Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Harvard Awarded CARB-X Funds To Develop Oral Antibiotics
CIDRAP: CARB-X Awards $1.2 Million For Developing Oral Antibiotics For Resistant Infections
CARB-X announced today that it is awarding researchers at Harvard University $1.2 million to develop oral antibiotics for antibiotic-resistant lower respiratory tract and skin and other soft-tissue infections (SSTIs). (Dall, 2/13)
CIDRAP: Study Shows Cost Benefit Of Using Azithromycin To Reduce Maternal Sepsis
A study presented yesterday at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's (SMFM) annual conference shows that giving an oral dose of azithromycin to pregnant women who deliver vaginally is a cost-saving way to reduce maternal sepsis, death, and infection. (Dall, 2/13)
Stat: AI Gets Buy-In From Drugmakers, But Is It Advancing Their Science?
David Reese calls it a “hinge moment” — the turning point when biotech and big tech merge to attack human disease with artificial intelligence. At Amgen, where he’s led drug research and development since 2018, Reese said this moment has finally arrived. The proof lies not only in organizational changes, such as his recent appointment as the company’s first chief technology officer, but also in Amgen’s broader push to embed AI into every aspect of the drug discovery process. (Ross, 2/7)
Stat: Colombia Moves To Issue A Compulsory License For An HIV Medicine
The Colombian government has taken a significant step toward issuing a compulsory license for a widely used HIV treatment, the latest instance in which cash-strapped governments battle with the pharmaceutical industry over the cost of medicines. (Silverman, 2/6)
