Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Anti-Abortion Group Claims Mifepristone Is Contaminating The Water Supply
Politico: Activists ‘Throwing Everything' They Can Against Abortion Turn To Wastewater Data
Anti-abortion activists are launching the next phase of their years-long effort to use environmental protection laws to cut off access to the abortion drug mifepristone, which they see as the main impediment to eliminating abortions after the fall of Roe v. Wade. (Ollstein and Wittenberg, 7/26)
In other pharmaceutical news —
MedPage Today: FDA Approves Tylenol With Naproxen Combination
The FDA approved a combination tablet of 325-mg acetaminophen and 110-mg naproxen sodium (Tylenol with Naproxen) for over-the-counter (OTC) pain relief, the agency announced Friday. The opioid-free combination tablet is indicated for the temporary relief of minor aches and pains from headaches, backaches, muscular aches, toothaches, menstrual cramps, and minor arthritis pain in adults and children ages 12 and older. (George, 7/24)
MedPage Today: New Avacopan Analysis Sent To FDA After Data Manipulation Allegations
Amgen has submitted a third-party review of avacopan's (Tavneos) pivotal trial data and other analyses to the FDA in a bid to keep the embattled drug for severe anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis on the market. (Ingram, 7/24)
MedPage Today: Branded Bevacizumab Approved For Wet AMD
The FDA approved the first formulation of bevacizumab specifically for the treatment of neovascular (wet) age-related macular degeneration (nAMD), Outlook Therapeutics announced on Friday. (Bankhead, 7/24)
MedPage Today: Study Links GLP-1s To Lower Risk Of Fragility Fractures In Diabetes Patients
Starting a GLP-1 receptor agonist for type 2 diabetes was associated with a lower risk of fragility fractures in adults 50 and older, including hip and vertebral fractures, according to a large target trial emulation study. (Monaco, 7/25)
NPR: The Risk And Cost Of Missed ADHD Treatments In Women Is Striking
School used to be pretty easy for Kate Jarvis when she was a little girl, back in the 1980s. She was a straight-A student, creative, and so organized that she'd even prep her toothbrush with toothpaste each night before school. She says her mother used to call her "bright-eyed and bushy tailed." Then puberty hit, and everything started to fall apart. She found it harder to focus in school, and her grades slipped. "It really hit my self-esteem badly. I felt pretty awful about myself," she says. (Godoy, 7/26)
On vaccine court and vaccinations —
CBS News: Vaccine Court: Where Americans Who Suffer Rare Injury After Vaccination Can Take Their Claims
If you've never before heard of the national vaccine court, you're hardly alone. As we first reported in October, it sits inconspicuously, a few hundred yards from the White House; and stands as a model of effective public policy, balancing the societal good of widespread vaccination with rare individual harm. Founded in the 1980s, the court has, with little fanfare, paid out billions of dollars to Americans who have claimed injury after getting a vaccine. Today, with vaccine skepticism rising and given voice in the highest ranks of government, we wondered: can this singular court block out the noise, withstand the political winds, and stay true to its mission? (Wertheim, 7/26)
CIDRAP: One Immunization May Protect Newborns Against 2 Serious Diseases
One immunization may protect newborns against two serious illnesses, according to a new study from France. An injection called nirsevimab, which dramatically reduces a baby’s risk of being hospitalized with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), also appears to reduce the risk of a life-threatening bacterial infection called invasive pneumococcal disease. (Szabo, 7/24)
CIDRAP: Most Americans Unsure Which Vaccines Are Recommended During Pregnancy
Most Americans are uncertain about which vaccines are recommended during pregnancy, according to nationally representative survey findings released yesterday by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) at the University of Pennsylvania. (Bergeson, 7/24)
