First Edition: May 14, 2024

KFF Health News: Nursing Homes Wield Pandemic Immunity Laws To Duck Wrongful Death Suits
In early 2020, with reports of covid-19 outbreaks making dire headlines, Trever Schapers worried about her father’s safety in a nursing home in Queens. She had delighted in watching her dad, John Schapers, blow out the candles on his 90th birthday cake that February at the West Lawrence Care Center in the New York City borough. Then the home went into lockdown. (Schulte, 5/14)

KFF Health News: Medicaid ‘Unwinding’ Decried As Biased Against Disabled People
Jacqueline Saa has a genetic condition that leaves her unable to stand and walk on her own or hold a job. Every weekday for four years, Saa, 43, has relied on a home health aide to help her cook, bathe and dress, go to the doctor, pick up medications, and accomplish other daily tasks. She received coverage through Florida’s Medicaid program until it abruptly stopped at the end of March, she said. (Chang, 5/14)

Newsweek: Weight Loss Drug Works 'For Up To Four Years', Study Suggests
In a new paper, published in the journal Nature Medicine, a global team of researchers analyzed the impacts of semaglutide over four years of use. These studies were funded by Wegovy and Ozempic's manufacturer, Novo Nordisk. "This is an important study because it adds further evidence to the discussion on the decision to limit prescription to 2 years [...] because of questionable long term cost effectiveness," Simon Cork, Senior Lecturer in Physiology at Anglia Ruskin University in the UK, who was not involved in the study, told Newsweek. (Dewan, 5/13)

Reuters: Wegovy Weight Loss Sustained For Four Years In Trial, Novo Nordisk Says
Patients taking Novo Nordisk's popular Wegovy obesity treatment maintained an average of 10% weight loss after four years on the treatment, the company said on Tuesday. ... "This is the longest study we've conducted so far of semaglutide for weight loss," Martin Holst Lange, Novo's head of development, said in an interview, referring to the active ingredient in Wegovy and the company's diabetes drug Ozempic. (Fick, 5/14)

Bloomberg: Wegovy Cuts Heart Risk Even If People Don’t Lose Much Weight
Novo Nordisk A/S’s blockbuster obesity drug Wegovy cut the risk of heart attacks and strokes irrespective of how much patients weighed, a study found, results that doctors said could drive more prescriptions for the medicine. The heart benefit was seen across the board in the Wegovy patients, including people who were overweight but not obese, and in people who didn’t lose much weight, said John Deanfield, a professor of cardiology at University College London, who helped lead the trial. (Kresge, 5/13)

The Hill: Nearly Two-Thirds Of Americans Want Abortion Access: Pew Poll
Almost two years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, most Americans still support abortion access. About 6 in 10 Americans think abortion should be legal in all or most cases, according to a new Pew Research Center survey of 8,709 adults released Monday. The share of American adults who believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases has increased by 4 percentage points since 2021, according to Pew. (O’Connell-Domenech, 5/13)

The Hill: Mail-Order Abortion Pills Safe And Effective: Study
Medication abortion pills — mifepristone and misoprostol — are effective and run a low risk of causing serious adverse events when mailed to patients, a new study shows. The study, published Monday in the peer-reviewed publication JAMA Internal Medicine, looks at the experiences of more than 500 people who wanted to end a pregnancy between January 2020 and May 2022. (O’Connell-Domenech, 5/13)

Axios: Louisiana Attempts To Criminalize Unprescribed Possession Of Abortion Pills
Louisiana is moving to criminalize possession of two medications used to induce abortion without a prescription, with punishments including prison time. If approved, Louisiana would become the first state to categorize mifepristone and misoprostol as controlled dangerous substances, a class of drugs that includes medications that can be abused such as narcotics, steroids and depressants. (Habeshian, 5/13)

AP: Arizona's High Court Is Allowing The Attorney General 90 More Days On Her Abortion Ban Strategy
Arizona’s highest court on Monday gave the state’s attorney general another 90 days to decide further legal action in the case over a 160-year-old near-total ban on abortion that lawmakers recently voted to repeal. The Arizona Supreme Court’s order leaves in place for now a more recent law that legalizes abortion up to 15 weeks of pregnancy. It also allows Attorney General Kris Mayes more time to decide whether to take the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. (5/14)

AP: Kentucky Governor To Speak Out Against Strict Abortion Ban In Neighboring Tennessee
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear’s upcoming trip to neighboring Tennessee to speak out against that state’s sweeping abortion ban is the latest sign that the Democrat known for defeating Donald Trump-backed rivals is looking to improve his party’s prospects in GOP territory and build up his own name recognition. Beshear — who campaigned against his state’s near-total abortion ban in winning reelection last year — will speak next month at an event called “Championing Reproductive Freedom.” (Schreiner, 5/13)

Bloomberg: Sanders Urges Denmark To Pressure Novo Nordisk On Drug Prices
Bernie Sanders urged Denmark to force its most valuable company, Novo Nordisk A/S, to lower its drug prices, in a letter submitted by the US senator to one of the Nordic country’s largest newspapers. Sanders, who chairs the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, called on Danes to pressure Novo to “significantly reduce the outrageously high prices for Ozempic and Wegovy in the US and other parts of the world,” according to the letter, published by the Politiken newspaper on Monday. (Wienberg, 5/13)

AP: Feds Accuse Rhode Island Of Warehousing Kids With Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities 
Rhode Island violated the civil rights of hundreds of children with mental health or developmental disabilities by routinely and unnecessarily segregating them at Bradley Hospital, an acute-care psychiatric hospital, federal prosecutors said Monday. Zachary Cunha, U.S. Attorney for the District of Rhode Island, said the multi-year investigation found that ... the state left them hospitalized at Bradley for months and in some cases for more than a year. (LeBlanc, 5/14)

AP: Supreme Court Denies California’s Appeal For Immunity For COVID-19 Deaths At San Quentin Prison 
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday denied an appeal from California corrections officials who sought immunity from lawsuits claiming they acted with deliberate indifference when they caused a deadly COVID-19 outbreak at one of the world’s most famous prisons four years ago. The justices turned down the appeal without comment or dissent. (Weber, 5/14)

Reuters: US Reclassification Could Drive Fresh Research Funding Into Pot Sector
The U.S. pot sector could see an influx of medical research funding from healthcare investors amid renewed interest from pharmaceutical firms, should a proposal to reclassify cannabis as a lower-risk substance be approved, industry experts said. The current classification as a Schedule I substance has limited research into cannabis due to restricted access to cannabis products, regulatory hurdles and funding limitations. (Roy, 5/14)

NPR: MAPS Psychedelics Research For MDMA Therapy Comes Under Scrutiny
In a matter of months, the Food and Drug Administration is expected to decide whether the drug commonly known as ecstasy can be used as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. An approval by the agency would represent an enormous milestone for the movement to bring psychedelics into the mainstream of mental health care. An FDA rejection of MDMA, the abbreviation of the drug's chemical name, would deal a major setback to the effort. (Stone, 5/13)

Stat: H5N1 Bird Flu Outbreak Response Could Be Hampered By USDA, FDA Turf War
On a bright June day in 2018, one of the nation’s top regulators waved groceries in the air, quizzing the secretary of agriculture on which agency is charged with monitoring different types of food. Scott Gottlieb, the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration at the time, grinned widely as he held liquid egg whites and a carton of eggs. The former is under the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food safety purview. The eggs, under the FDA’s. The mood was jovial, winkingly acknowledging the complexity, and at times absurdity, in the way the government regulates food. (Zhang, Lawrence and Florko, 5/14)

CIDRAP: CDC Reports 41% More Imported Malaria Cases In 3 Southern Border Cities In 2023 Than 2022
A higher proportion of people who trekked through at least one country with endemic malaria on their way to three southern US border cities arrived with cases of the mosquito-borne illness—nearly a third of them with severe disease—in 2023 than in 2022, finds a study published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local health departments conducted enhanced imported malaria case investigations from January to December 2023. (Van Beusekom, 5/13)

The Hill: Fentanyl Pill Seizures Are Skyrocketing, 115 Million Pills Seized In 2023: Study
The number of fentanyl seizures by law enforcement more than quadrupled between 2017 and 2023, with researchers finding the drug has continued to entrench itself in the country’s illicit drug supply. Seizures of fentanyl in the U.S. have followed an exponential upward trend since 2017, according to data from the federal High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program. (Choi, 5/13)

NPR: Fake Fentanyl Pills Skyrocket In U.S. Police Seizures, Study Finds 
The study was led by researchers who participate in the National Drug Early Warning System, a federal program that monitors drug seizures in 33 so-called High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas across the country. The data comes from a mix of federal, state and local law enforcement organizations. It does not include seizures made by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. (Bowman, 5/13)

Stat: Cue Health's Covid-19 Tests Lead To False Results, FDA Warns
The Food and Drug Administration warned consumers Monday to not use Cue Health’s at-home Covid-19 tests. This follows an FDA warning letter to the company last week that said Cue was not following the conditions stipulated in the emergency use authorizations for its tests. (Trang, 5/13)

The Wall Street Journal: The Stress Hormone Isn’t All Bad. What To Know About Your Cortisol Levels
If you’ve noticed people talking about managing their cortisol lately, you’re not alone. Chatter about the stress hormone has surged. Doctors say patients are bringing it up more often, and Google searches for how to lower cortisol reached a high in April. Wellness influencers warn about having too much cortisol or too little, and some promote supplements that claim to help. (Reddy, 5/13)

The Wall Street Journal: What Your ‘Heart Age’ Says About Your Health, And How To Measure It
Do you know how old your heart is? And does it even matter? More online calculators, wearable devices and medical tests are attempting to estimate your heart’s age. The companies and organizations behind the tools say that having insight into your heart health can prompt you to make lifestyle changes to help stave off cardiovascular disease down the road. (Janin, 5/13)

Fortune: Social Media And Mental Health: CVS-Morning Consult Survey Shows Pros, Cons
A larger proportion of Americans are worried about their mental health now than at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new survey from CVS Health. In March, the nation’s biggest pharmacy chain partnered with Morning Consult to poll 2,202 U.S. adults. In survey results released Thursday, about 65% of respondents said they’ve experienced concerns about their own mental health or that of friends and family, compared to 59% in April 2022 and 50% in April 2020. (Leake, 5/14)

Reuters: New Breast Cancer Genes Found In Women Of African Ancestry, May Improve Risk Assessment
Twelve breast cancer genes identified in women of African ancestry in a large study published on Monday may one day help better predict their risk for the disease and highlights potential risk differences from women of European descent. Studies to identify genetic mutations linked with breast cancer have previously mainly focused on women of European ancestry. (Lapid, 5/13)

Stat: Study: People Of West African Ancestry At Greater Risk Of Cardiac Amyloidosis
Among cardiologists, it’s known that transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis, a type of heart disease, is caused by the misfolding of a protein called transthyretin, which builds up in the walls of the heart, causing the muscle to get thicker and stiffer. One reason this can happen is because of a genetic mutation caused by the gene variant V142I, which is commonly found in people of West African descent. (Balthazar, 5/13)

CIDRAP: Data: Heart-Failure Patients Have 82% Better Odds Of Living Longer If Vaccinated Against COVID 
The first study of COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness in a large population of adult heart-failure patients suggests that vaccinated participants are 82% more likely to live longer than their unvaccinated peers, according to an analysis presented over the weekend at the Heart Failure 2024 scientific congress of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) in Lisbon, Portugal. (Van Beusekom, 5/13)

Newsweek: Scientists Reveal Hidden Indicator Of Future Weight Gain
Scientists might be able to predict whether you will gain or lose weight from the size of your fat cells. It has long been known that the size and number of our fat cells determine how much body fat we have. But exactly how they impact long-term changes in body weight has been less well understood. To explore these associations, researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden measured the size and number of fat cells in the abdominal fat of 260 volunteers with an average BMI of 32. (Dewan, 5/13)

Newsweek: Kids' Obesity Risk Depends On Source Of Sugar, Not The Amount
Not all sugar is created equal. Indeed, when it comes to childhood obesity, the source of sugar is much more important than the total amount consumed, new research suggests. Roughly 1 in 5 children and teenagers in the United States live with obesity, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Childhood obesity is associated with an increased risk of various health conditions, including high blood pressure and heart disease, diabetes and breathing problems, as well as psychological problems. (Dewan, 5/13)

AP: Illness Took Away Her Voice. AI Created A Replica She Carries In Her Phone
The voice Alexis “Lexi” Bogan had before last summer was exuberant. ... Then that voice was gone. Doctors in August removed a life-threatening tumor lodged near the back of her brain. ... Months of rehabilitation aided her recovery, but her speech is still impaired. Friends, strangers and her own family members struggle to understand what she is trying to tell them. In April, the 21-year-old got her old voice back. Not the real one, but a voice clone generated by artificial intelligence that she can summon from a phone app. (O’Brien, 5/14)

CIDRAP: Report Urges G7 Countries To Commit To Incentives For Antibiotic Development
The Global Coalition on Aging (GCOA) last week issued a report calling on G7 countries to commit to funding pull incentives and making other investments in antibiotic innovation. The report, which summarizes a GCOA-convened April meeting that included experts and government officials, ... asserts that the lack of new antibiotics and rising resistance to current antibiotics is having a severe impact on those most at risk of infection and that the current antibiotic pipeline is inadequate and must be prioritized. (Dall, 5/13)

CIDRAP: Korean Study Shows High Broad-Spectrum Antibiotic Exposure At End Of Life
A study of patients at the end of life in South Korea found high rates of exposure to broad-spectrum antibiotics, particularly among those with cancer, researchers reported today in Antimicrobial Stewardship & Healthcare Epidemiology. ... "Our findings suggest that patients at EOL, particularly those with cancer, are increasingly and heavily exposed to broad-spectrum antibiotics, which, although likely a consequence of increased AMR [antimicrobial resistance] over time, poses a great threat for further AMR emergence and spread," the study authors wrote. (Dall, 5/13)

Modern Healthcare: Change Healthcare Update: How Providers May Be Liable
It’s been two-and-a-half months since Change Healthcare’s systems went dark due to a cyberattack, and questions remain unanswered about when its customers will know the full extent of the damage. Meanwhile, providers are wondering what regulatory or legal consequences they could face — and whether they will bear costs associated with lawsuits and patient notifications for a breach that occurred outside their own systems. (Hudson, 5/13)

Crain's Detroit Business: How N1 Discovery Negotiates Deals During Cyberattacks
When a ransomware attack happens, companies and insurers seek out specialty operators, firms that are often clandestine but experts in dealing with these criminals. In Troy, Michigan, digital forensics firm N1 Discovery plays that role. Their teams are often only a degree removed from the hackers themselves. The cat to their mouse. Forensics for the digital age. (Walsh, 5/13)

Modern Healthcare: ONC’s LEAP Opens Grants For AI, Behavioral Health Projects 
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology announced Monday it is setting up a grants for two projects on AI and behavioral health. The first will focus on the development of ways to evaluate and improve the quality of healthcare data used by artificial intelligence technology. The second is aimed at accelerating the adoption of health information technology in behavioral health. (Turner, 5/13)

Stat: Element Biosciences CEO Lays Out Genome Sequencing Strategy 
Companies racing to read the genome accurately, quickly, and affordably have hit a snag recently, with several firms reporting that their growth has slowed, stalled, or reversed. Upstart Element Biosciences is hoping it can succeed despite the challenging market conditions. (Wosen, 5/14)

Reuters: Bayer's First-Quarter Adjusted Profit Falls Less Than Expected
Bayer (BAYGn.DE) beat first-quarter analyst forecasts as it reported a slight drop in adjusted earnings on Tuesday, providing a respite for the CEO's turnaround efforts.The group also lowered its full-year earnings outlook, citing negative currency effects, but retained its operating forecast. The company's quarterly earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA), adjusted for one-off items, slipped 1.3% to 4.41 billion euros ($4.76 billion), above an average analyst estimate of 4.15 billion euros posted on the company's website. (Burger, 5/14)

Reuters: Philips Sues CPAP Cleaning Product Maker, Saying It Should Pay Part Of Settlements
Philips (PHG.AS) has sued SoClean, a maker of ozone-based cleaning systems for breathing devices, in an effort to make it pay part of a $1.1 billion settlement Philips reached last month with people who say they were injured by Philips' recalled devices. In a complaint filed late Friday in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, federal court, the Dutch conglomerate said that if any users were injured after using its machines for treating sleep apnea and other breathing problems, those injuries were caused "in whole or in part" by ozone in SoClean's products. (Pierson, 5/13)

Reuters: Merck Stops Testing Combo Drug For Skin Cancer As More Patients Discontinue
Merck (MRK.N) said on Monday it had discontinued an experimental combination treatment testing a new type of immunotherapy in patients with a severe form of skin cancer after side effects led to high discontinuation. This is the latest setback for the experimental drug, vibostolimab, and the related promising new class of immunotherapies called anti-TIGIT. Merck was testing vibostolimab along with Keytruda, its top-selling cancer drug, in a late-stage study in patients with resected high-risk melanoma. (5/13)

AP: Former West Virginia Health Official Gets Probation In COVID-19 Payment Investigation
A former West Virginia state health official was sentenced Monday to one year of probation for lying about whether or not he verified vendor invoices from a company claiming to have conducted COVID-19 tests for the state. Timothy Priddy was sentenced in federal court for his guilty plea to making a false statement to investigators. (Raby, 5/13)

AP: California Moves Closer To Requiring New Pollutant-Warning Labels For Gas Stoves
California could require all new gas stoves sold in the state to carry a label warning users about pollutants they can release that have been linked to respiratory illnesses. The state Assembly approved a proposal Monday that would require the label on gas stoves or ranges made or sold online after 2024, or sold in a store after 2025. The bill now heads to the state Senate. (Austin, 5/14)

Stat: Boston Hospital Trains Restaurant Workers On Naloxone For Overdoses
The tables set up near the entrance of the Big Night Live concert venue looked like a typical merch spread. But instead of band T-shirts and buttons, there were plastic models of human noses and a handful of naloxone nasal sprays. This unusual display was part of a medical training for bar and restaurant workers — who are often the first to encounter people experiencing a drug overdose. (Hogan, 5/14)

CIDRAP: Wastewater Testing Finds H5N1 Avian Flu In 9 Texas Cities
Researchers who sequenced viruses from wastewater samples from 10 Texas cities found H5N1 avian flu virus in 9 of them, sometimes at levels that rivaled seasonal flu. In other developments, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in updates on its response to H5N1 outbreaks in cattle said experiments in ferrets began last week. (Schnirring, 5/13)