Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
FDA Should Not Have Approved AvertD Test For Opioid Risk, Experts Say
The Washington Post: FDA Urged To Rescind Approval Of AvertD Test For Opioid Addiction Risk
A group of public health experts and scientists is calling on the Food and Drug Administration to rescind its controversial approval of a DNA test that promises to predict genetic risk of opioid addiction. In a letter sent to the agency on Thursday, 31 experts in genetics, addiction, psychiatry and medical-device regulation called the approval of AvertD a mistake that relied on faulty science and puts patients at risk. The group sent a separate letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services urging the agency, which oversees government health insurance programs, to deny coverage for the prescription-only test. (Ovalle, 4/5)
WATE: Fentanyl Mixed With Stimulants May Be 'Fourth Wave' Of Opioid Crisis, Some TN Experts Say
For the first time, methamphetamine and cocaine have surpassed heroin and opioids in illicit drug use involving fentanyl, according to a recent study, and some experts are calling it the “fourth wave” of the opioid epidemic. “It’s become quite problematic,” Dr. Chapman Sledge, chief medical officer for Cumberland Heights substance abuse treatment center in Nashville, said. “I was just sitting down with an 18-year-old kid who’s using like 2 grams of fentanyl and 3 grams of methamphetamine every day.” (Gessner, 4/5)
AP: Massachusetts City Is Set To Settle A Lawsuit In The Death Of An Opioid-Addicted Woman
Relatives of a Vermont woman whose obituary drew national attention for its candid and heart-breaking discussion of her opioid addiction have reached a settlement with some of the parties who were sued for allegedly failing to provide adequate medical care. The family of Madelyn Linsenmeir sued the city of Springfield, Massachusetts, and the Hampden County Sheriff's Department, saying law enforcement officials ignored the 30-year-old mother’s pleas for help before she died of an infected heart valve. (4/7)
Also —
The New York Times: Teen Drug Use Habits Are Changing, For The Good. With Caveats.
Dr. Nora Volkow, who leads the National Institutes of Drug Abuse, would like the public to know things are getting better. Mostly. (Richtel, 4/6)
The Washington Post: Decades Of Identity Theft Put The Victim In Jail And A Mental Hospital
Matthew David Keirans stole the identity of William Donald Woods after they worked together at a hot-dog stand, at least partly sending Woods to jail. (Rosenzweig-Ziff, 4/6)
