Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Demand For Antibiotic In Short Supply May Impact Sick Children Soon: Pfizer
Reuters: Pfizer Expects To Run Out Of Some Antibiotic Supply For Children Soon
Pfizer has warned that a drug used to treat syphilis and other bacterial infections in children could run out by the end of June because it has had to prioritize versions made for adults due to a spike in syphilis infections in that population. Supply of the pediatric version of the drug, Bicillin L-A, is expected to be exhausted by the end of this quarter, the company said in a letter to the U.S. health regulator dated Monday. Pfizer said in an email on Tuesday that the pediatric formulations of the antibiotic are not widely used. (6/13)
In other pharmaceutical news —
Reuters: Exclusive: India Probes Bribery Claim In Toxic Syrup Tests
Indian authorities have launched an inquiry into an allegation that a local pharmaceutical regulator, in return for a bribe, helped switch samples of cough syrups that the World Health Organization (WHO) had linked to the deaths of children in Gambia before the samples were tested at an Indian laboratory, according to two government officials and documents reviewed by Reuters. (Das, 6/13)
CIDRAP: One Dose Of New Chikungunya Vaccine Prompts Antibody Response In 99%
A single dose of the VLA1553 chikungunya virus vaccine candidate triggered neutralizing antibody production in 98.9% of recipients 28 days later, finds a phase 3 randomized, controlled trial published yesterday in The Lancet. Chikungunya is a mosquito-borne virus that causes periodic outbreaks of an illness featuring severe joint and muscle pain that can lead to chronic rheumatic (inflammatory) disease. (Van Beusekom, 6/13)
San Francisco Chronicle: UCSF Doctor Fights Drugmaker's Halt To Research On Lifesaving Medicine
Diana Mansfield credits her life to a miracle drug. Since undergoing a kidney transplant at UCSF in 2001, Mansfield has received infusions of an immunosuppressant every two months that prevent her body from rejecting the organ. But the drug’s manufacturer, Bristol Myers Squibb, has cut back recently on funding for research on the medication, called belatacept, and now says it will halt investment entirely. It’s a blow to transplant patients and doctors hoping for improved regimens of the drug, and for inquiries into its use as a treatment for other ailments. (Castro-Root, 6/13)
The Wall Street Journal: Berberine, The Cheaper Weight-Loss Alternative Riding The Ozempic Wave
The Ozempic weight-loss craze has fueled new interest in a dietary supplement with roots in ancient traditional medicine as a cheap way to shed pounds. Posts mentioning berberine, dubbed “nature’s Ozempic,” have racked up millions of views on the social network TikTok, where some people claim it can help with weight loss, as well as other ailments. ... In the U.S., it is available in the form of a pill or powder from a range of manufacturers, though like other supplements, it isn’t regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (Subbaraman, 6/14)
