Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Amid Nationwide Shortage Of Chemo Drugs, Some Cancer Patients Are Being Prioritized For Treatment
The New York Times: Shortage Of Chemotherapy Drugs Brings Rationing Fears For Cancer Patients
Doctors treating cancer patients nationwide are facing a shortage of essential generic chemotherapy drugs, a situation that many fear could lead to widespread rationing. The shortages stem from manufacturing problems, shipping delays and decisions by some companies to stop producing the medications, according to the Food and Drug Administration. (Jewett, 6/24)
In other pharma and tech news —
Stat: Eli Lilly Dives Into Hair Loss Treatments With Investment In AI Startup Absci
The pharmaceutical giants behind the monumentally successful weight loss drugs Wegovy and Mounjaro have been teasing an expansion into other aesthetic fields like hair loss or skin care. Now, one of them is making a move, investing in a small startup developing a medication to spur hair growth, and potentially also treat endometriosis. (DeAngelis, 6/24)
MedPage Today: How A Drug With More Negative Than Positive Studies Won FDA Approval
The FDA should require negative studies of a new drug to be included in the product's labeling -- not just those studies with a beneficial finding -- to prevent physicians and consumers from being misled about the drug's safety and efficacy. That's the conclusion of researchers who examined the nearly decades-long journey of rejections that led up to the FDA's final approval of gepirone extended release (Exxua) for major depressive disorder in 2023, despite scant evidence of effectiveness. The findings were published in JAMA Psychiatry. (Clark, 6/24)
KFF Health News: Opioid Settlement Money Pays For Services To Battle Addiction In Rural Kentucky
Drugs and the consequences of addiction are woven into the fabric of Jamie Madden’s life. Her earliest memory is of standing on the passenger seat of her dad’s car as a toddler, wearing a peach-colored blouse, while he drove from their Kentucky home to Florida to pick up drugs. On a stop for a burger, she met Ronald McDonald. “I grew up with the impression that that’s how you paid your bills,” Madden said. “That’s how your kids got things.” (Sisk, 6/25)
KFF Health News: Listen To The Latest ‘KFF Health News Minute’
Zach Dyer reads the week’s news: The U.S. is getting its first new sunscreen ingredient in decades. Plus, at-home cancer tests have their limits. (Zenda, 6/25)
Also —
Chicago Tribune: Wheaton Woman, 87, Is Oldest Known Kidney Recipient In Illinois
When Sheila Perry learned that she was a record-setter at 87 years old, she was surrounded by family, and all the group could do was laugh. Indeed, they had much to smile about. The Wheaton local is the oldest known female in Illinois — and among the oldest in the United States — to have a successful kidney transplant. (Kiehl, 6/24)
