Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Brain Structure Shows Who Needs Higher Doses Of Anesthesia
ScienceDaily: Predisposition To Accidental Awareness Under Anesthesia Identified By Neuroscientists
Brain structures which could predict an individual's predisposition to accidental awareness under anaesthetic have been identified by neuroscientists. (Trinity College Dublin, 1/12)
Stat: Mix-It-Yourself Wegovy? Some Try Risky Sources For Obesity Drugs
With a few clicks, Daniel added the chemical to his online cart and ordered it. In less than a week, a vial containing white powder arrived at his house. He used a syringe to measure out sterile water and eject it into the vial to dissolve the powder. Then, with a different syringe, he drew up about a quarter of a milliliter of the solution and injected it into his lower abdomen. (Chen, 1/18)
The New York Times: Sickle Cell Cure Brings Mix Of Anxiety And Hope
This year, people with sickle cell may have the option of finally living without the damage the disease causes. Two drug companies are seeking approval from the Food and Drug Administration for gene therapies that may provide what amounts to a cure. But the decision to take the medication — should it become available — it turns out, is not so simple. After a life adapted to their illness, some are unsure of how to begin again as healthy people. (Kolata, 1/17)
Stat: In Search For Therapies For Solid Tumors, Companies Turn To Claudin-6
Targeted immunotherapies like CAR-T have been remarkably successful in combating blood cancers like chronic lymphocytic leukemia. But malignancies that involve solid tumors have proved far more challenging for these new technologies. (Chen, 1/18)
Stat: After Four Years Of Big Talk, Mega Startup Sana Prepares To Deliver
The last time Sana CEO Steve Harr was here for the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, his company had only recently shrugged off the unprintable code name its founders used privately: FD Therapeutics, short for “F— Disease.” Little was known about the then-mysterious cell therapy startup, except that it would pursue ideas “that will seem unconnected to the current reality” and, rumor had it, potentially raise an over $1 billion Series A. (Mast, 1/17)
CIDRAP: Surveillance Data Show Multidrug-Resistant Salmonella Infections Rising In US
Researchers with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Minnesota Department of Health late last week reported an increase in infections caused by a multidrug-resistant (MDR) strain of Salmonella linked to pigs. (Dall, 1/17)
The Lancet: Measuring The Global Response To Antimicrobial Resistance, 2020–21
Understanding strategic commitments and policy responses to overcome antimicrobial resistance at the national, regional, and global levels is required to evaluate current progress and direct future planning. National action plans (NAPs) are the primary mechanism for guiding national strategy and action for antimicrobial resistance governance. (Patel et al, 1/16)
