Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Perspectives: Therapeutic Drugs Remain Important Part Of Covid Fight
New England Journal of Medicine: The Goldilocks Time For Remdesivir — Is Any Indication Just Right?
For 2 years, we have been under siege by a lingering global pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In an ideal world, widespread access to and acceptance of vaccines to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection could end the current pandemic; however, given imperfect vaccine uptake and ongoing emergence of variants, it is likely that SARS-CoV-2 will become endemic. (Emily L. Heil, Pharm.D., and Shyam Kottilil, M.D., Ph.D., 1/27)
The Washington Post: Gov. DeSantis Knows These Covid Treatments Don’t Work. He’s Pushing Them Anyway.
If a loved one were sick with the omicron variant and in a hospital, and someone offered a drug that the Food and Drug Administration had prohibited because it didn’t work against omicron, and the manufacturer agreed the treatment wasn’t effective, and the American Medical Association also agreed, and scientific studies showed it wasn’t working, would you urge them to take it anyway? What would you think of the person who offered it? (1/27)
Also —
The Wall Street Journal: Robert Califf For The FDA
President Biden hasn’t often stood up to the left with his regulatory nominees, but he did in selecting respected cardiologist Robert Califf to run the Food and Drug Administration. Yet now the Administration is leaving its nominee out on a political limb. A Senate committee this month backed Dr. Califf, 13-8. But five Democratic Senators, including West Virginia’s Joe Manchin, have signaled opposition partly because of his work with pharmaceutical companies, which means he will need GOP votes to be confirmed. Pro-life groups are mobilizing against him too. (1/30)
The Washington Post: The Shadow Pandemic: Antibiotic Resistance Is Growing
Another global health crisis is unfolding in the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic. Antimicrobial resistance, the tendency of bacteria and other pathogens to evolve so they fight or evade lifesaving drugs, is a long-term threat to modern medicine. A new study, drawing from a vast array of data, estimates that 1.27 million deaths were caused worldwide by bacterial antimicrobial resistance in 2019, exceeding the combined toll of HIV/AIDS and malaria. Only ischemic heart disease and stroke that year accounted for more deaths. (1/28)
CNBC: Amarin Has A Big Decision To Make. How Sarissa Capital Can Help It Move Forward
Amarin engages in the development and commercialization of therapeutics for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases in the United States. Its lead product is Vascepa, a prescription-only omega-3 fatty acid product, used as an adjunct to diet for reducing triglyceride levels in adult patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia. The company sells its products principally to wholesalers and specialty pharmacy providers. It has a collaboration with Mochida Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. to develop and commercialize drug products and indications based on the active pharmaceutical ingredient in Vascepa, the omega-3 acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid. (Kenneth Squire, 1/29)
