Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
J&J Wins Tariff Reprieve In Exchange For Drug Discounts, Investment Pledge
Bloomberg: J&J Reaches Deal With Trump For Drug Discounts, Tariff Reprieve
Johnson & Johnson reached a deal with the US government to lower drug prices for some Americans, joining a cadre of major pharmaceutical companies to make price concessions in exchange for tariff exemption. The American drugmaker was one of 17 companies President Donald Trump called on last summer to lower prices, and among the last ones to announce a deal. The two remaining companies are AbbVie Inc. and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., which previously said they are in talks with the White House. (Tong, 1/9)
KFF Health News: California Ends Medicaid Coverage Of Weight Loss Drugs Despite TrumpRx Plan
Many low-income Californians prescribed wildly popular weight loss drugs lost their coverage for the medications at the start of the new year. Health officials are recommending diet and exercise as alternatives to heavily advertised weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound, advice experts say is unrealistic. “Of course he tried eating well and everything, but now with the medications, it’s better — a 100% change,” said Wilmer Cardenas of Santa Clara, who said his husband lost about 100 pounds over about two years using GLP-1s covered by Medi-Cal, California’s version of Medicaid. (Thompson, 1/9)
In related news about tariffs —
CNBC: The Supreme Court May Rule Friday On Trump's Tariffs. Here's What's At Stake
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday could rule on the legality of President Donald Trump’s tariffs, a decision poised to have far-reaching impacts on not only trade policy, but also the U.S. fiscal situation. Though it’s not certain that the high court will make its ruling, it has scheduled Friday as a “decision day” for handing down opinions, and there is widespread speculation that the tariff case will come up. (Cox, 1/8)
The Washington Post: A Study Offers A Surprising Reason For Plunging U.S. Overdose Deaths
Chinese crackdowns on chemicals used to make illicit fentanyl may have played a significant role in the sharp reduction of U.S. overdose deaths, according to research published Thursday. The paper suggests that the illicit fentanyl trade — which drove a historic surge in drug deaths during the past decade — experienced a large-scale decline in supply. Overdose deaths had surpassed 100,000 annually during the Biden administration but began to decline in mid-2023 and plunged further in its final year. They have kept falling under President Donald Trump, who invokes drug trafficking as he imposes steep tariffs on other countries and unleashes missile strikes on suspected drug boats in the Caribbean. (Ovalle and Cadell, 1/8)
Plus: Scroll down to our Editorials and Opinions section to read what two authors of the study think about the opioid research.
More updates on the Trump administration —
AP: 5 States Sue Trump Over Frozen Social Safety Net Funds
Attorneys general in five Democratic-led states filed a lawsuit Thursday against President Donald Trump’s administration after it said it would freeze money for several public benefit programs, citing concerns about fraud in the programs designed to help low-income families. The states — California, Colorado, Minnesota, Illinois and New York — called the move an unconstitutional abuse of power. The Trump administration announced earlier this week it was withholding their social safety net funding. The funding went toward three federal programs, two of which focus on lifting families with children out of poverty. (Balingit, 1/9)
AP: Federal Immigration Officers Shoot 2 Outside Hospital In Portland, Oregon
Federal immigration agents shot and wounded two people in a vehicle outside a hospital in Portland on Thursday, a day after an officer fatally shot a woman in Minnesota, authorities said. The shooting drew hundreds of protesters to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building at night, and Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield vowed to investigate “whether any federal officer acted outside the scope of their lawful authority” and refer criminal charges to the prosecutor’s office if warranted. (Rush and Johnson, 1/9)
CIDRAP: FDA Needs Sharper Focus On Foodborne-Illness Prevention, Accountability Office Says
A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released yesterday finds that while the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has made strides in carrying out the 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), gaps remain in implementing the rules and in establishing the systems needed to measure whether the FDA’s efforts are working. (Bergeson, 1/8)
WP Intelligence: The FDA’s Big Shift
The FDA's approach to collaborating with the public is shifting, as is its approach to how it handles reviews of new products in some cases. The changes are happening at the same time as a massive exodus of staff and are raising questions about the agency's stability. (Adams, 1/7)
Also —
The New York Times: NASA Will Bring I.S.S. Astronauts Home Early After Medical Issue
NASA will bring a crew of four astronauts home from the International Space Station before its scheduled return because of a “controlled medical evacuation,” agency officials said on Thursday. During the 25-year history of the space station, this is the first time that astronauts will return early because of a medical issue. NASA did not provide details on who had the medical issue, or what the issue was. But the agency said that the astronaut was in stable condition. (Chang and Holpuch, 1/8)
