Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Perspectives: Should Ketamine Be Used To Treat Depression?; FDA-Cleared Menopause Drug Veozah Is A Win
Bloomberg: Can Ketamine Treat Depression? Why Researchers Struggle To Answer
For more than a decade, ketamine has been capturing headlines as a miracle treatment for people with severe depression. But even with reasonably strong evidence the drug can offer short-term, fast-acting relief from depression, researchers still aren’t entirely sure how it works — or even how much of its benefits are due to its ability to rewire connections in the brain versus the mind-altering experience of taking it. (Lisa Jarvis, 6/2)
Los Angeles Times: FDA Approval For The Hot-Flash Drug Veozah Should Be Part Of Policy Shift On Menopause
There are an estimated 55 million women in menopause in the United States today, the majority of whom endure its most debilitating symptoms in silence. It doesn’t have to be so debilitating, and it wouldn’t be if we could end the silence and make even a handful of key policy changes. (Jennifer Weiss-Wolf and Sharon Malone, 6/5)
The CT Mirror: Allow Pharmacists To Prescribe Birth Control
In Connecticut the proposed bill of SB 171 could be a monumental step in the right direction for reproductive healthcare. SB 171 is a bill that would allow a pharmacist prescribe birth control. (Cate DiRamio, 6/2)
The New York Times: What Ozempic And Addiction Drugs Reveal About Desire
Mary Boyer, a 41-year-old tech worker, started taking the drug Mounjaro last October to treat obesity. She has since lost more than 40 pounds, going from 267 when she started to 221 when she weighed herself recently. “I’m losing, like, a pound and a half a week pretty steadily,” she said. (Maia Szalavitz, 6/4)
Bloomberg: Should Medicare Cover Wegovy, Ozempic And Other New Obesity Drugs?
When Medicare’s prescription-drug program was created two decades ago, it was prohibited by law from covering weight-loss drugs, which were seen as largely cosmetic. Congress also worried about health risks after several popular diet pills were taken off the market. (6/2)
