Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
FDA Approves New UTI Drug For Women Who Have Run Out Of Options
Reuters: US FDA Approves Iterum's Treatment For Urinary Infection
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Iterum Therapeutics' oral antibiotic to treat certain types of bacterial urinary tract infections (UTI) in adult women, the health regulator said on Friday. The drug, Orlynvah, has been approved to treat uncomplicated UTIs in women who have limited oral antibacterial treatment options or none at all. UTI is a common bacterial infection of the bladder that mostly affects women with normal anatomy of the urinary tract. (S K and L, 10/25)
Stat: Drug May Make Chemotherapies Less Effective In Cancer Patients With Obesity
A drug used to combat fungal infections in cancer patients comes with a big caveat — research shows the medicine can last twice as long as in people with obesity. This means chemotherapies may be less effective when interacting with the medicine, but some clinicians, and their patients, are unaware of that possibility. (Silverman, 10/28)
Stat: Novartis, Seagen Veteran Epstein To Lead Cancer Startup
It hasn’t even been a year since Pfizer closed its $43 billion acquisition of Seagen — one of the biggest biopharma deals in years — but David Epstein, who was CEO of Seagen, is back. Epstein is now the CEO of Ottimo Pharma, a new company unveiled Monday aiming to develop a drug that could work in a variety of cancers. It’s an experimental antibody that targets two proteins called PD-1 and VEGF, an approach that has become one of the hottest areas in immuno-oncology. (Joseph, 10/28)
Bloomberg: Apple Secretly Tests Blood-Sugar App In Sign Of Health Ambitions
Apple Inc., seeking to make further inroads in health care, tested an app this year to help people with prediabetes manage their food intake and make lifestyle changes, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The company tested the service on select employees earlier this year, part of its broader push into blood-sugar features, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the work is secret. (Gurman, 10/25)
In obituaries —
The Washington Post: Richard Cash, Championed ‘Simple’ Therapy To Overcome Cholera, Dies At 83
An oral rehydration solution of sugar, salt and water, promoted by Dr. Cash and others, helped save more than 50 million lives since the 1970s. (Murphy, 10/26)
