Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
FDA To Consider Approving First New Schizophrenia Drug In Over 30 Years
Axios: FDA Weighs KarXT, First Schizophrenia Drug Shift In Decades
The Food and Drug Administration is slated to decide Thursday whether to approve the first new schizophrenia drug in at least three decades. The complex condition is currently treated with antipsychotics that carry safety risks like metabolic disorders, cause weight gain and often cause people to stop taking their medications. (Goldman, 9/26)
Reuters: Pfizer Withdraws Sickle Cell Disease Treatment On Risk Of Complication, Death
U.S. drugmaker Pfizer said on Wednesday it is withdrawing its sickle cell disease treatment Oxbryta from all markets where it is approved, citing risks of a painful complication and deaths. Pfizer bought Oxbryta, also known as voxelotor, as part of its $5.4 billion buyout of Global Blood Therapeutics in 2022. (9/25)
Reuters: Merck's Colorectal Cancer Therapy Fails Late-Stage Trial
Merck said on Wednesday a combination of its experimental drug and blockbuster therapy Keytruda failed a late-stage trial testing it in previously treated patients with a type of colorectal cancer. This is the latest failure in a set of trials studying a combination involving Keytruda at a time the drugmaker seeks to expand its use in types of cancers not yet treated by immunotherapies while facing a loss of patent protection for the drug at the end of the decade. (9/25)
Stat: Study Finds MRI Cuts Overdiagnosis In Prostate Cancer Screening
Prostate cancer presents a tricky screening challenge. Catching it early could mean dodging a painful journey with advanced cancer. Yet a sizable majority of prostate cancers are “indolent” — slow growing tumors that most likely would never metastasize during the patient’s lifetime, and whose treatment would do more harm than good. (Chen, 9/25)
Stat: Sleep Apnea On Apple Watch: Experts See Potential, Not Perfection
This month, Apple launched a feature for the Apple Watch that alerts users if it determines they may have sleep apnea, potentially leading to treatment for a dangerous health condition that often goes undiagnosed. (Aguilar, 9/26)
