Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Perspectives: Do The Side Effects Of Leqembi Outweigh The Benefits?; US Pharmacies Need Help
Stat: What Don’t We Know About An Alzheimer’s Drug Side Effect?
Since the FDA’s approval of lecanemab (marketed as Leqembi) and Medicare’s recent decision to cover the drug, I have met with Alzheimer’s patients and their loved ones who are anxious to know whether they may benefit from this new treatment. They come in hope that this new medication may slow the progression of a cruel memory-robbing and personality-eroding disease. (Madhav Thambisetty, 11/28)
The Washington Post: Here’s How To Fix The Crumbling U.S. Pharmacy Industry
The tectonic plates beneath retail pharmaceuticals are shifting, and drugstores are falling. The total number of drugstores has been falling since 2015, but the trend has been particularly pronounced in rural areas, which have lost about 10 percent of their pharmacies in two decades. (Robert Gebelhoff, 11/27)
