Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Higher Dementia Risk Linked To Regular Laxative Use: Study
The Washington Post: Regular Laxative Use Correlated With Higher Dementia Risk In U.K. Study
Regular laxative use may be correlated with dementia, according to research published in the journal Neurology in February. The study looked at a cohort of 502,229 British adults participating in UK Biobank, a long-term initiative that gathered extensive genetic and health information from 40- to 69-year-olds in England, Wales and Scotland between 2006 and 2010. The participants had no history of dementia. Researchers compared those who reported no regular laxative use with those who said they used laxatives most days of the week for the past four weeks in surveys. (Blakemore, 3/4)
On the cost of insulin —
Stat: Eli Lilly Will Avoid Big Medicaid Rebates After It Cut Insulin Prices
Eli Lilly would’ve had to pay Medicaid about $150 for each vial of insulin used in the program if it hadn’t dramatically cut the list prices for some of its older products this week. The company was about to run into a Medicaid penalty for hiking the price of its drugs faster than the rate of inflation. Now that it plans to lower the list price of the insulin Humalog 70%, it won’t trigger that penalty. Lilly also is lowering the price of Lispro, a biosimilar of Humalog, to $25 a vial. (Wilkerson, 3/6)
KHN: Journalists Discuss Insulin Prices, Gun Violence, Distracted Driving, And More
Midwest KHN correspondent Bram Sable-Smith discussed the Eli Lilly news on insulin prices on “PBS NewsHour” and insulin prices on Slate’s “What Next” on March 1. ... KHN contributor Andy Miller discussed Georgia’s legislative wrap-up including Medicaid work requirements on Georgia Public Broadcasting’s “Lawmakers” on Feb. 28. He also discussed health care for foster children on WUGA’s “The Georgia Health Report” on Feb. 3. (3/4)
In other pharmaceutical news —
CBS News: FDA Warns Of False Negative Results For Food Allergies After Skin Test Recall
All skin tests doctors commonly use to check for food allergies can provide false negative results, the Food and Drug Administration has concluded — meaning people with potentially life-threatening allergies could mistakenly be told they are not at risk. The tests will now be required to include a warning urging doctors to consider double-checking the test with more accurate approaches. (Tin, 3/3)
NPR: Genome Summit To Weigh Pros And Cons Of Gene-Editing
Hundreds of scientists, doctors, bioethicists, patients, and others started gathering in London Monday for the Third International Summit on Human Genome Editing. The summit this week will debate and possibly issue recommendations about the thorny issues raised by powerful new gene-editing technologies. (Stein, 3/6)
KHN: Despite Pharma Claims, Illicit Drug Shipments To US Aren’t Full Of Opioids. It’s Generic Viagra.
For years, the FDA has defended its efforts to intercept prescription drugs coming from abroad by mail as necessary to keep out dangerous opioids, including fentanyl. The pharmaceutical industry frequently cites such concerns in its battle to stymie numerous proposals in Washington to allow Americans to buy drugs from Canada and other countries where prices are almost always much lower. (Galewitz, 3/6)
