process known as vitrification, that shocked the kidney into an icy state of suspended animation. Then researchers at the University of Minnesota restarted the kidney’s biological clock, rewarming it before transplanting it back into a live rat — who survived the ordeal. (Renault, 6/21)

USA Today: Best Hospitals For Kids: US News Releases Rankings Amid Legal Scrutiny
U.S. News & World Report released its latest rankings for the country’s top children’s hospitals Wednesday, a day after a scathing letter criticized the media company for its annual rating system. San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu alleged U.S. News’ rankings system is fraught with bias, questionable methodology and undisclosed financing, according to a letter obtained by USA TODAY Tuesday. Chiu said the letter is "more than a heads up." (Rodriguez, 6/21)

In other health care industry news —

The Washington Post: Charges Dropped Against 2 Hospital Workers In Irvo Otieno Murder Case
The Virginia prosecutor who filed second-degree murder charges against 10 sheriff’s deputies and hospital workers in the March death of Irvo Otieno at a state mental health facility dropped the cases against two defendants Tuesday. Otieno, a 28-year-old Black man whose family said he was experiencing a mental health crisis, was handcuffed and bound at the legs when Henrico County sheriff’s deputies and employees at Central State Hospital held him down for about 11 minutes until he died, according to surveillance video and the medical examiner. (Rizzo, 6/20)

Modern Healthcare: Healthcare Dealmaking Slows In 2023: PwC Report 
Inflation, rising interest rates and uncertainty about changes to government heath programs could drag healthcare dealmaking in 2023, despite renewed interest in hospital and physician groups, according to an analysis the consulting firm PwC published Tuesday. (Tepper, 6/20)

Modern Healthcare: UPMC, Washington Health System Plan To Merge
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Washington Health System said Tuesday they plan to merge. The nonprofit systems' boards signed a letter of intent this month agreeing to integrate Washington Health into UPMC, following more research and discussion, according to a news release. (Hudson, 6/20)

Bloomberg: Health-Care Startup Aledade Valued At $3.5 Billion After Fundraise
Aledade, a company that helps US doctors adapt their practices to new payment arrangements aimed at improving care and cutting costs, raised $260 million in venture capital to expand its network. (Tozzi, 6/21)

KFF Health News: Listen To The Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’ 
On the KFF Health News Minute this week: Doctors face hurdles seeking the mental health support they sometimes need, and the pitfalls of using an AI chatbot to help people with eating disorders. (6/20)

San Francisco Chronicle: Gavin Newsom Unveils Plan For California To House The Mentally Ill
Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled his plan on Tuesday to build housing for people with mental illness and addiction using $4.68 billion in new bond funding and some existing revenue from the state’s mental health services tax. (Bollag, 6/20)

The New York Times: Federal Policy On Homelessness Becomes New Target Of The Right
The bipartisan approach that has dominated federal homelessness policy for more than two decades is under growing conservative attack. The policy directs billions of dollars to programs that provide homeless people with permanent housing and offer — but do not require them to accept — services like treatment for mental illness or drug abuse. The approach, called Housing First, has been the subject of extensive study and expanded under presidents as different as George W. Bush and Barack Obama. President Biden’s homelessness plan makes Housing First its cornerstone and cites it a dozen times. But Housing First has become a conservative epithet. (DeParle, 6/20)

In other health news from across the U.S. —

AP: Louisiana Lawmakers Regret Cutting $100M From Proposed State Health Department Budget Increase 
Lawmakers in Louisiana’s GOP-controlled Senate said Tuesday that they regretted their hasty passage of the state’s $45 billion budget — namely their decision to reduce a proposed funding increase for the state Department of Health by $100 million — and called on Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards to clean up the mess. ... The budget was passed by the Republican-dominated Legislature in the final 30 minutes of the session, with little to no explanation of the changes, minimal debate and in some cases a lack of testimony over how the amendments could affect services. (Cline, 6/21)

Los Angeles Times: Measles Cases Have Been Reported In California's Central Valley 
Two cases of measles have been reported in California’s Central Valley, prompting local officials to remind people to get their children vaccinated against the highly infectious disease. The infections were confirmed in a single household in Fresno County. County health officials said they are working with their counterparts at the state level and in neighboring Madera County to contact individuals who may have been exposed but believe at this point that the risk to the general population is low. (Lin II, 6/20)

Columbus Dispatch: Versiti Blood Center Of Ohio To Offer 'Mixed Reality' Blood Donation
Blood donations will take a modern spin in the Columbus area before the end of the month.Starting June 27, the Versiti Blood Center of Ohio in Hilliard will offer a "mixed reality" blood donation experience in an effort to attract new donors and ease the giving process for existing donors. For users, mixed reality meshes real-world senses with virtual reality concepts. Donors will wear a Microsoft HoloLens 2 visor that provides vocal directions and on-screen touch buttons, ultimately leading them to create soothing digital forestry. (Nimesheim, 6/20)

Missouri Independent: Why Missouri Hospitals Are Housing Children In Foster Care 
On an early June day, five foster children were being housed by SSM Health at hospitals in the St. Louis area not because they were sick, but because there was no other place for them to live. They had each been in the hospital an average of 56 days. There were 23 adult clients of the Department of Mental Health — people with a developmental disability or behavioral issue — being boarded by SSM. Each had been hospitalized an average of 193 days. (Keller, 6/20)

Bloomberg: Adderall Alternative Vyvanse Is In Short Supply As ADHD Drug Shortages Spread 
Vyvanse, sold by Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., is in low inventory due to manufacturing issues, a company spokesperson told Bloomberg News. “Increased demand for Vyvanse in the wake of other ADHD medication supply shortages has limited our ability to have additional inventory on-hand to help mitigate potential supply disruptions,” a representative wrote in an email. (Swetlitz, 6/20)

KFF Health News: Drugmakers Are Abandoning Cheap Generics, And Now US Cancer Patients Can’t Get Meds 
On Nov. 22, three FDA inspectors arrived at the sprawling Intas Pharmaceuticals plant south of Ahmedabad, India, and found hundreds of trash bags full of shredded documents tossed into a garbage truck. Over the next 10 days, the inspectors assessed what looked like a systematic effort to conceal quality problems at the plant, which provided more than half of the U.S. supply of generic cisplatin and carboplatin, two cheap drugs used to treat as many as 500,000 new cancer cases every year. Seven months later, doctors and their patients are facing the unimaginable: In California, Virginia, and everywhere in between, they are being forced into grim contemplation of untested rationing plans for breast, cervical, bladder, ovarian, lung, testicular, and other cancers. Their decisions are likely to result in preventable deaths. (Allen, 6/21)

In other pharmaceutical news —

Stat: Top Federal Lobbyist At PhRMA Leaves
The top federal lobbyist for the brand drug lobby PhRMA is leaving, two drug industry lobbyists and one health care lobbyist told STAT on Tuesday. Anne Esposito, who was the trade group’s senior vice president for federal advocacy, played an important role in shaping PhRMA’s lobbying strategy over her three and a half years at the organization. (Cohrs, 6/20)

Stat: Exact Sciences Touts Data On Updated Cologuard Cancer Test
An updated version of Exact Sciences’ stool-based colorectal cancer screening test detected cancer accurately in a massive study, triggering fewer false alarms than its current product, the company announced Tuesday. While the biotech plans to use the data to apply for regulatory approval, cancer specialists say they’ll need to see more details before concluding the new test is a real and meaningful improvement over the current one. (Wosen, 6/20)

Stat: Eli Lilly To Acquire DICE Therapeutics In $2.4 Billion Deal
Eli Lilly said Tuesday that it will purchase DICE Therapeutics, a small company developing an experimental pill to treat psoriasis, for $2.4 billion in cash. The deal price of $48 per share represents a 42% premium to DICE’s closing price Friday. (Herper, 6/20)

Stat: Opaque Conflicts Of Interest Permeate Prescription Drug Benefits
Employers across the country — from big names like Boeing and UPS to local school systems — pay consulting firms to handle a straightforward task with their prescription drug coverage: Get the best deals possible, and make sure the industry’s middlemen, known as pharmacy benefit managers, aren’t ripping them off with unfair contracts. (Herman, 6/20)

Fox News: Breakthrough For Multiple Sclerosis Sufferers May Involve Helpful Hormone: ‘Patients Should Remain Optimistic’
A hormone released during pregnancy could help reverse damage in the cortex of the brain caused by multiple sclerosis (MS), a recent study led by UCLA has found. In people with MS, a potentially disabling autoimmune disease, immune cells attack and damage a protective coating called myelin, which surrounds nerves in the brain and spinal cord. When myelin is damaged, the nerve cells can no longer communicate with each other, which triggers symptoms of the disease. (Rudy, 6/21)

FiercePharma: Novo Takes Action Against Unlawful Sales Of Ozempic, Wegovy
Three weeks after the FDA warned that some pharmacies are making unauthorized versions of Novo Nordisk’s highly demanded diabetes and obesity drugs, the company has filed suit against five outlets in the United States. (Dunleavy, 6/20)

CIDRAP: COVID-19 Vaccination Doesn't Harm Ovarian Health, Fertility, Study Suggests 
A Baylor University–led study finds no link between COVID-19 vaccination and poor ovary health and fertility among nearly 2,200 women of child-bearing age. (Van Beusekom, 6/20)

CIDRAP: COVID-19 Vaccines Protective In Children Ages 0 To 11 
Children under the age of 12 are protected against severe illness from COVID-19 by mRNA vaccines, but the effectiveness decreases over time, as does immunity gained from previous infections. These findings and others are published in a new study in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. (Soucheray, 6/20)

Reuters: GSK's RSV Vaccine Shows Long-Term Efficacy In Late-Stage Trial 
GSK on Wednesday said its vaccine for the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), which recently won EU approval, showed strong long-term protection in older adults in a late-stage trial. (6/21)

FiercePharma: Lilly's Emgality Fails To Top Pfizer's Nurtec In Migraine Trial
Eli Lilly's Emgality didn’t outdo Pfizer’s Nurtec in the prevention of migraines in a head-to-head trial. (Liu, 6/20)

Reuters: US FDA Approves Eli Lilly-Boehringer's Diabetes Drugs For Children
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday approved Eli Lilly and partner Boehringer Ingelheim's drugs Jardiance and Synjardy to treat type 2 diabetes in children. The drugs were approved as additions to diet and exercise to improve blood sugar control in children aged 10 years and above with type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease. (6/20)

Stat: The FDA Needs A Risk Evaluation And Mitigation Strategy For Alzheimer's Drug Lecanemab
Over the past several months, my conversations with colleagues in the Alzheimer’s field have featured an unusual sentiment: optimism inflected with worry. (Jason Karlawish, 6/16)

Stat: Cancer Drug Shortages Put Patients, Oncologists In Terrible Position
ancer patients, like those I treat in San Diego and thousands more across the country, are facing an alarming shortage of critical chemotherapy drugs, forcing oncologists to ration cancer treatment doses for patients with curable diseases. (Kristen Rice, 6/19)

Stat: Instead Of Credible Data, PDS Biotech Delivers Vague Promises
PDS Biotech is a small developer of cancer drugs that is zealously seeking investor eyeballs, yet it can’t seem to grasp the tumor-response concept. Its disclosures have been opaque and confusing — and I suspect, that’s on purpose. (Adam Feuerstein, 6/15)

The Washington Post: Abortion, Not Trump, Is The GOP's Biggest Problem In 2024 
We are fast approaching the first anniversary of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, arguably the most hotly criticized Supreme Court ruling in the 126 years since Plessy v. Ferguson. (Jennifer Rubin, 6/20)

The Washington Post: Joe Rogan Wants A ‘Debate’ On Vaccines. That’s Just The Problem. 
Like many a crank before him, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. decided that the best way to promote his ideas — mostly opposition to vaccines, with a smattering of various conspiracy theories thrown in — would be to run for president. (Paul Waldman, 6/20)

The Washington Post: Ashish Jha Has Prepared Us For Future Covid Surges. He Deserves Credit. 
The United States is in a better position to respond to emerging covid threats than it was a year ago. That’s in no small part because of the efforts of Ashish Jha. (Leana S. Wen, 6/21)

In mental health news —

Houston Chronicle: Climate Change Is Hurting Kids' Mental Health. Here's What To Do.
The Surgeon General recently highlighted social media as a source of harm to children’s mental health. But there’s another risk factor that’s going unnoticed. We need to talk about what climate change means for children’s mental health. (Betty Lai, 6/20)

The Baltimore Sun: As Mental Health Worsens Among College Students, Schools And Instructors Must Adapt
Unless colleges devise more creative mental health safety nets, they risk losing or partially preparing a generation of college students. (Andrew Reiner, 6/20)

San Diego Union-Tribune: The Human Bond Is Crucial To Therapy, And It Can't Be Replicated By AI
As a psychotherapist, I suggest we can’t have a discussion about AI doing therapy without addressing the key role that human attachment — the type of physical, emotional trusting bond between people — plays in healing and meaning making. (Richard Brouillette, 6/19)

San Diego Union-Tribune: I Sought Mental Health Therapy From ChatGPT 
Research on delivery of mental health services via teletherapy returned substantial benefits in terms of accessibility and convenience even before the start of the pandemic, so let’s take this premise a step further. (Jamie Evan Bichelman, 6/19)

Kansas City Star: Don’t Wait: Restrict Missouri Kids’ Social Media Access Now 
One-third of teenage girls seriously considered attempting suicide in 2021. This devastating fact, recently reported by the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention, can lead to only one conclusion: Our society is failing young people. (Brock Foley, 6/18)