Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Judge Tosses Lawsuits Against Harvard After Body Parts Theft From Morgue
The Boston Globe: Judge Dismisses Morgue Lawsuits Against Harvard Medical School
A Suffolk Superior Court judge on Monday dismissed all the lawsuits against Harvard Medical School over the theft of body parts from its morgue, saying that the allegations from donors’ families “do not plausibly suggest” that Harvard failed to act in good faith and do not show Harvard was responsible for its morgue manager’s conduct. (Freyer, 2/12)
KFF Health News: ‘Behind The Times’: Washington Tries To Catch Up With AI’s Use In Health Care
Lawmakers and regulators in Washington are starting to puzzle over how to regulate artificial intelligence in health care — and the AI industry thinks there’s a good chance they’ll mess it up. “It’s an incredibly daunting problem,” said Bob Wachter, the chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California-San Francisco. “There’s a risk we come in with guns blazing and overregulate.” (Tahir, 2/13)
In pharmaceutical news —
Stat: Gilead Acquiring CymaBay And Its Liver Disease Drug For $4.3 Billion
Gilead Sciences said Monday it will acquire CymaBay Therapeutics for $4.3 billion, adding a new treatment for a liver disease that is on track for approval later this year. (Feuerstein, 2/12)
Chicago Tribune: Shortage Of Adderall And Other ADHD Medication Continues
All Jennifer Howell wanted was to find medication for her son. Instead, she was caught in a maze of desperate phone calls to pharmacies and physicians. Her son, Linus, had been diagnosed with ADHD in 2021 during the grips of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of his behavioral traits — restlessness, impulsivity, difficulty focusing — suddenly made sense. When he was first prescribed medication, its effects were instantaneous. (Armanini, 2/12)
Stat: Why Did Pfizer Dish Out Millions For A Super Bowl Ad?
Super Bowl ads are a show within the show, an opportunity for brands and advertising creatives to put their work in front of more than 100 million viewers. And while the occasion is most closely associated with ads for beer, cars, and soft drinks, pharma giant Pfizer dished out millions of dollars for its own message: “Here’s to science.” (Merelli, 2/12)
The Washington Post: Former Dutch Prime Minister And Wife Die Together Via Duo Euthanasia
The vow is “til death do us part.” But for former Dutch prime minister Dries van Agt and his wife, Eugenie, the aim was to leave this life the same way they had spent the past seven decades — together. The couple, both 93, died “hand in hand” earlier this month, according to a statement from the Rights Forum, a pro-Palestinian organization that Dries van Agt created. They chose to die by what is known as “duo euthanasia” — a growing trend in the Netherlands, where a small number of couples have been granted their wish to die in unison in recent years, usually by a lethal dose of a drug. (Cho, 2/13)
