Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
As Era Of Antibiotic Resistance Inches Ever Closer, Experts Say Incentives Are Crucial To Get Drugmakers To Invest In Treatments
Stat: Development Of New Antibiotics Will Require New Incentives, Experts Say
The market for combating superbugs, in theory, is substantial. In the U.S. alone, some 2 million people are infected with antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria annually, and 23,000 people die. Globally, about 700,000 people die each year thanks to antimicrobial resistance, according to a UN committee report. By 2030, the authors believe superbugs may kill up to 10 million people each year. Yet companies continue to bow out of the antimicrobial field. (Keshavan, 5/2)
Stat: Even Many Who Support Trump’s Drug Rebate Plan Don’t Support It In Medicaid
Medicaid advocates have a lot of opinions about the Trump administration’s rebate rule. Namely, that it makes no sense. The Trump administration’s controversial proposal to eliminate the drug rebates that pharmacy middlemen and insurers use to negotiate down the price of certain drugs doesn’t stop with that massive change — it proposes eliminating some of the rebates in Medicaid, too. The administration argues that in both programs, the policy will force pharmacies to pass rebates directly to the consumer, meaning lower prices at the pharmacy counter. (Florko, 5/2)
Stat: FDA Approves The First Vaccine For Dengue Fever, But With Major Restrictions
The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved the first vaccine against dengue fever, one that protects against a common disease but has generated significant controversy due to evidence it can increase the risk of severe infection in some people. The agency ruled that Dengvaxia, manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur, can only be used in individuals aged 9 to 16 living in parts of the United States where the dengue virus is endemic — in other words, where it circulates on an ongoing basis. Dengue is found only in Puerto Rico and a few other U.S. offshore territories and protectorates. (Branswell, 5/1)
