Should Obesity Drugs Be Prioritized? Genetics Test Could Help Decide
Read recent pharmaceutical developments in KFF Health News' Prescription Drug Watch roundup.
Axios:
Genetic Test Could Help Decide Who Should Get Obesity Drugs
As everyone in health care is trying to figure out which patients should get pricey new weight-loss drugs, a biotech company spun out of the Mayo Clinic is betting the genetics-based approach it's pioneering may hold the answer. (Reed, 1/31)
Stat:
New Ultima Genomics DNA Sequencer Can Read Genome For $100
Ultima Genomics, an upstart some observers have called a “dark horse” in the world of DNA sequencing, will soon launch a line of high-power instruments that can read a human genome for as little as $100, the company’s leadership told STAT. (Wosen, 1/30)
Reuters:
2seventy Bio To Sell Experimental Cell Therapies, Names New CEO
Cancer treatment maker 2seventy bio said it will sell all its experimental cell therapies to Regeneron Pharmaceuticals to focus on its only approved product Abecma, sending 2seventy's shares up more than 14% in premarket trade. (1/30)
CIDRAP:
Quad High-Dose Flu Vaccine Tied To Fewer Hospitalizations In Seniors
Danish seniors who received the quadrivalent (four-strain) high-dose influenza vaccine (QIV-HD) had fewer hospitalizations for flu and other conditions compared to their peers who received the standard quadrivalent flu vaccine (QIV-SD), according to a post-hoc analysis published late last week in Clinical Microbiology and Infection. (Schnirring, 1/29)
New England Journal of Medicine:
Hospital Prices For Physician-Administered Drugs For Patients With Private Insurance
Hospitals can leverage their position between the ultimate buyers and sellers of drugs to retain a substantial share of insurer pharmaceutical expenditures. (James C. Robinson, Ph.D., Christopher Whaley, Ph.D., and Sanket S. Dhruva, M.D., 1/25)
