Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
HHS Spends $290 Million On Extra Radiation Sickness Medication
FiercePharma: Sign Of The Times? US Stocks Up On Amgen's Radiation Sickness Drug Nplate
In what could be a troubling sign of the times, the United States is stocking up on radiation sickness drugs. Wednesday, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said it’s throwing down $290 million to lock up an undisclosed amount of Amgen’s blood disorder med Nplate, which is approved to treat blood cell injuries linked to acute radiation syndrome (ARS) in kids and adults. (Kansteiner, 10/5)
In its press release, HHS downplayed the purchase as "part of long-standing, ongoing efforts to be better prepared to save lives following radiological and nuclear emergencies" —
HHS purchases drug for use in radiological and nuclear emergencies
The Register: US Intelligence Researches Improved Radiation Detection
The research arm of US intelligence has begun investigating methods for spotting low doses of ionizing radiation to better protect American service personnel and provide evidence of nuclear technology use. The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) announced the start of Targeted Evaluation of Ionizing Radiation Exposure (TEI-REX) on [Sept. 30], which will look for non-invasive methods of determining radiation exposure in low doses through samples including hair, skin, sweat, and saliva. (Vigliarolo, 9/30)
The New York Times: Russia’s Small Nuclear Arms Are A Risk For Putin And Ukraine
How much destruction — and lingering radiation — would result depends on factors including the size of the weapon and the winds. But even a small nuclear explosion could cause thousands of deaths and render a base or a downtown area uninhabitable for years. ... The radiation dangers from small nuclear arms would likely be less than those involving large reactors, like those at Chernobyl. Its radioactive fallout poisoned the flatlands for miles around and turned villages into ghost towns. Eventually the radiation caused thousands of cases of cancer, though exactly how many is a matter of debate. (Sanger and Broad, 10/3)
The Washington Post: Here Are The Nuclear Weapons Russia Has In Its Military Arsenal
It is very unlikely that Russia would use its most powerful nuclear weapons to settle scores with Kyiv; Moscow is far more likely, experts agree, to use a smaller nuclear weapon in the hopes of achieving a specific battlefield objective. But, those same experts caution, once a nuclear weapon is unleashed, controlling what happens next is difficult. (Demirjian, 10/5)
