Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Paralyzed Mice That Received Cytokine Treatment Walked Again In Just Weeks
Reuters: German Scientists Make Paralyzed Mice Walk Again
German researchers have enabled mice paralyzed after spinal cord injuries to walk again, re-establishing a neural link hitherto considered irreparable in mammals by using a designer protein injected into the brain. ... The paralyzed rodents that received the treatment started walking after two to three weeks, the team’s head Dietmar Fischer told Reuters in an interview. (Nitschke and Szymanska, 1/21)
Medical News Today: Paralyzed Mice Walk Again After Cytokine Treatment
In 2013, neuroscientists in Germany published a study showing that an immune signaling protein — or cytokine — called interleukin-6 (IL-6) could promote the regeneration of optic nerve axons in lab cultures. One hurdle, however, concerned how to deliver the cytokine to inaccessible parts of the central nervous system that are critical for restoring movement. Another difficulty is that natural IL-6 has a relatively weak stimulatory effect on nerve regeneration. Now, members of the same team and colleagues, all based at Ruhr-University Bochum, in Germany, have developed a technique that delivers a “designer” version of IL-6 deep into the central nervous system. (Kingsland, 1/20)
And in pharmaceutical news —
Stat: Colchicine, A Gout Drug, Shows Preliminary Promise For Covid-19
A press release from a Canadian research group raised hopes that treating people recently diagnosed with Covid-19 with colchicine, a drug commonly used to treat gout, could reduce the risk they will need to be hospitalized. But outside experts said the data provided were too limited to draw conclusions, leading to discussions of the risks of conducting science via press release, instead of in more detailed manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals. (Herper, 1/23)
Medical News Today: Diabetes Treatment May Protect Against COVID-19 Mortality
Researchers have found that people with diabetes undergoing treatment with the medication metformin are at significantly less risk of death due to COVID-19 compared with those not taking the medication. The study, which appears in the journal Frontiers in Endocrinology, also found that African American study participants were disproportionately more likely to contract the virus than white participants. (Huzar, 1/24)
FiercePharma: Eli Lilly's COVID-19 Antibody Shows It Can Prevent The Disease. But Will Doctors Use It?
The data show antibodies could be useful as a COVID prevention tool in vulnerable populations as an additional tool to vaccines, SVB Leerink analyst Geoffrey Porges said in a note Thursday. Unfortunately, Lilly would need to clear some hurdles to get its therapy to patients.“[T]his hinges on quick, targeted distribution of antibodies to high-risk individuals by the U.S. government, which is a significant unknown factor,” Porges said, “and infused administration continues to post a challenge to distribution.” (Liu, 1/22)
Also —
Stat: PhRMA Sues To Block Trump Administration 340B Rule
The trade group for the pharmaceutical industry on Friday sued to block a new process, outlined by the Trump administration, that aimed to help drug makers and health care providers resolve disputes over a federal drug discount program. (Cohrs, 1/22)
Stat: Aurinia's FDA Approval Comes With Label Offering Stronger Patent Protection
Aurinia Pharmaceuticals won approval from the Food and Drug Administration on Friday evening to market a new medicine for patients with lupus nephritis, a serious autoimmune kidney disease. It’s good news for patients, but the nature of the approval also makes it especially good news for Aurinia and investors. (Feuerstein, 1/24)
