Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
HHS Backs DEA's Effort To Classify Synthetic Kratom Extracts 7-OH And MGPI
The Hill: HHS Recommends Regulating Synthetic Kratom Derivatives
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Friday added its recommendations to the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) move to schedule synthetic kratom extracts, putting its support behind the push to regulate the substances colloquially called “gas station opioid.” In July, the DEA announced plans to temporarily schedule a psychoactive compound derived from kratom called 7-hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) and other related compounds as Schedule I, placing it in a category indicating no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. (Choi, 10/9)
KFF Health News: People Say These Peptides Hurt Them. Their Stories Are Muffled In MAHA’S Push For Medical Freedom
After the third day of squirting an experimental drug up his nose, Dylan Meetze felt horrible. “It was like I was underwater, like it took the most to do anything,” he said. Meetze stopped taking the drug but endured fatigue and anxiety for months afterward, and his eyes and muscles twitched, he said. (Maxmen, 10/13)
More health news from the Trump administration —
Healthcare Dive: Hospitals Sue Over Revamped 340B Rebate Pilot
Hospitals are suing the HHS for a second time over the agency’s controversial plan to convert 340B drug discounts into a rebate system. The American Hospital Association, along with a Maine hospital lobby and four safety-net hospitals, filed the complaint Friday alleging that the switch from upfront discounts to post-purchase rebates threatens the financial viability of hospitals in the drug discount program. (Hughes, 10/12)
The New York Times: Cancer Vaccines Are The N.I.H.’s Next ‘Big Bet’
A new type of cancer treatment — vaccines — is so promising that it demands a national effort to expedite discoveries, said the director of the National Cancer Institute, Dr. Anthony Letai. “We can do things that would not otherwise be done,” he said of new resources being made available at the National Institutes of Health. “We can place big bets on new ideas.” (Kolata, 10/9)
NBC News: Houston Man Run Over By ICE Vehicle Will Need Additional Surgery, Advocates Say
A man who was injured when an ICE officer’s car ran over him has had surgery on his leg but needs additional procedures to reconstruct the leg and other parts of his body, an advocate for the man said Monday. Miguel Parra Hernandez, 48, had leg and hip injuries and a shattered ankle after the officer’s vehicle struck him during a pursuit Saturday, said Cesar Espinosa, a co-founder and the executive director of FIEL, who was speaking on Parra’s behalf. Parra cannot put weight on his leg for six weeks and must wait for swelling to reduce before doctors can perform additional surgery, he said at a news conference Monday. (Gamboa, Thompson and Gonzalez, 10/13)
Axios: Axios-Ipsos Poll: 'Medicare For All' Support Surges
Supporters of "Medicare for All" now outnumber opponents by nearly 2-to-1, according to a new survey of U.S. adults from the Axios-Ipsos American Health Index. Two-thirds of all survey respondents — and half of Republicans — said the federal government should be willing to spend more tax dollars to lower health care costs for Americans. (Talev, 10/13)
In election news —
AP: False Claims That Talarico Was Treated At Mental Health Facility Spread
Republican officials and conservative social media users spread unfounded rumors in recent days that state Rep. James Talarico, the Democratic nominee in a competitive Texas Senate race, had suffered a mental health crisis. Questions about Talarico’s whereabouts began spreading after the candidate was not seen in public for nine days. But he and his campaign have repeatedly attributed his absence to the flu. (Goldin and Bedayn, 10/12)
KFF Health News: Fears About Kids’ Online Safety Unite Democrats And Republicans
The U.S. Senate candidates in Texas could hardly be more different: James Talarico, a former seminarian turned Democratic state lawmaker who speaks in calm cadences about love and empathy, and Ken Paxton, the pugnacious Republican state attorney general who speaks about a refusal to compromise. They share an enemy, though. They dislike social media’s effects on children’s mental health. Talarico, who did not respond to a request for comment, has endorsed a social media ban for kids under 16, while denouncing “predatory algorithms that divide us on an hourly, daily basis.” As a legislator, he co-authored a bill targeting explicit deepfakes — digital imitations of individuals that are often made or manipulated by artificial intelligence and used for harassment on social media. (Tahir, 10/13)
NBC News: Abortion Isn’t Top Of Mind For Voters, But Democrats Are Betting It Could Motivate Their Base
Abortion was a dominant theme in the 2022 midterm elections, which took place just months after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. This time around, the issue isn’t top of mind for as many voters — but Democrats are still betting it could motivate their base and independents, particularly in a handful of high-profile races. (Bendix, 10/12)
