Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
J&J Sues Scientists Who Linked Cancer Cases To Talc Products
Reuters: Johnson & Johnson Sues Researchers Who Linked Talc To Cancer
Johnson & Johnson has sued four doctors who published studies citing links between talc-based personal care products and cancer, escalating an attack on scientific studies that the company alleges are inaccurate. (7/13)
On an anti-cancer treatment —
Reuters: Caribou's Cell Therapy Shows Promise In Early-Stage Cancer Study
Caribou Biosciences Inc (CRBU.O) said on Thursday its experimental CAR T-cell therapy helped clear all signs or decrease tumor size in 94% of patients being treated for a type of cancer in the lymph nodes in a small, early-stage trial. (7/13)
Stat: Caribou Posts Encouraging Results On Off-The-Shelf CAR-T Therapy
Caribou Biosciences said Thursday that its off-the-shelf CAR-T therapy induced durable, complete remissions in patients with advanced B-cell lymphoma that move it closer to the benchmarks set by more established, patient-specific CAR-T therapies. In an update to an early-stage study, 44% of the 16 patients treated with Caribou’s on-demand therapy, called CB-010, achieved a complete remission lasting a minimum of six months — a key threshold of durability. (Feuerstein, 7/13)
In other news from the health industry —
Stat: Roche Shortens Delivery Time For MS Drug In Key Trial
For people living with multiple sclerosis, slowing or stopping this chronic and debilitating neurological disease often means sitting through hours-long infusion sessions, during which treatments slowly drip into a patient’s bloodstream. But on Thursday, Swiss pharma giant Roche raised hopes that this process could be cut down to minutes. (Wosen, 7/13)
Crain's Chicago Business: Health Care Service Corporation Uses AI For Prior Authorization
Health Care Service Corp. is expanding a pilot integration of artificial intelligence into its prior authorization process, which the parent of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Illinois promises will make the approval process for many procedures quicker and easier for providers and patients alike. (Asplund, 7/13)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Aspirus To Expand Into Minnesota In Deal With Duluth Hospital System
A Duluth-based health system is joining Wausau-based Aspirus Health, in yet another consolidation of regional hospital systems, the two announced on Wednesday. If the deal is ultimately approved, St. Luke’s, a system with two hospitals, would become the newest member of Aspirus' health system, said Andy Napgezek, a spokesman for Aspirus. (Volpenhein, 7/13)
Crain's New York Business: New York Gives Stipulations For Mount Sinai Merger
The state health commissioner has laid out several contingencies Mount Sinai must comply with to earn state approval of its controversial New York Eye & Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai merger, Crain’s has learned. The potential merger that would effectively join NYEEI with Beth Israel has sparked controversy since it came to light last summer. Sinai leaders maintain that the merger will not disrupt services, while infirmary leaders and community members have expressed concern that it will result in patients losing access to care. (Neber, 7/13)
Modern Healthcare: UCHealth-Parkview Health Pending Deal Delayed
The proposed merger of UCHealth and Parkview Health System has stalled due to "regulatory matters," according to financial documents filed this week. Pueblo, Colorado-based Parkview said in the filing its pending combination with Aurora, Colo.-based UC Health would not close in mid-2023 as expected. Parkview did not provide a new timeline for the deal's closure, saying it "remains committed to working through any regulatory hurdles," but "can give no assurance when or if the transaction will be consummated." (Hudson, 7/13)
Reuters: Roivant In Talks To Sell Bowel Disease Drug To Roche In Over $7 Bln Deal
Biotech company Roivant Sciences (ROIV.O) is nearing a deal to sell an experimental drug to treat inflammatory bowel diseases including ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease to Roche (ROG.S) in a deal that could be valued at more than $7 billion, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday. (7/13)
Reuters: U.S. Watchdog Lifts Price Estimate For Bluebird, Vertex/CRISPR Gene Therapies To $2.1 Million
An influential U.S. drug pricing watchdog raised the price estimate of two experimental gene therapies from Vertex Pharmaceuticals (VRTX.O)/CRISPR Therapeutics and bluebird bio (BLUE.O) to as much as $2.05 mln, saying the new price can be cost effective to treat sickle cell disease. (Satija, 7/13)
Reuters: Strong U.S. Demand Eases Pressure On Novo To Show Weight-Loss Drug's Health Benefits
Soaring U.S. demand for Novo Nordisk's weight-loss drug has reduced the pressure from investors on the company to deliver strong results in its trial to test whether the drug also has medical benefits, eight investors and analysts say. Novo (NOVOb.CO) is expected to publish in August the results of a large study called SELECT, which is assessing whether Wegovy reduces the risk of major cardiovascular events like strokes or heart attacks in overweight or obese people with a history of heart disease. (Fick, 7/14)
San Francisco Chronicle: One Big Way S.F.’s Oldest Hospital Could Change Under UCSF
A proposal for UCSF to absorb St. Mary’s Medical Center into its vast medical network has rattled some of its senior doctors and prompted questions about what would happen if the Catholic institution transformed into a secular hospital. Under current ownership, St. Mary’s employees are technically required to follow the Catholic Church’s ethical and religious directives, which ban contraceptives, abortions, sterilization and gender care. (Mishanec, 7/13)
Philadelphia Inquirer: Pew Charitable Trusts Awards Millions To Philly Nonprofits
Five Philadelphia organizations working on child and youth mental health will receive a combined $6.55 million in grants from the Pew Charitable Trusts to expand access to services, the national nonprofit announced Thursday. (Gutman, 7/13)
Stat: Hospitals Are Cutting Ties With Moody's Over Cost, Time Commitment
Not-for-profit hospitals have been cutting ties with Moody’s Investors Service in recent years, citing the high cost and time commitment required to maintain their relationships with the rating agency. With labor and supply costs inflated and margins thin following the Covid-19 pandemic, hospitals are eager to trim any expenses they can. Increasingly, that means cutting a bond rating. (Bannow, 7/14)
Also —
KFF Health News: KFF Health News' 'What the Health?' Podcast: The Long Road To Reining In Short-Term Plans
President Biden made good on a campaign promise this week with a proposal that would limit short-term health insurance plans that boast low premiums but also few benefits. (Rovner, 7/13)
