As Arrests Are Made, Harvard Faces New Lawsuit Over Stolen Body Parts
Another family filed a lawsuit over Harvard Medical School's role in a ring that allegedly sold human remains on the black market, while some arrests are made in the case. Meanwhile, a dispute that threatened transplant organ supplies is heading to arbitration, not court.
Axios:
Harvard Medical Faces Another Lawsuit Over Stolen Human Remains
Another family has filed a lawsuit asking for class-action status against Harvard Medical School over the university's role in a ring that allegedly sold human remains on the black market for years. It's the latest in a string of similar class-action suits against the prestigious school since federal authorities charged its morgue manager with conspiracy and trafficking of stolen goods. (Deehan, 7/14)
AP:
Arrests Have Been Made In A Human Remains Trade Tied To Harvard Medical School. Here's What To Know
The indictment charges Lodge; his wife, Denise; Maclean; Joshua Taylor, of West Lawn, Pennsylvania; and Mathew Lampi, of East Bethel, Minnesota, with conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen goods. Authorities were first clued in to the nationwide network after the arrest of Jeremy Lee Pauley, who was charged with abuse of a corpse, receiving stolen property and other state charges in Pennsylvania in July 2022. Police say Pauley allegedly tried to buy stolen human remains from an Arkansas woman for possible resale on Facebook. An FBI affidavit in a Kentucky case last week said Pauley bought hearts, brains, lungs and two fetal specimens from the Arkansas woman, who had allegedly taken them from a mortuary. (Lovan, 7/16)
Also —
The Washington Post:
Dispute That Threatened Flow Of Transplant Organs Moves To Arbitration
A dispute that threatened the flow of organs to a quarter of the nation’s transplant hospitals is heading to arbitration instead of a courtroom, according to the organizations involved. The United Network for Organ Sharing, a nonprofit that operates the U.S. transplant system, and Buckeye Transplant Services, a private company that screens organs for surgeons and hospitals, agreed to try to resolve their differences with an arbitrator, according to a statement posted on Buckeye’s website Thursday. UNOS spokeswoman Anne Paschke confirmed the development in an email. (Bernstein, 7/14)
Stat:
J&J Expands Global Access To TB Drug Amid Advocacy Campaign
Advocates have been fighting Johnson & Johnson for years over a patent on a lifesaving tuberculosis pill. On Thursday, they won a partial victory as the United Nations-affiliated group STOP TB announced an agreement to make cheaper generics available across dozens of low- and middle-income countries with high rates of disease. (Tsanni, Mast and Silverman, 7/14)
Stat:
Argenx Drug Significantly Slows Progression Of Nerve Disorder
Belgian drugmaker Argenx said Monday that its antibody treatment called Vyvgart significantly delayed the progression of an autoimmune nerve disorder that causes people to lose feeling and muscle strength in the arms and legs. The positive outcome — a 61% reduction in the risk of relapse compared to a placebo — achieved the main goal of a Phase 3 clinical trial designed to demonstrate Vyvgart’s benefit for patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, or CIDP. (Feuerstein, 7/17)
Stat:
In Early Work, Researchers Turn To CRISPR To Treat Alzheimer's
When the genome-editing tool CRISPR is thought of as a potential medicine, the targets that first come to mind are diseases like sickle cell or other conditions caused by particular mutations. Use CRISPR to fix that mutation, the idea goes, and you can treat the disease. (Joseph, 7/16)
Reuters:
Exclusive: Delays Getting Higher Dose Wegovy To Patients Reported By US Doctors
Some U.S. patients taking the two highest doses of Novo Nordisk's (NOVOb.CO) Wegovy weight-loss drug are facing difficulty filling their prescriptions, eight doctors around the country told Reuters this week, suggesting a new supply challenge for the popular medicine. (Fick, Wingrove and Welle, 7/14)
The Wall Street Journal:
Drugs Like Ozempic Created A Gold Rush. These Drugmakers Want In
The sudden popularity of drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy for weight loss created a multibillion-dollar market overnight. (7/16)
Axios:
Seniors' Health Care Use Is Up, UnitedHealth Says
Rising demand for behavioral care and Medicare outpatient procedures are squeezing some of UnitedHealth Group's business segments but didn't stop the industry giant from beating Wall Street's expectations and posting earnings of $5.47 billion in Q2. The parent of the biggest U.S. health insurer is a bellwether for broad industry trends. Despite higher-than-expected utilization and concern about how that could drive up health costs, the increases were less than some feared, Reuters reported. (Reed, 7/17)
NBC News:
How U.S. Drugmaker Akorn’s Closure Contributed To The Escalating Drug Shortage Crisis
When Akorn Pharmaceuticals shut its doors in February, hospitals across the country felt it. The Lake Forest, Illinois-based drugmaker was responsible for producing 75 generic drugs, all of which were pulled from the market when the company closed down. In some cases, the company was the sole supplier of particular products. (Lovelace Jr., 7/16)
On financial developments in the industry —
Reuters:
Eli Lilly To Buy Versanis For Up To $1.93 Billion In Obesity Drugs Push
Eli Lilly and Co (LLY.N) said on Friday it will buy privately held Versanis for potentially up to $1.93 billion to strengthen its position in the fast-growing market for weight-loss treatments. Shares of Eli Lilly rose 3% after the deal that gives it access to an experimental obesity drug being tested along with rival Novo Nordisk's (NOVOb.CO) weight-loss treatment in a mid-stage study. (Roy, 7/14)
Reuters:
UnitedHealth's Lower-Than-Feared Costs Lift Profit, Shares
UnitedHealth Group's (UNH.N) quarterly profit beat Wall Street estimates on Friday as a smaller-than-expected jump in medical costs allayed fears that a resumption in long-delayed surgical procedures would hit profit growth. The company's results allowed investors to breathe a sigh of relief following a $60-billion wipeout in industry market value last month, after UnitedHealth raised alarms about rising costs. (Satija and Mahobe, 7/14)
Stat:
Care Demand Spikes Challenge UnitedHealth’s Provider Arm
UnitedHealth Group’s Optum subsidiary saw a lower operating margin in the second quarter due to more seniors getting care, a spike in demand for behavioral health services, and an influx of members with higher health needs. “Those three elements, the senior trend piece, the behavioral piece, and then the effects of the strong growth is really what explains what’s going on,” UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty said on the company’s earnings call on Friday. “We’ll continue to lean into that growth very assertively.” (Bannow, 7/14)
Reuters:
US FTC Seeks Additional Info On Pfizer's Proposed Takeover Of Seagen
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has sought additional information and documentary material related to Pfizer's (PFE.N) proposed acquisition of Seagen Inc (SGEN.O), Seagen said on Friday. The antitrust agency sent the requests separately to both the companies, a regulatory filing said. (7/15)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Why UCSF Health Wants To Gobble Up 2 San Francisco Hospitals
Even as some San Francisco businesses lay off workers or leave town altogether, one mammoth local enterprise is looking to expand its presence in the city. UCSF Health, San Francisco’s largest medical center and second-largest employer after the city itself, hopes to get even bigger by buying a pair of money-losing hospitals — St. Mary’s Medical Center and Saint Francis Memorial — as well as a 35-bed psychiatric hospital, four medical clinics and a parking lot. (Asimov, 7/15)
The New York Times:
Profiting From Risky Atherectomies That Can Lead To Amputations
Kelly Hanna’s leg was amputated on a summer day in 2020, after a Michigan doctor who called himself the “leg saver” had damaged her arteries by snaking metal wires through them to clear away plaque. It started with a festering wound on her left foot. Her podiatrist referred Ms. Hanna to Dr. Jihad Mustapha. Over 18 months, he performed at least that many artery-opening procedures on Ms. Hanna’s legs, telling her they would improve blood flow and prevent amputations. (Thomas, Silver-Greenberg and Gebeloff, 7/15)
The Wall Street Journal:
The Pickleball Craze Won’t Decimate Big Insurers
UnitedHealth signals insurers can weather increase in procedures for more-active seniors. (Wainer, 7/15)
