Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
New ARPA-H Medical Research Agency Will Exist Outside Of NIH
Stat: Key Lawmaker: ARPA-H Won’t Be Part Of NIH
A new research agency aimed at developing breakthrough medical technologies won’t be housed within the National Institutes of Health, a key lawmaker said on Wednesday. Instead, the agency, known as ARPA-H, will exist as a distinct unit within the Department of Health and Human Services, said Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.). In a brief interview, Eshoo said that two House lawmakers who had pushed to create the new agency as a unit within NIH — Reps. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) and Fred Upton (R-Mich.) — had backed off their positions. (Facher, 2/3)
In pharmaceutical news —
Stat: Analysis: First Injectable For HIV Prevention Isn't Cost-Effective
A long-acting injectable to prevent HIV infection may be generating hope that a new era in the battle against AIDS is about to begin. But a newly published analysis suggested the medicine will not be cost-effective unless the price is considerably lower, since much cheaper pills to prevent HIV are available. At issue is Apretude, which was approved late last year by U.S. regulators as the first alternative to a pill — known as pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP— that must be taken daily to prevent HIV. (Silverman, 2/2)
USA Today: Americans Are Taking Higher Doses Of Melatonin, Study Warns Of Risks
More Americans rely on melatonin to help them fall asleep, but how much is too much? In 2018, Americans took more than twice the amount of the over-the-counter aid that they did a decade earlier, according to research published Tuesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study warns there is not enough research to determine how dangerous or healthy long-term overuse of melatonin may be. Although short-term use of the pill appears to be safe, high dose usage hasn't been tested for overall safety, according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. (Miranda, 2/2)
In updates on the opioid crisis —
San Francisco Chronicle: Dramatic Policy Overhaul Needed To Curb Exploding Opioid Crisis, Stanford Researchers Say
Pointing to an explosion of opioid overdose deaths during the coronavirus pandemic, Stanford researchers called Wednesday for a series of dramatic changes to how governments and society treat those addicted to the drugs, including the ending of incarceration for possession or use of illicit drugs. In a paper published in the medical journal the Lancet, the group recommended that policymakers in the United States and Canada also offer addiction-related health services during and after incarceration, better monitor prescription drugs post-approval and improve knowledge of addiction in medical education. (Ho and Fagan, 2/2)
