First Edition: February 23, 2023
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
KHN:
States Seek Crackdown On Toxic Ingredients In Cosmetics To Close Gaps In Federal Oversight
Washington has joined more than a dozen other states in seeking to crack down on toxic substances in cosmetics after a state-funded study there found lead, arsenic, and formaldehyde in makeup, lotion, and hair-straightening products made by CoverGirl and other brands. (Scaturro, 2/23)
KHN:
Looming Cuts To Emergency SNAP Benefits Threaten Food Security In Rural America
On a cold morning in early February, Tammy King prepared and loaded boxes and bags of vegetables, fruits, milk, frozen meat, and snacks into cars lined up outside the Friends in Service Helping food pantry, known in rural northeastern Nevada as FISH. (Orozco Rodriguez, 2/23)
Reuters:
Most Parts Of World Saw Maternal Mortality Rates Spike In 2020
In two of the eight UN regions – Europe and Northern America, and Latin America and the Caribbean – the maternal mortality rate increased from 2016 to 2020, by 17% and 15%, respectively. The report, however, noted there was a significant reduction in maternal deaths between 2000 and 2015, where they fell roughly 2.7% every year, but the progress largely stalled or even reversed after a point. (Roy, 2/23)
The New York Times:
Global Declines In Maternal Mortality Have Stalled
In the United States, maternal deaths rose sharply during the pandemic. In 2021, hundreds of deaths resulted from pregnancy complications exacerbated by Covid infections, according to data from the U.S. Government Accountability Office. But while the pandemic may have contributed to maternal deaths worldwide, it “does not explain the stagnation that we’re seeing,” said Dr. Jenny Cresswell, an epidemiologist at the W.H.O. and one of the new report’s authors. (Caryn Rabin, 2/22)
NBC News:
Maternal Mortality Rose In Much Of Europe, North America: WHO Report
“While pregnancy should be a time of immense hope and a positive experience for all women, it is tragically still a shockingly dangerous experience for millions around the world who lack access to high quality, respectful health care,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. (McShane, 2/22)
AP:
Doctors Urge NC Lawmakers To Oppose New Abortion Limits
More than 1,000 health care providers across North Carolina have signed a letter urging lawmakers to oppose any additional abortion restrictions beyond the current 20-week limit, which some say already restricts their ability to care for patients. While Republicans in the General Assembly have not yet filed legislation this year to further restrict abortion access, the GOP legislative leaders have repeatedly signaled their intention to do so. (2/22)
AP:
Indiana Lawmakers Back Defunding Kinsey Sex Institute
Indiana Republican lawmakers voted Wednesday to prohibit Indiana University from using any state money to support its sexual research institution after a far-right legislator unleashed disputed allegations of child exploitation by its founder and famed mid-20th century researcher Alfred Kinsey. The Indiana House voted 53-34 to block state funding toward the Kinsey Institute that has long faced criticism from conservatives for its ongoing research and the legacy of Kinsey’s work that they blame for contributing to liberalized sexual morals, including more acceptance of homosexuality and pornography. (Davies, 2/22)
AP:
New Mexico Bills Safeguard Abortion, Gender-Affirming Care
A New Mexico legislative panel advanced a bill to protect abortion providers and patients from out-of-state interference, prosecution or extradition attempts, as Democratic leaders seek to shore up existing rights to abortion access for residents as well as visitors from states with bans on the procedure. (Lee, 2/23)
CBS News:
Texas Bill Would Ban Nearly All Gender-Affirming Care, Including For Trans Adults
A bill introduced in the Texas Senate is triggering alarm among LGBTQ+ advocates in the state, who say it would make nearly all gender-affirming health care illegal, including both surgical and nonsurgical treatments — even for trans adults. "While we've seen several bills that would criminalize life-saving health care for trans people, none go as far as this," Rachel Hill, the government affairs director at the advocacy organization Equality Texas, told CBS News. (Mandler, 2/22)
AP:
Indiana Lawmakers Advance Ban On All Gender-Affirming Care
In Indiana, Wednesday’s Senate bill is the second approved this week that opponents say targets trans people. Residents shared testimony, their voices often shaking in anger or getting choked up with tears, as protesters cheered with joy outside the Senate chambers. A similarly enthusiastic crowd chanted outside House chambers Monday after lawmakers advanced a bill in committee that would require public school teachers to divulge students’ social transitions or pronoun changes to parents. (Rodgers, 2/22)
AP:
Georgia Lawmakers Push Partial Ban On Gender-Affirming Care
Senate Bill 140 was passed on a 10-4 vote Wednesday by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. It would ban most sex reassignment surgeries and hormone replacement therapies. However, unlike laws adopted in some other states, it would still allow doctors to prescribe medicines to block puberty. (Amy, 2/22)
Reuters:
U.S. Medicare Says No Change To Alzheimer's Drug Restrictions
The U.S. government health plan for people over the age of 65 on Wednesday said it would not reconsider strict coverage limits put in place last year for new Alzheimer's treatments, rejecting a request from the Alzheimer's Association. (Beasley, 2/22)
Politico:
CDC’s Vaccine Advisers Tune Into Three-Day Meeting
Today, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices kicks off a three-day meeting to discuss a variety of vaccinations. This meeting is one of the group’s regularly scheduled discussions, which typically occur three times a year, and comes with a hefty agenda, including mpox, respiratory syncytial disease and Covid-19 immunizations. (Lim and Ellen Foley, 2/22)
Politico:
FDA Issues First Monetary Penalties To Illegal Vape Manufacturers
For tobacco manufacturers — including e-cigarette manufacturers — to legally sell products, they must demonstrate to the FDA that their products are appropriate for the protection of public health, meaning potentially beneficial for adult smokers and not appealing to minors. If the FDA issues marketing orders for various products, they can be displayed on store shelves; so far, the agency has authorized only 23 e-liquid products and has denied millions more. (Ellen Foley, 2/22)
The Hill:
FDA Widens Advisory On Eye Products After Patients Blinded, Hospitalized
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday widened an advisory on artificial tear products to include additional ones manufactured by Global Pharma Healthcare Private Limited over concerns of a potential bacterial contamination that could result in blindness or death. The FDA warning now urges consumers and health care professionals not to use EzriCare Artificial Tears, Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Tears and Delsam Pharma’s Artificial Eye Ointment, which are intended to be sterile. (Mueller, 2/22)
AP:
Air Force Expands Cancer Review Of Nuclear Missile Personnel
The Air Force’s review of cancers among its nuclear missile corps will include all personnel who worked on, guarded, supported or operated the nation’s ground-based warheads, Air Force Global Strike Command announced Wednesday. (Copp, 2/22)
Fortune/AP:
Gun Industry Could Be Liable For Shootings Under Proposed State Laws
Mass shootings in America invariably raise questions of fault. The police’s delayed response outside an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. A district attorney’s failure to prosecute the alleged Club Q shooter a year before five were killed in the LGBTQ nightclub. That finger of blame, however, rarely lands on the manufacturer of the guns used in the massacres. (Bedayn, 2/22)
AP:
No Cow Needed: Oat And Soy Can Be Called Milk, FDA Proposes
Under the draft rules, the agency recommends that beverage makers label their products clearly by the plant source of the food, such as “soy milk” or “cashew milk.” The rules also call for voluntary extra nutrition labels that note when the drinks have lower levels of nutrients than dairy milk, such as calcium, magnesium or vitamin D. They would continue to allow labels that note when plant-based drinks have higher levels. Fortified soy milk is the only plant-based food included in the dairy category of U.S. dietary guidelines because of its nutrient levels. (Aleccia, 2/22)
The Hill:
Majority In New Poll Would Be Uncomfortable With Health Care Provider Relying On AI
A majority of Americans in a new poll say they’d be uncomfortable with their health care provider relying on artificial intelligence (AI) as part of their medical care, and less than half think using AI would lead to better health outcomes. A Pew Research poll released Wednesday found just 39 percent of U.S. adults say they’d feel comfortable with AI as part of their medical care — in practices like screening, diagnosis and treatment — while 60 percent would feel uncomfortable. (Mueller, 2/22)
AP:
Flu Vaccine Worked Well In Season That Faded Fast, CDC Says
The vaccines were more than 40% effective in preventing adults from getting sick enough from the flu that they had to go to a doctor’s office, clinic or hospital, health officials said during a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccines meeting Wednesday. Officials generally are pleased if a flu vaccine is 40% to 60% effective. (Stobbe, 2/22)
Fortune:
What To Know About Strep A After Florida Boy's Death
Strep A is back on parents’ radar after an 11-year-old boy reportedly died of a bacterial infection after being injured at the gym. Jesse Brown, a healthy fifth-grader in Winter Park, Fla., was using a treadmill at a gym when he rolled his ankle. The boy was healing but soon developed a red and purple rash on his leg, Good Morning America reported Feb 19. (Prater, 2/22)
The Hill:
‘Forever Chemicals’ Disrupt Key Metabolic Processes In Children And Teens: Study
Exposure to “forever chemicals” interferes with several critical biological processes — including the metabolism of fats and amino acids — in children and young adults, a new study has found. The disruption of these processes can increase susceptibility to a variety of illnesses, such as developmental disorders, cardiovascular disease, cancer and metabolic diseases like diabetes, according to the study, published on Wednesday in Environmental Health Perspectives. (Udasin, 2/22)
CIDRAP:
Trial: Stewardship Intervention Cuts Antibiotic Prescribing For Suspected Urinary Infections
A randomized controlled trial in four European nations found that implementing a multifaceted antibiotic stewardship intervention safely reduced antibiotic prescribing for urinary tract infections (UTIs) in frail older adults, researchers reported today in The BMJ. (Dall, 2/22)
CIDRAP:
No Increase In Gonorrhea Resistance Seen After DoxyPEP Trial
Research presented at this week's Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) suggests that the use of doxycycline after sex to prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) may not significantly increase resistance to the antibiotic. (Dall, 2/22)
CIDRAP:
COVID Treatment Info On US Public Health Websites Hard To Access, Read, Study Finds
COVID-19 outpatient treatment information on US state public health department websites is difficult to read and access, especially for people with low literacy or limited English language proficiency and in states with Republican governors, according to a research letter published yesterday in JAMA Network Open. (Van Beusekom, 2/22)
Modern Healthcare:
Health System Payroll Expenses Jump Almost 10%
Payroll expenses at health systems nationwide increased by nearly 10% last year, highlighting continued issues with wage inflation and increased competition to recruit full-time employees. The number of healthcare workers slowly has been picking up, but the higher headcount only contributes in small part to the increased labor costs, according to healthcare consulting firm SullivanCotter. (Devereaux, 2/22)
Politico:
A Disappointing Report Card For Primary Care
The first report card on the state of the nation’s primary health care is out today, and it’s nothing to brag about. The report comes in response to a 2021 report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, which called for a scorecard to be developed to monitor — and improve — America’s primary care. (Mahr and Payne, 2/22)
CIDRAP:
FDA Begins Priority Review Of Pfizer RSV Vaccine For Maternal Use
Pfizer yesterday announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted it licensing application, which starts the review of its candidate respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine (RSVpreF) for use in pregnant women to help protect babies against the virus. In a press release, Pfizer said the FDA's review will be done on a priority basis and that the agency expects a decision in August. In December, the FDA granted priority review of the vaccine for use in older adults. (Schnirring, 2/22)
Reuters:
CDC Panel Recommends Bavarian Nordic's Mpox Vaccine For All Adults At Risk
Advisers to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday voted in favor of use of Bavarian Nordic's (BAVA.CO) Jynneos vaccine for all adults at risk of mpox during an outbreak. The panel of outside experts voted unanimously in favor of use of two doses of the vaccine, and finalizing the interim guidelines provided by CDC during the mpox outbreak in the United States. (2/22)
Reuters:
Moderna's Combination Skin Cancer Therapy Receives FDA's Breakthrough Tag
Moderna Inc (MRNA.O) said on Wednesday its experimental personalised mRNA skin cancer vaccine in combination with Merck & Co Inc's (MRK.N) drug Keytruda has received breakthrough therapy designation from U.S. regulators as an additional treatment for high risk patients. (2/22)
Reuters:
GSK's ViiV Says Study Shows Its Long-Acting HIV Shot As Effective As Gilead's Daily Pill
British drugmaker GSK's (GSK.L) HIV treatment division, ViiV Healthcare, published data on Wednesday showing its long-acting HIV injection is as effective as the market-leading daily pill made by Gilead Sciences Inc (GILD.O). GSK's ViiV ran the so-called "head to-head" clinical study on its own injection Cabenuva, which is given every two months, and Gilead's Biktarvy, an oral pill taken daily. (Fick, 2/22)
FiercePharma:
Gilead, Teva And J&J's HIV Antitrust Case Inches Closer To Trial
Gilead Sciences is no stranger to legal claims surrounding its market-leading HIV franchise. Now, the company and two other major biopharma players are heading to trial over claims they worked together to restrict competition in the marketplace. (Becker, 2/22)
FiercePharma:
Lilly's Mounjaro Back In Stock Amid Heightened Obesity Interest
After an FDA approval last year, Eli Lilly’s diabetes drug Mounjaro has been on fire right out of the gate. Now, the Indianapolis pharma giant says it's resolved a months-long shortage. Lilly has satisfied wholesalers’ backorders for Mounjaro and is continuingly shipping all six doses of the diabetes med, a company spokesperson said. (Liu, 2/22)
The Wall Street Journal:
Ozempic Runs Low For Diabetes Patients As Weight-Loss Use Surges
Diabetes patients said they are spending hours trying to find nearby pharmacies that have their prescriptions in stock. If they don’t, some patients have had to reduce dosing of Ozempic and similar drugs to stretch out their supplies, or switch to alternative drugs. (Loftus, 2/22)
Reuters:
Moderna Enters R&D Collaboration For MRNA Gene-Editing Therapies
Moderna Inc (MRNA.O) will collaborate with privately-owned Life Edit Therapeutics Inc under an agreement to discover and develop mRNA gene-editing therapies, the companies said on Wednesday. The tie-up will apply Life Edit's diverse collection of new technology for gene editing with the Moderna mRNA platform that was behind its COVID-19 vaccine. (2/22)
Newsweek:
East Palestine Residents Could Get Medicare For Life After Ohio Disaster
Residents of East Palestine and the surrounding areas could be able to claim Medicare under a little-known clause of the Affordable Care Act that gives victims of environmental disasters extended coverage—though it remains unclear if it will be granted in this case. (Phillips, 2/22)
The Hill:
EPA Administrator Says Officials Won’t ‘Second-Guess’ East Palestine People’s Symptoms
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Michael Regan said officials will not “second-guess” the symptoms that the people of East Palestine, Ohio, are experiencing following the train derailment earlier this month. Regan said in an interview on “CNN This Morning” on Wednesday that the tests that have been conducted on the water and the air in the local community have shown that they should not be causing adverse health effects. (Gans, 2/22)
The Hill:
Poll Shows Support For Stricter Regs On Transporting Hazardous Materials
Most Americans support more regulations on the transportation of hazardous materials in a new poll, which comes after a train carrying dangerous chemicals derailed in Ohio earlier this month. The poll, conducted by The Economist and YouGov, found that 54 percent of American adults supported more regulations on transportation hazardous materials. Twenty-one percent said they supported no changes, 17 percent were not sure and 8 percent said there should be fewer regulations. (Sforza, 2/22)
The Hill:
Political Fight Erupts Over Toxic Spill
It’s been nearly three weeks since a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous materials derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, and the tiny town may soon become subject to those wanting to mine political capital. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will be in the town on Thursday, following weeks of GOP figures blasting him for not visiting. Buttigieg drew additional Republican ire when he pointed out the Trump administration had repealed an Obama-era braking rule for trains carrying hazardous materials. (Choi, 2/22)
Politico:
Florida Surgeon General Joe Ladapo Investigated For Allegedly Falsifying Covid Report
The Florida Department of Health’s inspector general last fall investigated Joseph Ladapo, the state’s surgeon general, after the agency received an anonymous complaint alleging he falsified a report focusing on the safety of Covid-19 vaccines for young men. (Sarkissian, 2/22)
Politico:
This Airplane Fuel Is Still Poisoning Children
The United States banned leaded gasoline for cars long ago, but smaller aircraft continue to use the fuel — and it’s exposing hundreds of thousands of children to lead poisoning. POLITICO’s E&E News reporter Ariel Wittenberg dug into the issue in an investigation this week. She found that fuel producers such as Chevron and Exxon Mobil have repeatedly blocked efforts to create unleaded fuels for small aircraft. (Skibell, 2/22)
AP:
'Baby Box' Locations Would Debut Under West Virginia Bill
A West Virginia legislative panel on Wednesday advanced a bill that would let the state establish “baby box” safe surrender locations. The House Judiciary Committee forwarded the bill to the full House of Delegates. West Virginia’s Safe Haven Law already allows children less than 30 days old to be turned over to a hospital, health facility or fire department that is staffed 24 hours a day. (2/22)