First Edition: May 16, 2024
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
KFF Health News:
Medics At UCLA Protest Say Police Weapons Drew Blood And Cracked Bones
Inside the protesters’ encampment at UCLA, beneath the glow of hanging flashlights and a deafening backdrop of exploding flash-bangs, OB-GYN resident Elaine Chan suddenly felt like a battlefield medic Police were pushing into the camp after an hours-long standoff. Chan, 31, a medical tent volunteer, said protesters limped in with severe puncture wounds, but there was little hope of getting them to a hospital through the chaos outside. (Castle Work and Kelman, 5/16)
KFF Health News:
Federal Panel Prescribes New Mental Health Strategy To Curb Maternal Deaths
Milagros Aquino was trying to find a new place to live and had been struggling to get used to new foods after she moved to Bridgeport from Peru with her husband and young son in 2023. When Aquino, now 31, got pregnant in May 2023, “instantly everything got so much worse than before,” she said. ... Perinatal depression affects as many as 20% of women in the United States during pregnancy, the postpartum period, or both, according to studies. (Platzman Weinstock, 5/16)
KFF Health News:
Addiction Treatment Homes Say Montana’s Funding Fixes Don’t Go Far Enough
Montana health officials have started a voucher system to help people with substance use disorders move into transitional housing as they rebuild their lives. But those who run the clinical houses said the new money isn’t enough to fix a financial hole after a prior state revamp. (Houghton, 5/16)
KFF Health News:
California’s $12 Billion Medicaid Makeover Banks On Nonprofits’ Buy-In
For much of his young life, Jorge Sanchez regularly gasped for air, at times coughing so violently that he’d almost throw up. His mother whisked him to the emergency room late at night and slept with him to make sure he didn’t stop breathing. “He’s had these problems since he was born, and I couldn’t figure out what was triggering his asthma,” Fabiola Sandoval said of her son, Jorge, now 4. “It’s so hard when your child is hurting. I was willing to try anything.” (Hart, 5/16)
The Hill:
HHS Looks To Debar Group At Center Of COVID Lab-Leak Theories
The Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic shared the letter signed by HHS Deputy Assistant Secretary for Acquisitions Katrina Brisbon to EHA President Peter Daszak. “A thorough investigation determined that there is adequate evidence that EHA has not been compliant with federal regulations and grant terms and conditions, which affects EHA’s present responsibility,” and HHS spokesperson said in a statement to The Hill. (Choi, 5/15)
The Hill:
Walgreens Offering Cheaper Version Of Opioid Reversal Drug
Walgreens is set to offer a cheaper version of an important opioid reversal drug at its stores soon, according to Wednesday press release. “Walgreens today announced it is expanding access to an over the counter, life-saving medication with the launch of Walgreens Brand Naloxone HCI Nasal Spray,” reads the press release from Walgreens’ parent company Walgreens Boots Alliance. (Suter, 5/15)
CIDRAP:
Study: Before Vaccines, 44% Of COVID-19 Patients In ICU Died
A new analysis of pre-vaccine data from scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that 18% of hospitalized patients and 44% of those admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) for COVID-19 died, with wide variations among different groups. The study was published yesterday in Emerging Infectious Diseases and is based on 2,479,423 cases from 21 jurisdictions with hospitalization information reported to the CDC from May 1, 2020, to December 1, 2020, to create a hospitalization dataset. (Soucheray, 5/15)
The Hill:
Most States Receive D’s, F’s In Maternal Mental Health Report Card
Jaqueline Sharp, 35, remembers her anxiety “went through the roof” shortly after she gave birth to her son in 2019. ... Sharp is one of the millions of women whose mental health declined after delivery. About 1 in 5 pregnant or postpartum women in the United States will experience a mental health disorder like depression, anxiety or suicidal ideation, according to the American Psychiatric Association. But very few of these women will receive treatment. (O’Connell-Domenech, 5/15)
Roll Call:
Administration Releases Maternal Mental Health Plan
The Biden administration on Tuesday announced the first national maternal mental health strategy, seeking specific actions from Congress and multiple federal agencies to reduce the effects of untreated mental health and substance use conditions during and after pregnancy. (Raman, 5/15)
The Hill:
Almost 7M Black Women Of Reproductive Age Have Little, No Abortion Access: Research
More than 50 percent of Black girls and women of reproductive age live in states with little to no abortion access, according to a new report. The analysis from National Partnership for Women & Families and In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda found that nearly 7 million Black women ages 15-49 live in the 26 states that have banned or are likely to ban abortion. (Daniels, 5/15)
AP:
New Kansas Abortion Clinic Will Open To Help Meet Demand From Restrictive Neighboring States
A new abortion clinic will open in southeast Kansas this fall, bolstering the state’s role as a regional hub for reproductive health services whose neighbors have severely restricted access since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. ... After the Roe reversal, Kansas was the first state where voters weighed in on abortion at the ballot box, resoundingly rejecting a constitutional amendment that could have led to an abortion ban in August 2022. (Fingerhut and Mulvihill, 5/15)
The Hill:
Wegovy Could Bankrupt US Health System, Sanders Says In New Report
Blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy could bankrupt the U.S. health care system unless the price drops, according to a staff report released Wednesday from the office of Senate Health Committee Chair Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). Unless prices dramatically decline, Wegovy and weight loss drugs could push Americans to spend $1 trillion per year on prescription drugs, the report concluded. (Weixel, 5/15)
Newsweek:
Medicare Could Save $500 Million With Coverage Change
Anti-obesity medications are a hot topic in the medical world, and many Americans remain conflicted on how and when they should be covered by health insurance. Despite the controversy around paying for weight loss drugs like Ozempic, a new Intensity report found covering the anti-obesity medications could in fact save Medicare around $500 million yearly. (Blake, 5/15)
The Hill:
Voters More Aware Of Drug Pricing In Inflation Reduction Act: Poll
President Biden’s messaging about lowering the cost of prescription drugs through the Inflation Reduction Act is resonating with more people, but most voters overall are still unaware of some key provisions, according to a new poll from health policy research group KFF. Lowering health costs has been a key reelection message for Biden, and he has touted passage of the IRA as a signature achievement. (Weixel, 5/15)
The Hill:
Carper, Scott Introduce Legislation To Extend Hospital-At-Home For 5 Years
Sens. Tom Carper (D-Del.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.) will introduce legislation Wednesday that would extend the Acute Hospital Care at Home (AHCAH) waiver program past its 2024 expiration date. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) introduced several waivers and flexibilities in 2020, allowing for various inpatient-level hospital services to be conducted in patients’ homes. (Choi, 5/15)
Politico:
CDC To End Program To Vaccinate Uninsured Adults Early
Uninsured and underinsured adults could have a harder time getting the newest Covid-19 vaccine this fall, just as temperatures cool and cases are expected to rise. The CDC’s Bridge Access Program, which provides free updated Covid vaccines to uninsured adults, will end in August, according to the agency. The program was slated to end in December. (Gardner, 5/15)
Reuters:
US FDA Approves Expanded Use Of Bristol Myers' Cancer Cell Therapy
The U.S. health regulator on Wednesday approved the expanded use of Bristol Myers Squibb's (BMY.N) cancer cell therapy Breyanzi for the treatment of adults with a type of blood cancer called follicular lymphoma, that has returned or has not responded to prior treatments. The Food and Drug Administration's decision marks the fourth approval for Breyanzi, which can now be used to treat patients who have received two or more prior lines of therapy. (5/16)
Newsweek:
Ventilator Recall Issued With Warning Of 'Serious Injuries Or Death'
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has ordered a software recall for a type of ventilator, for fear of "serious injuries or death." The ventilators—the Philips Respironics, Inc. Trilogy EVO, Trilogy EV300, Trilogy Evo O2, and Trilogy Evo Universal—have been assigned a Class I recall, which is the most serious type of recall that the FDA has. (Thomson, 5/15)
Newsweek:
Are Indian Spices Safe To Eat?
Food safety regulators around the world have launched investigations into two brands of Indian spice blends over concerns that they may be contaminated with cancer-causing pesticides. ... The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is also gathering information about the alleged contamination, and regulators in New Zealand and Australia have launched their own investigations, according to the report. (Dewan, 5/15)
Politico:
WHO Urges Countries To Ban High-Salt Foods
The World Health Organization urged countries Wednesday to set legal limits on the amount of salt in manufactured foods, restaurants and canteens in a suite of recommendations to curb excessive intake and cut rates of heart disease. Nearly all countries in the European region — 51 out of 53 — have an average daily salt intake above the WHO recommended maximum of 5 grams per day. This poses serious health concerns, the WHO says. (Chiappa, 5/15)
NBC News:
Climate Change May Be Linked To Rising Migraine Severity And Frequency In Americans, Study Finds
Migraines are increasing in frequency and intensity among Americans: Could climate change be a reason? Although the number of Americans who have migraines has remained stable for the last 30 years, their impact on people’s daily activities — including missing social events or being less productive at school or work — has become much worse, according to a recent study. (Sudhakar, 5/16)
NBC News:
Patients With Female Doctors Have Lower Risk Of Death, Research Shows
Having a female doctor could lower the risk of death or major health issues after surgery or hospitalization, studies have shown over and over. The latest evidence, published Wednesday in the British Journal of Surgery, finds that surgical teams with more women see fewer health complications among patients than male-dominated teams. (Bendix, 5/15)
CNN:
Certain Vegetarian Diets Significantly Reduce Risk Of Cancer, Heart Disease And Death, Study Says
Eating a vegan, vegetarian or lacto-ovo vegetarian diet significantly reduces the overall risk of developing cancer, heart disease and dying early from cardiovascular disease, according to a new “umbrella” analysis of more than 20 years of research. An umbrella review looks at existing metanalyses of large numbers of studies, providing a high-level view of existing research on a topic. (LaMotte, 5/15)
The New York Times:
What To Know About CKM, The Link Between Heart Health, Diabetes And Kidney Disease
Heart disease, diabetes and kidney disease are among the most common chronic illnesses in the United States — and they’re all closely connected. ... The three illnesses overlap so much that last year the American Heart Association coined the term cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome to describe patients who have two or more of these diseases, or are at risk of developing them. A new study suggests that nearly 90 percent of American adults already show some early signs of these connected conditions. (Sheikh, 5/15)
CNN:
New Screening Tool Can Identify Preeclampsia Risk Sooner, Test Maker Says
A new blood test can be performed in a pregnant person’s first trimester to help assess their risk of developing preeclampsia, a potentially life-threatening pregnancy complication. It’s the first and only test of its kind available in the United States that can be used between 11 and 14 weeks gestation to determine the risk of preeclampsia before 34 weeks of pregnancy, its maker, Labcorp, announced Wednesday. The first trimester is the period from 0 to 13 weeks of a pregnancy. (Howard, 5/15)
CIDRAP:
Hospital COVID Patients 35% More Likely To Die Than Flu Patients Last Winter, Study Suggests
During the 2023-24 respiratory virus season, hospitalized US COVID-19 patients were at a 35% higher risk for death from any cause than those admitted for influenza, compared with a 61% higher risk the winter before, estimates a research letter published today in JAMA. (Van Beusekom, 5/15)
Reuters:
AstraZeneca's COVID Prevention Drug Cuts Risk Of Disease In Vulnerable Patients
AstraZeneca's (AZN.L) COVID-19 prevention therapy reduced the risk of infection in patients with weaker immunity in a late-stage trial, meeting its primary goal, the drugmaker said on Thursday. The long-acting antibody therapy called sipavibart showed a "statistically significant reduction" in symptomatic COVID-19 cases among immunocompromised patients, the company said. (5/16)
Stat:
To Spot An Incipient Stroke, Tiny Brain Probe Acts ‘Like A Microscope’
To better understand problems in the brain’s blood vessels that may lead to stroke, we need a better way to see them. Cardiovascular imaging can peer inside coronary arteries to spot clots blocking blood flow to the heart, but those tools are dangerously large for the smaller arteries inside the brain that twist and turn in tortuous ways. (Cooney, 5/15)
Reuters:
Exclusive: Musk's Neuralink Has Faced Issues With Its Tiny Wires For Years, Sources Say
Neuralink's disclosure last week that tiny wires inside the brain of its first patient had pulled out of position is an issue the Elon Musk company has known about for years, according to five people familiar with the matter. The company knew from animal testing it had conducted ahead of its U.S. approval last year that the wires might retract, removing with them the sensitive electrodes that decode brain signals, three of the sources said. Neuralink deemed the risk low enough for a redesign not to be merited, the sources added. (Levy, 5/15)
Newsweek:
Pig-To-Human Transplants Condemned As 'Cruel And Dangerous' After Death
Animal rights organization PETA has condemned the use of animal organs in human transplantation after the world's first living recipient of a genetically modified pig kidney passed away just weeks after receiving the organ transplantation. ... The transplantation was celebrated as a "historic milestone" in medical research, which experts hope will make organ transplantation more readily available in the future. However, not everyone agrees with the use of animals in this technology. (Dewan, 5/15)
Reuters:
Pfizer Offers Up To $250 Mln To Settle Zantac Cancer Lawsuits, FT Reports
Pfizer (PFE.N), opens new tab will pay up to $250 million to settle more than 10,000 U.S. lawsuits over cancer risks associated with its discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, the Financial Times reported on Thursday. The drugmaker was set to pay between $200 million and $250 million in the settlement, the newspaper reported, citing two people briefed on the deal. The settlement was disclosed in a court filing in Delaware last week, and is aimed at reducing Pfizer's potential liability, the report added. (5/16)
Reuters:
Roche Shares Gain On Obesity Drug Results From Early-Stage Trial
Roche (ROG.S) shares gained as much as 4.7% early on Thursday after an early-stage trial showed that the obesity drug candidate by newly acquired Carmot Therapeutics led to significant weight loss. The Swiss drugmaker said the study in the first of three trial stages required for regulatory approval showed the compound known as CT-388 resulted in weight loss of 18.8%, when adjusted for a placebo effect, after 24 weeks in healthy adults with obesity. (Burger, 5/16)
The Wall Street Journal:
Allianz Backs 2024 Guidance After Profit Jump
Allianz confirmed its 2024 guidance after growth across all of its segments over the first quarter boosted its net profit by 22%. Europe’s largest insurer made a net profit of 2.475 billion euros ($2.68 billion) compared with EUR2.16 billion in the year-earlier period, it said Wednesday. (Vardon, 5/15)
The New York Times:
As Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital Faces Closure, Patient Care Suffers
Once a full-service hospital that performed heart surgery and treated a range of stroke patients, Beth Israel on Manhattan’s East Side offers more limited services these days. The number of employees has dwindled from 1,800 to about 1,300 in less than a year. Some floors are nearly empty of patients. That is because for years Beth Israel’s parent hospital system, Mount Sinai, has been trying to close it, saying it loses too much money. (Goldstein, 5/16)
Stat:
Galapagos To Make CAR-T Therapies At Blood Centers Across U.S.
Seeking to differentiate itself from other makers of CAR-T cancer therapies, Galapagos NV on Wednesday announced it had struck a deal with Blood Centers of America to open up dozens of manufacturing sites for its cell-based medicines around the U.S. (Joseph, 5/15)
Politico:
Lawmakers Demand Plan For Health Care Worker Minimum Wage
State lawmakers voiced frustration on Wednesday over a lack of detail on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s promised $25-per-hour minimum wage for health care workers, saying they need to know soon as they work to pass his newly proposed budget. “We’ll have to see it soon, because we need to pass this budget in like a month,” Assembly Health Budget Chair Akilah Weber told administration representatives at a hearing Wednesday. (Bluth, 5/15)
The Current:
Louisiana Teens Travel Hours For Inpatient Mental Health Care
Until this year, there were no inpatient beds for children under 12 in Acadiana. Now, there are 10 beds available at the only local facility currently offering those services to patients under 18, but the resources still fall short compared to the growing need for adolescent mental health services. The area “is under-resourced for inpatient adolescent and pediatric needs, and really all psychiatric needs,” explained Dr. Foster Kordisch, who oversees Lafayette General’s emergency department. ERs are often the entry point into the mental health care system for those in crisis. (Maschkle, 5/8)
AP:
Missouri Lawmakers Renew Crucial $4B Medicaid Tax Program
Missouri’s GOP-led Legislature on Wednesday renewed a more than $4 billion Medicaid program that had been blocked for months by a Republican faction that used it as a bargaining tool. The bill which now heads to Gov. Mike Parson will renew a longstanding tax on hospitals and other medical providers. Money from the tax is used to draw down $2.9 billion in federal funding, which is then given back to providers to care for low-income residents on Medicaid health care. (Ballentine, 5/15)
Stat:
Cherokee Nation Medical School Graduates Its First Class
There are so few Indigenous physicians in the United States — just 0.3% of doctors — that their numbers barely show up in charts and graphs depicting the diversity of the medical workforce. But as of Thursday, there will be at least nine more. (McFarling, 5/16)
AP:
Hawaii Study Shows Almost 75% Of Maui Wildfire Survey Participants Have Respiratory Issues
A University of Hawaii study examining the health effects of last year’s deadly wildfires on Maui found that up to 74% of participants may have difficulty breathing and otherwise have poor respiratory health, and almost half showed signs of compromised lung function. The data ... comes from what researchers hope will be a long-term study of wildfire survivors lasting at least a decade. Researchers released early results from that research on Wednesday. (McAvoy, 5/16)