Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Perspectives: Breakthrough Therapy Act Is Flawed; Texas Made Right Decision On Fentanyl Testing Strips
Stat: Breakthrough Therapies Act: Good Idea, Wrong Solution
The Breakthrough Therapies Act, recently proposed by Senators Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) as a way to expand access for therapeutic purposes to potentially beneficial but highly regulated Schedule I substances like psilocybin and LSD, has the right underlying idea but provides a solution that is wrong. (Arthur L. Caplan and Kenneth I. Moch, 12/2)
Houston Chronicle: Abbott's Big Flip-Flop On Fentanyl Could Save Lives
For too long, many believed that fentanyl wasn’t a Texas problem. “There’s no sense of urgency,” paramedic Daniel Sledge complained to the Chronicle last year. As one of the people who saw the drug’s deadly impacts on the state, he knew better than most the damage the potent, highly addictive drug could do. (12/3)
The (Santa Rosa) Press Democrat: Jarvis: Alzheimer’s Drug Is A Breakthrough, But Not A Cure
Biogen Inc. and Eisai Co. caused a stir in September when they announced positive results in a late-stage trial for a closely watched Alzheimer’s drug, lecanemab. Doctors tempered their excitement, though, until they could scrutinize the full peer-reviewed data. (Lisa Jarvis, 12/1)
Bloomberg: New Data On Alzheimer’s Drug Lecanemab Show It’s A Step, Not A Cure
Biogen Inc. and Eisai Co. caused a stir in September when they announced positive results in a late-stage trial for a closely watched Alzheimer’s drug, lecanemab. Doctors tempered their excitement, though, until they could scrutinize the full peer-reviewed data. (Lisa Jarvis, 11/30)
The Star Tribune: Renew The Battle Vs. Antibiotic Resistance
It usually doesn't take long for new parents to fill a prescription for amoxicillin — an antibiotic frequently wielded in fighting ear infections and other common childhood illnesses. (12/1)
Bloomberg: Amgen Has A Contender In The Weight-Loss Drug Wars
The first detailed look at data on Amgen Inc.’s obesity drug offers a promising glimpse into the future of weight-loss treatment. How promising? (Lisa Jarvis, 12/1)
