Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Adderall Shortage Is Causing Major Life Disruptions For Patients
The Wall Street Journal: As An Adderall Shortage Continues, Some Patients Put Lives On Hold
Patients say not being able to find the drugs can mean the difference between being able to work, sleep or perform daily tasks such as shopping for groceries, or not. Dr. Kathryn Boling, a family medicine doctor with Mercy Personal Physicians in Lutherville, Md., says she has combined smaller doses or swapped drugs for another stimulant. Doctors have been prescribing other stimulants such as Ritalin, Concerta and Vyvanse, to help tide over patients. “We try to help them get it in whatever way we can,” she says. (Janin, 4/13)
Vox: The Ongoing, Unnecessary Adderall Shortage, Explained
Drug shortages are almost always the result of too little supply, not too much demand. But while artificial limits on supply are undoubtedly contributing to the shortage, the growing demand for Adderall is unique. (Scott, 4/10)
In other pharmaceutical industry news —
Stat: Sickle Cell Gene Therapies Could Be Cost-Effective At $1.9 Million
As the U.S. health care system prepares for expensive gene therapies, a preliminary analysis suggests that a pair of forthcoming treatments for sickle cell disease would be cost-effective if priced as high as $1.9 million, depending upon certain variables. (Silverman, 4/12)
Stat: With FDA Staff Opposed To Sarepta Therapy, Top Official Intervened
Reviewers at the Food and Drug Administration were leaning toward rejecting a closely watched gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy made by Sarepta Therapeutics, prompting a top official to intervene earlier this year, according to three people with direct knowledge of the agency deliberations. (Feuerstein and Mast, 4/13)
Stat: Study Highlights Power Of Genetic Sequencing To Diagnose Diseases
Using genome sequencing greatly expanded the number of diagnoses researchers could provide for children with developmental disorders from thousands of families across the United Kingdom and Ireland, researchers reported in a new study Wednesday. (Joseph, 4/12)
KFF Health News: The Drug Company That Prospered Without Creating Any Drugs
The new drug looked so promising — except for that one warning sign. At the American College of Rheumatology’s annual meeting in 2008, Duke University’s Dr. John Sundy proudly announced that pegloticase, a drug he’d helped develop, was astoundingly effective at treating severe gout, which affects perhaps 50,000 Americans. In about half of those who had taken it, the drug melted away the crystalline uric acid deposits that encrusted their joints to cause years of pain, immobility, or disfigurement. But Sundy also disclosed an unsettling detail: In one clinical trial, patients who got the drug were more likely to develop heart problems than those who didn’t. The day after Sundy’s talk, the stock price of Savient Pharmaceuticals, which developed the drug with Duke scientists, plunged 75%. (Allen, 4/13)
Stat: Pear Therapeutics Set Huge Revenue Goals — But Never Came Close
In January, Pear Therapeutics was quickly running out of money. The digital health startup embarked on an effort to sell up to $150 million worth of its stock, which could have tossed Pear a crucial lifeline as it sought to claw its way to a sustainable business. By the end of March, the stock sale had yielded just $1 million and it was evident that investors were no longer interested in funding the company. (Aguilar, 4/13)
