Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
AstraZeneca Study: Blood Cancer Drug Fails To Reduce Deaths From COVID
Bloomberg: AstraZeneca Cancer Drug Fails to Help Patients With Covid-19
AstraZeneca Plc said its blood-cancer medicine Calquence failed to help patients hospitalized with respiratory symptoms of Covid-19. The group of patients taking the drug in addition to standard care didn’t show fewer deaths or respiratory failures, the U.K. drugmaker said in a statement. Details of the intermediate clinical trials will be presented in due course, the company said. (Fourcade, 11/12)
Stat: Drug Companies Deliver A Vote Of Confidence In Adaptive Trial For Covid-19
A novel clinical trial that uses artificial intelligence to rapidly compare Covid-19 treatments has attracted participation from two major drug companies, a key milestone in the effort to shake up the way trials are conducted. (Ross, 11/10)
In other pharmaceutical and biotech developments —
Stat: Lawmakers Urge DOJ To Revise $8.3 Billion Settlement With Purdue
Dozens of members of Congress are urging the U.S. Department of Justice to revise a recent $8.3 billion settlement of civil and criminal charges with Purdue Pharma, arguing that one part of the deal is really a “mirage” designed to help lessen the financial burden for the Sackler family, which controls the company. In a sharply worded letter, the lawmakers objected to the idea of transforming the drug maker into a public benefit company. (Silverman, 11/11)
Stat: Amgen, AstraZeneca Asthma Drug Achieves Main Goals In Clinical Trial
An experimental medicine from AstraZeneca and Amgen significantly reduced the frequency of asthma attacks when added to standard treatment, achieving the goals of a late-stage clinical trial involving patients with severe asthma, the companies announced Tuesday. (Feuerstein, 11/10)
Stat: Gene Therapy Pioneer Devises New Tactic To Curb Side Effects Of Treatment
Gene therapies hold huge promise for inherited diseases that attack the nervous system — but studies show they can inadvertently damage sensitive nerve cells, triggering side effects like weakness, numbness, and intense pain. (Keshavan, 11/11)
