Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Could Deep Brain Stimulation, A Last-Resort Treatment For Other Diseases, Be Answer To Opioid Addiction?
The Washington Post: Deep Brain Stimulation Is Being Tested To Treat Opioid Addiction
A surgeon has implanted electrodes in the brain of a patient suffering from severe opioid use disorder, hoping to cure the man’s intractable craving for drugs in the first such procedure performed in the United States. The device, known as a deep brain stimulator, is designed to alter the function of circuits in the man’s brain. It has been used with varying degrees of success in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease, dystonia, epilepsy, obsessive-compulsive disorder and even depression. It is seen as a last-resort therapy after the failure of standard care, such as medication that reduces the craving for drugs. (Bernstein, 11/6)
The Wall Street Journal: Bankruptcy Scholars Seek Probe Of Purdue Pharma’s Owners
Bankruptcy scholars on Tuesday called for an independent probe of the Sackler family’s dealings with OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP, which sought court protection from an avalanche of lawsuits over the opioid epidemic. “The extraordinary public interest in these cases warrants a targeted bankruptcy examination,” law professors Jonathan Lipson, Adam J. Levitin and Stephen J. Lubben wrote in a letter to federal watchdogs overseeing the drugmaker’s bankruptcy. (Brickley, 11/6)
The Washington Post: China Touts Crackdown On Fentanyl, Urged By Trump, As It Sentences Drug-Ring Members
Chinese authorities on Thursday handed severe sentences to members of a fentanyl production ring in an overt show of commitment toward tackling an issue at the heart of President Trump’s criticisms of China. Central government officials invited foreign media to a court in northern Hebei Province where officials announced the arrest of 20 people and the closure of two online shops selling the synthetic opioid, which U.S. public health officials say is responsible for killing more Americans in overdoses than any other drug. (Shih, 11/7)
The Associated Press: First Lady Visits Cuddling Program For Babies Born On Drugs
First lady Melania Trump visited a Boston hospital Wednesday that uses cuddling to help infants born dependent on drugs or alcohol. The first lady met with caregivers and administrators at Boston Medical Center and told them she's "very focused" on their pioneering work with babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome. (LeBlanc, 11/6)
New Hampshire Union Leader: State Approves More Respite Beds To Treat Opioid Addiction
More people waiting for a permanent place in the state’s substance use disorder (SUD) treatment system will have access to respite care services as the state on Wednesday approved contracts to double the number of respite beds. Gov. Chris Sununu said the contracts the Executive Council approved should help lessen the demand for services in Manchester that until this point had been the only place to have these beds, 15 of them that the Farnum Center operates. (Landrigan, 11/6)
