Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
HHS Declares Coalition For Health AI Won't Squeeze Out The Startups
Politico: Trump To The Health And Tech Giants: AI Is Not Your ‘Cartel’
The Trump administration has a message for the biggest names in health care and tech: You won’t control the development of artificial intelligence in medicine. Top officials at the Department of Health and Human Services tell POLITICO that the administration does not support a multi-year quasi-regulatory effort by firms including Microsoft and OpenAI, and health systems including the Mayo Clinic and Duke Health, to pilot private-sector-led vetting of AI tools under the banner of the Coalition for Health AI. (Reader, 10/1)
Stat: UpToDate Launches Expert AI To Answer Doctors' Clinical Questions
When UpToDate, the decades-old, expert-curated medical resource for doctors, announced the launch of a generative artificial intelligence update last week, clinicians responded with a common refrain: It’s about time. (Palmer, 10/2)
More pharma and tech news —
MedPage Today: Oral Drug Wins FDA Approval For Chronic Hives
The FDA approved oral remibrutinib (Rhapsido) as a second-line treatment for chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), or chronic hives, Novartis announced on Tuesday. Indicated for adults with stubborn symptoms despite the use of antihistamines, the approval marks the first Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor for CSU. (Ingram, 10/1)
CIDRAP: CDC Issues New Guidance For Prevention, Treatment Of Sporadic, Bioterrorist-Deployed Tularemia
Today, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published updated guidance from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on postexposure prophylaxis (prevention) and treatment of the rare but potentially serious tickborne disease tularemia. The recommendations are aimed at healthcare providers caring for patients with naturally occurring infections or, in the case of bioterrorist deployment of the pathogen, working with preparedness experts and public health authorities to prepare their clinics, hospitals, and communities. (Van Beusekom, 10/1)
Stat: WHO Says Antibacterial Pipeline Lacks Innovation
Despite ongoing concern over antibiotic resistance, a new report finds there are fewer antibacterial medicines in clinical pipelines than just two years ago and relatively few qualify as innovative, suggesting the majority of treatments would be insufficient to tackle the fast-growing public health threat. (Silverman, 10/2)
CIDRAP: Valneva Reports Good Antibody Persistence For Chikungunya Vaccine
Valneva today reported strong antibody persistence for Ixchiq, its live-attenuated vaccine against chikungunya, a virus spread by mosquitoes. In a press release, the company said data from 254 healthy adults suggested that 95% retained an antibody response above the seroresponse threshold for 4 years after a single dose. Antibody persistence in adults age 65 and older was similar to that for younger adults, which held for geometric mean titers and seroresponse rates. (Schnirring, 10/1)
Modern Healthcare: How Remote MRI, CT Scanning Can Ease Radiology Staffing Shortages
Providers are eyeing remote scanning technology as a way to address the imbalance between too many requests for imaging tests and too few technologists to handle them. A handful of medtech companies received Food and Drug Administration clearance in the past two years for products that allow technologists to perform multiple scans simultaneously from remote locations. (Dubinsky, 10/1)
On ALS research —
Stat: Researchers Find Clues Linking ALS And Autoimmune Responses
Researchers have found that patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis have autoimmune responses, a finding with the potential to reshape how scientists think of the devastating and complex neurologic disorder. (Wosen, 10/1)
Los Angeles Times: Eric Dane Takes On ALS Advocacy As His Symptoms Progress
As he manages his own amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, actor Eric Dane is also advocating for the continuation of the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act, which is set to expire in 2026. The actor, along with the nonprofit organization I AM ALS, spoke with U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin) on Tuesday about the importance of the legislation, which provides funding for research and gives patients early access to treatments. (Solorzano, 10/1)
