Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Obesity Drug Is Promising For Patients With Sleep Apnea, Eli Lilly Reports
The New York Times: Sleep Apnea Reduced In People Who Took Zepbound, Eli Lilly Reports
The pharmaceutical manufacturer Eli Lilly announced on Wednesday that its obesity drug tirzepatide, or Zepbound, provided considerable relief to overweight or obese people who had obstructive sleep apnea, or episodes of stopped breathing during sleep. The results, from a pair of yearlong clinical trials, could offer a new treatment option for some 20 million Americans who have been diagnosed with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea. (Kolata, 4/17)
USA Today: Melatonin New Packaging Guidelines Seek To Protect Kids From Overdose
The Council for Responsible Nutrition announced new melatonin packaging guidelines Monday, but it will be up to manufacturers of the supplements to implement them. The action taken by the council, a leading trade association for the dietary supplement industry, comes after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) put out a report last month stating that nearly 11,000 U.S. children ended up in the emergency room from 2019 and 2022 after ingesting melatonin they took without supervision. (Coblentz, 4/16)
KFF Health News: FDA Announces Recall Of Heart Pumps Linked To Deaths And Injuries
A pair of heart devices linked to hundreds of injuries and at least 14 deaths has received the FDA’s most serious recall, the agency announced Monday. The recall comes years after surgeons say they first noticed problems with the HeartMate II and HeartMate 3, manufactured by Thoratec Corp., a subsidiary of Abbott Laboratories. The devices are not currently being removed from the market. In an emailed response, Abbott said it had communicated the risk to customers this year. (Chang and Hacker, 4/16)
On cancer —
The Washington Post: A Blood Test To Detect Cancer? Some Patients Are Using Them Already.
When her husband was undergoing cancer treatment, Cindy Perez of Southwest Ranches, Fla., learned about a new blood test that could help find early cancers. The 50-year-old said she felt fine, but her husband urged her to take the test anyway. To her surprise, the blood test — called Galleri — came back positive. Scans revealed a small tumor in her groin and a diagnosis of mantle cell lymphoma, a rare but aggressive form of cancer. She was treated and now, two years later, she’s in remission. “For me, the test was a miracle,” she said. “A real big miracle.” (Cimons, 4/16)
AP: Weedkiller Manufacturer Seeks Lawmakers' Help To Squelch Claims It Failed To Warn About Cancer
Stung by paying billions of dollars for settlements and trials, chemical giant Bayer has been lobbying lawmakers in three states to pass bills providing it a legal shield from lawsuits that claim its popular weedkiller Roundup causes cancer. Nearly identical bills introduced in Iowa, Missouri and Idaho this year — with wording supplied by Bayer — would protect pesticide companies from claims they failed to warn that their product causes cancer, if their labels otherwise complied with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s regulations. (Fingerhut and Lileb, 4/16)
On cigarettes —
Fox News: Watchdog Group Sues Biden Admin For Docs Related To Menthol Cigarette Crackdown
A government watchdog group is suing the Biden administration over documents it has sought via information request related to proposed regulations targeting menthol cigarettes. Protect the Public's Trust (PPT) filed a federal lawsuit against the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), alleging that the agency has violated its obligations under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). (Catenacci, 4/17)
The Washington Post: U.K. Lawmakers Pass ‘Smoke-Free Generation’ Bill, One Of World’s Strictest
Britain is poised to launch a world-leading project to create a “smoke-free generation,” after the House of Commons passed a bill Tuesday banning the sale of cigarettes to anyone born in 2009 or later. For years, antismoking health experts have relied on education campaigns and higher taxes to snuff out the habit. Now Britain is going all in on a ban that could spell the end of tobacco here — though wily companies are quickly striving to deliver their nicotine via less harmful delivery systems. (Booth, 4/16)
