Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Drug Companies Woo Mexican Plasma Donors Across Border With Flashy Facebook Ads, Promises Of Hefty Payments
ProPublica: Pharmaceutical Companies Are Luring Mexicans Across The U.S. Border To Donate Blood Plasma
Every week, thousands of Mexicans cross the border into the U.S. on temporary visas to sell their blood plasma to profit-making pharmaceutical companies that lure them with Facebook ads and colorful flyers promising hefty cash rewards. The donors, including some who say the payments are their only income, may take home up to $400 a month if they donate twice a week and earn various incentives, including “buddy bonuses” for recruiting friends or family. Unlike other nations that limit or forbid paid plasma donations at a high frequency out of concern for donor health and quality control, the U.S. allows companies to pay donors and has comparatively loose standards for monitoring their health. (Dodt, Strozyk and Lind, 10/4)
In other pharmaceutical news —
The New York Times: F.D.A. Approves New H.I.V.-Prevention Drug, But Not For Women
The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved a new drug, Descovy, for prevention of infection with H.I.V., only the second drug approved for this purpose. The first, Truvada, has become a mainstay of government efforts to turn back the H.I.V. epidemic. But the F.D.A. approved Descovy for use only in men and transgender women, because its maker, Gilead Sciences, tested it only in those groups. (Mandavilli, 10/4)
Modern Healthcare: Johnson & Johnson Pledges $500 Million Toward Ending HIV And TB
Johnson & Johnson said Friday it will invest more than $500 million over the next four years toward eradicating HIV and tuberculosis. J&J will dedicate a team of researchers toward accelerating the development of next generation medicines and vaccines for HIV and tuberculosis, and they hope to complement governmental efforts to eliminate the diseases by 2030. (Johnson, 10/4)
