First Edition: Feb. 23, 2024

KFF Health News: Florida Defies CDC In Measles Outbreak, Telling Parents It's Fine To Send Unvaccinated Kids To School
With a brief memo, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo has subverted a public health standard that’s long kept measles outbreaks under control. On Feb. 20, as measles spread through Manatee Bay Elementary in South Florida, Ladapo sent parents a letter granting them permission to send unvaccinated children to school amid the outbreak. (Maxmen, 2/23)

KFF Health News: Pregnancy Care Was Always Lacking In Jails. It Could Get Worse
It was about midnight in June 2022 when police officers showed up at Angela Collier’s door and told her that someone anonymously requested a welfare check because they thought she might have had a miscarriage.Standing in front of the concrete steps of her home in Midway, Texas, Collier, initially barefoot and wearing a baggy gray T-shirt, told officers she planned to see a doctor in the morning because she had been bleeding. ... Instead of taking her to get medical care, they handcuffed and arrested her. (Rayasam, 2/23)

Live Science: One-Third Of Trans People Taking Testosterone May Still Ovulate, Raising Chance Of Pregnancy
Many transgender men and other gender-diverse people opt to take testosterone to bring about male secondary sex characteristics, such as a deeper voice and thicker body and facial hair, and to suppress female characteristics, such as menstruation. While taking this hormone therapy, a person may no longer get their period, however, they may still ovulate and therefore could potentially get pregnant, a new study finds. The small study included 52 transmasculine people. (Cooke, 2/22)

The 19th: Nex Benedict’s Death In Oklahoma Is An ‘Awakening’ For Parents Of Trans Kids
As news broke this week about the death of 16-year-old nonbinary student Nex Benedict, who died after a fight in a school bathroom, crisis calls to an Oklahoma LGBTQ+ support organization more than quadrupled — with 69 percent of callers referencing Benedict. (Sosin and Nittle, 2/22)

AP: How The Death Of A Nonbinary Oklahoma Teenager Has Renewed Scrutiny On Anti-Trans Policies
The death of a 16-year-old nonbinary high school student in Oklahoma whose family says was bullied has renewed scrutiny of anti-trans polices and political rhetoric over gender identity. ... In the days since news of Benedict’s death became public, calls from Oklahoma to a national crisis hotline for LGBTQ+ youths have spiked by more than 500%, said Lance Preston, the founder and director of the Indiana-based Rainbow Youth Project USA, a group that aims to improve the safety and wellness of LGBTQ+ young people. (Murphy, 2/23)

AP: Mississippi Might Allow Incarcerated People To Sue Prisons Over Transgender Inmates
A bill before Mississippi lawmakers might allow incarcerated people to sue jails and prisons if they encounter inmates from the opposite sex, such as those who are transgender, in restrooms or changing areas. State lawmakers advanced the proposal out of a House committee Thursday. It would require inmate restrooms, changing rooms and sleeping quarters in correctional facilities to be designated for use only by members of one sex. If prisoners encounter someone of the opposite sex in any of those areas, they could sue the prison under the proposal. (Goldberg, 2/23)

The Hill: 48 Percent In New Poll Say They Would Support 16-Week Abortion Ban
Nearly half of Americans in a new poll said they would back a national 16-week abortion ban after The New York Times reported former President Trump, the front-runner for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, privately expressed support for the measure. The Economist/YouGov new poll found 48 percent of respondents would support a national ban on abortions after 16 weeks of pregnancy. (Sforza, 2/22)

AP: GOP Lawmakers Try To Thwart Abortion Rights Ballot Initiative In South Dakota
South Dakota’s Republican-led Legislature is trying to thwart a proposed ballot initiative that would enable voters to protect abortion rights in the state constitution. The initiative’s leader says the GOP efforts threaten the state’s tradition of direct democracy. ... If voters approve it, the three-paragraph addition to the South Dakota Constitution would ban the state from regulating abortion in the first trimester and allow regulations for the second trimester “only in ways that are reasonably related to the physical health of the pregnant woman.” (Dura, 2/22)

The New York Times: Abortion Shield Laws: A New War Between The States
Behind an unmarked door in a boxy brick building outside Boston, a quiet rebellion is taking place. Here, in a 7-by-12-foot room, abortion is being made available to thousands of women in states where it is illegal. ... They are obtaining abortion pills prescribed by licensed Massachusetts providers, packaged in the little room and mailed from a nearby post office, arriving days later in Texas, Missouri and other states where abortion is largely outlawed. (Belluck, 2/22)

The Hill: Tuberville Acknowledges ‘Hard’ Situation For Women After Alabama IVF Ruling
Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R) acknowledged the challenging situation some women face in his state after the state’s Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are children and subject to legislation dealing with the wrongful death of a minor. “That’s a hard one. It really is,” Tuberville told reporters at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Thursday, when asked what he would say to women in Alabama who will not have access to in vitro fertilization (IVF) as a result of the ruling. (Manchester, 2/22)

The Hill: Biden Rips ‘Outrageous And Unacceptable’ Alabama IVF Decision
“Today, in 2024 in America, women are being turned away from emergency rooms and forced to travel hundreds of miles for health care, while doctors fear prosecution for providing an abortion,” Biden said in a statement. “And now, a court in Alabama put access to some fertility treatments at risk for families who are desperately trying to get pregnant. The disregard for women’s ability to make these decisions for themselves and their families is outrageous and unacceptable." (Samuels, 2/22)

The Hill: Haley: I Didn’t Say I Agreed With Alabama IVF Ruling 
GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley says she did not endorse the recent Alabama Supreme Court ruling that said frozen embryos and fertilized eggs should be treated as children under state law. ... “Well, first of all, I didn’t — I mean, this is again, I didn’t say that I agreed with the Alabama ruling. What the question that I was asked is, ‘Do I believe an embryo is a baby?’” Haley said. “I do think that if you look in the definition, an embryo is considered an unborn baby. And so, yes, I believe from my stance that that is.” (Fortinsky, 2/22)

AP: Alabama IVF Ruling May Be An Opening For Democrats In 2024
Some Republicans joined Democrats in expressing alarm over a ruling this week by the Alabama Supreme Court that jeopardized future access to in vitro fertilization, giving allies of President Joe Biden new fuel for their efforts to center abortion access in the presidential election. “We’ve got to talk about making sure we don’t take away women’s rights to IVF, women who are childbearing age and want to give birth to children,” said GOP Rep. Nancy Mace, who was campaigning this week for former President Donald Trump in South Carolina. (Fernando, 2/22)

Roll Call: Democrats Ask Insurers To Meet Contraceptive Coverage Mandate 
The House Democratic Women’s Caucus has asked the biggest insurance association to urge insurers to comply with contraceptive coverage requirements and Biden administration guidance issued in January, according to a letter shared first with CQ Roll Call. (Raman, 2/22)

Modern Healthcare: State AGs Call On Congress To Pass PBM Legislation
Congress has heard from another constituency supporting stricter transparency rules for pharmacy benefit managers: state attorneys general. The National Association of Attorneys General sent a letter to House and Senate leaders Tuesday asking them to address drug costs by passing legislation that would require PBMs to disclose more about their prescription drug price negotiations. (Berryman, 2/22)

Stat: FDA Gives A Mixed Response To Petition Seeking Greater Clinical Trial Transparency
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration told an advocacy group that it is not planning to take a tougher stance against wayward clinical trial sponsors and investigators that fail to register studies or report results, a central issue in the ongoing debate over greater transparency into clinical research. (Silverman, 2/22)

Reuters: US Bill On Chinese Biotech Firms May Be More 'Narrowly Tailored', Lawmaker Says
A bill in the U.S. Congress targeting Chinese biotech companies may end up being more "narrowly tailored", the U.S. lawmaker who proposed it said on Friday, adding that he was cautiously optimistic something could be passed this year. A congressional committee focused on China introduced a bill late last month that would restrict federally funded medical providers from allowing China's BGI Group, WuXi Apptec (603259.SS), opens new tab and other biotech firms from accessing genetic information about Americans. (Blanchard, 2/23)

Reuters: HCA Healthcare Must Face Antitrust Case Over Health Costs, US Judge Says
Hospital operations giant HCA Healthcare (HCA.N), opens new tab has lost a bid to dismiss a proposed class action in North Carolina federal court accusing it of scheming to restrict competition and artificially drive up costs for health plans. The prospective class of North Carolina health plans can move ahead with antitrust claims for now against HCA, the country's largest U.S. for-profit hospital system, Chief U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger in Asheville ruled, opens new tab on Tuesday. (Scarcella, 2/22)

The Hill: ‘Norovirus’ Slams Northeast US Hardest In Recent Weeks: CDC
A stomach virus known as the “norovirus” is spreading across the Northeast region of the United States, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The three-week average positive tests for norovirus in the region reached 13.9 percent in recent weeks and held above a 10 percent positive rate since the middle of December 2023. ... CDC data show that other regions are seeing positive tests in recent weeks too. The South has 9.5 percent, the Midwest has hovered around 10 percent and the West has about 12 percent. (Irwin, 2/22)

CIDRAP: Two Measles Cases Confirmed In New Orleans
The Louisiana Department of Health yesterday announced that two measles cases have been confirmed in the greater New Orleans area. An investigation is under way, and officials said the patients had recently traveled out of state. The New Orleans Times-Picayune, citing local health officials, reported that the infections involve two children hospitalized at Children's Hospital New Orleans. The cases are Louisiana's first since 2018. (Schnirring, 2/22)

Live Science: The Skin Microbiome Could Be Harnessed As Mosquito Repellent, Study Hints
Tweaking the microbes that populate our skin may be an effective strategy to deter mosquitoes from biting us and thus curb the spread of mosquito-borne diseases, a new study hints. Scientists previously knew that mosquitoes sniff out humans to bite by zeroing in on our unique scents. ... Now, a study has pinpointed chemicals generated by the skin microbiome that can actually repel mosquitoes. Specifically, this natural perfume drives away a species called Aedes aegypti, which spreads diseases such as chikungunya, dengue, yellow fever and Zika. (Khedkar, 2/22)

Newsweek: Heart Disease Linked To Eating Too Much Protein
We're often told to eat more protein to maintain a healthy, balanced diet. But new research shows that eating too much could actually be bad for our health. ... In a new study, published in the journal Nature Metabolism, researchers found that eating too much of one particular amino acid, called leucine, may increase our risk of cardiovascular disease. (Dewan, 2/22)

CIDRAP: Study Shows Persistent COVID-19 Infections Fairly Common
Researchers at the University of Oxford published new findings yesterday in Nature suggesting as many as 1 to 3 out of every 100 COVID-19 infections in the United Kingdom persist longer than 30 days, and patients with persistent infections are 55% more likely to report developing long COVID. Persistent infections have long been a concern to COVID-19 researchers, because people with prolonged infections tend to display a high number of viral mutations, making them reservoirs of new variants. (Soucheray, 2/22)

CIDRAP: Researchers Identify Mechanism Behind Brain Fog In Long COVID
Disruptions in the blood-brain barrier along with a hyperactive immune system are the likely mechanisms behind "brain fog" in patients who are experiencing long COVID, an Irish research team reported today in Nature Neuroscience. Brain fog has been reported during acute COVID infection and has also been reported in nearly 50% of patients who experience long COVID, or symptoms well past the acute phase of COVID-19. (Schnirring, 2/22)

The Washington Post: Why Viagra Has Been Linked To A Lower Risk Of Alzheimer’s Disease
Viagra can be a wonder drug for men with erectile dysfunction, helping them maintain their sex lives as they age. Now new research suggests the little blue pill may also be beneficial to aging brains. The findings are based on a massive study of nearly 270,000 middle-aged men in Britain. ... The researchers noticed a distinctive pattern. The men who were prescribed Viagra or a similar drug had an 18 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, compared with men who weren’t given the medication. (Amenabar, 2/22)

CIDRAP: Female Pediatricians Report More Stress During Pandemic
A new study from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) finds that female US pediatricians reported worse anxiety, sadness, and stress at work than their male colleagues, and the differences were more pronounced during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study, published today in Pediatrics, was based on survey responses gathered during the AAP Pediatrician Life and Career Experience Study, which asked questions about career satisfaction and wellbeing from 2012 to 2021 among cohorts of 2002–2004 and 2009–2011 pediatric residency graduates. (Soucheray, 2/22)

Reuters: Pharmacies Across US Disrupted Following Hack At Change Healthcare Network
Pharmacies across the United States are experiencing disruptions following a hack at UnitedHealth's technology unit, Change Healthcare, several pharmacy chains said in statements and on social media. The problems began on Wednesday after a "suspected nation-state associated cybersecurity threat actor" gained access to Change Healthcare's information technology systems, UnitedHealth said in a filing on Thursday. (Satter and Roy, 2/23)

Modern Healthcare: Healthcare Data Breaches In 2024 Have Exposed 11.6M People
After a record 133 million individuals had their healthcare data stolen or otherwise exposed in 2023, the first few months of 2024 suggest there's no letup in data breaches. As of Thursday, about 11.6 million people had their data exposed this year from 79 reported breaches affecting 500 or more individuals, according to the Health and Human Services Department's Office for Civil Rights breach portal. (Broderick, 2/22)

Stat: Neurocrine Biosciences, Biotech Based In San Diego, Joins PhRMA
Neurocrine Biosciences, a biotech company based in California, has joined the drug lobbying organization PhRMA, the group announced on Thursday. The addition is a step toward rebuilding PhRMA’s ranks after high-profile departures that followed the passage of Democrats’ drug pricing law, though both Neurocrine and the other company that joined since are smaller than those that exited. (Cohrs, 2/22)

Stat: Community Health Systems Hospitals Under DOJ Investigation
Community Health Systems is facing a new federal probe into its hospital billing practices more than four years after the hospital chain settled separate allegations of fraudulent overbilling. (Herman, 2/22)

Modern Healthcare: HHS Settles With Green Ridge Behavioral Health 
Green Ridge Behavioral Health in Gaithersburg, Maryland, has agreed to a settlement with the federal Health and Human Services Department's Office for Civil Rights concerning a ransomware attack. According to a news release issued Wednesday, the $40,000 settlement is only the second time OCR has reached an agreement with a Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act-regulated entity for potential violations identified during an investigation following such a breach. (Turner, 2/22)

Reuters: Novavax Settles Dispute With International Vaccine Group Gavi
Novavax (NVAX.O), opens new tab has agreed to pay back international vaccine group Gavi at least $475 million in cash or vaccines by the end of 2028, settling a dispute over canceled orders that created financial uncertainty for the U.S. maker of COVID-19 shots. Shares of the company rose 23.2% to $4.91 on Thursday. (Erman, 2/22)

Reuters: Healthcare Startup Abridge Raises $150 Mln For AI Model For Clinicians
Abridge, a startup building artificial intelligence-powered clinical documentation tools, has raised $150 million in a Series C round, the company told Reuters, as more investors seek exposure to industry-specific generative AI applications. The funding, led by Lightspeed Venture Partners and Redpoint Ventures, valued Abridge at about $850 million. The company last raised funds just four months ago and was then valued at over $200 million, according to PitchBook data. (Hu, 2/23)

Reuters: Teleflex Beats Quarterly Profit Estimates On Strong Demand For Medical Devices
Teleflex (TFX.N), reported fourth-quarter profit above Wall Street estimates on Thursday, on the back of strong demand for its medical devices and surgical equipment. ... The manufacturer of hospital supplies and single-use medical devices reported a 2.1% rise in revenue from a year earlier to $773.9 million for the quarter ended Dec. 31, compared with estimates of $768.7 million, according to LSEG data. (2/22)

Reuters: Moderna Reports Surprise Profit, Sets Out Road Map For RSV Vaccine
Moderna (MRNA.O), opens new tab on Thursday reported a surprise fourth-quarter profit, helped by cost cutting and deferred payments, and set out a commercial roadmap for its vaccines in Europe and experimental respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) shot. Shares jumped 8% to $94.65 in early trading, still well off the record high of $497.49 hit during the peak of the COVID pandemic in 2021.Waning demand for COVID vaccines and anticipation of a loss for 2023 led to a steep decline in Moderna's shares last year. (Wingrove and Leo, 2/22)

Reuters: Weight-Loss Drugs Could Boost US GDP By 1% In Coming Years, Goldman Says
The widespread use of powerful new weight-loss drugs in the United States could boost gross domestic product by 1% in the coming years as lower obesity-related complications are likely to boost workplace efficiency, according to Goldman Sachs. Some analysts have predicted the market for weight-loss drugs could reach $100 billion a year by the end of the decade, with Ozempic maker Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO), opens new tab and Mounjaro producer Eli Lilly (LLY.N), opens new tab leading the race. (2/22)

The New York Times: NY AG Urges Stricter Asthma Drug Warnings Due To Children’s Mental Health Risks
The New York attorney general on Thursday urged the Food and Drug Administration to “take immediate action” and renew alerts to doctors and patients about the dangerous effects of Singulair for children, saying that the current warnings about the drug’s psychiatric side effects were not sufficient. In a letter, the attorney general, Letitia James, also called on the federal agency to consider discouraging the prescription of Singulair, an asthma and allergy drug, to children. (Jewett and Mueller, 2/22)

NPR: Alabama State Lawmakers Plan Bill To Protect IVF After Court Ruling
Six days after Alabama's Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are "children," upending in vitro fertilization treatments, a Republican state senator said he plans to introduce a bill that would protect IVF statewide. State Sen. Tim Melson, who chairs the Senate's Health Care Committee, said the bill would clarify that embryos are not viable unless they are implanted in a uterus. (Capelouto, Gassiott, Scott Hodgin, 2/22)

Politico: Florida House Approves $767 Million Live Healthy Plan Despite Spending Concerns
The Florida House signed off on Senate President Kathleen Passidomo’s $767 million health care workforce expansion plan on Thursday, with one Republican in opposition who said the program was a misguided waste of taxpayer dollars. The House approved two bills, each with a 117-1 vote, that seek to expand health care in Florida, either through training opportunities, increased access to services in rural stretches of the state or promoting technological advances. (Sarkissian, 2/22)

Politico: Florida Passes Strict Social Media Restrictions For Minors Despite DeSantis’ Misgivings
The Florida Republican-led House overwhelmingly passed legislation Thursday to create the strictest social media prohibitions in the country by cutting off anyone under 16 years old from many platforms despite some objections from Gov. Ron DeSantis. House members voted on the bill mere hours after it was backed by the Senate in a surprise move that procedurally could force DeSantis to act sooner on legislation that he has been skeptical of for weeks. (Atterbury, 2/22)