Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Certain Blood Transfusions Put Patients At Risk Of Experiencing Symptoms of Alpha-Gal Syndrome, Study Finds
MedPage Today: Study Warns On Alpha-Gal Syndrome And Blood Transfusions
In areas with high prevalence of tick-induced alpha-gal syndrome (AGS), patients with blood type O appeared to be at significantly increased risk for allergic transfusion reactions to B or AB blood units, according to a retrospective cohort study. (Rudd, 8/24)
The Washington Post: FDA Approves A Blood Test To Detect Alzheimer’s Disease
The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new blood test for Alzheimer’s that can detect a presence in the brain of amyloid plaque, which has been considered a key indicator of the disease. The test is not meant for routine screening but can be pivotal for a diagnosis when cognitive problems are causing doctors to suspect Alzheimer’s. ... The FDA approved the first Alzheimer’s blood test in 2025. That test, sold by Fujirebio, measures two proteins. Roche said its test is the first to measure a single protein, which serves as a “biomarker” for amyloid. (Rowland, 8/24)
Stat: FDA Pauses Regenxbio Hunter Syndrome Gene Therapy Trial
The Food and Drug Administration has again paused trials for Regenxbio’s gene therapy for a rare childhood brain disorder, after small masses were found on the spines of five patients, the company said Monday. (Mast, 8/24)
Military.com: Army Veteran Becomes First VA Patient To Receive Minimally Invasive Epilepsy Treatment
U.S. Army veteran Robert Lindemann has become the first patient in the VA system to undergo a minimally invasive laser procedure to treat his epilepsy. Lindemann, who served nearly 33 years before retiring, received the procedure at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, Texas, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) said. (Gramegna, 8/25)
On GLP-1s —
KFF Health News: The Medicare GLP-1 Discount Has One Big Catch: Some Sick Patients Don't Qualify
In January, Jeff La Marca got a prescription for the popular weight loss drug Zepbound. But he couldn’t afford the $750 monthly price tag. Then Medicare launched an 18-month pilot program that offers GLP-1 medications to some enrollees for only $50 a month. La Marca thought he might finally be able to afford the drug. (Fortiér, 8/25)
The Hill: GLP-1 Drugs May Help Treat Addiction, Studies Show
From unexpected babies to “Ozempic teeth,” the ultra-popular class of GLP-1 medications is turning out to have a few unanticipated side effects. Emerging research shows the drugs, which have proven effective in treating obesity and diabetes, may also be useful in treating addiction. The medications’ full potential is coming to light as more people are prescribed a GLP-1, which includes the brand names Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy and Zepbound. As 15 percent of Americans say they’ve tried a GLP-1, researchers are learning more about how it impacts all aspects of life, not just diet. (Martichoux, 8/24)
On street drugs —
The New York Times: The Ruthless Efficiency Of Ultrapotent Street Drugs
On a crisp, sunny day in February 2025, a local nicknamed Sleepy, 44, stood across the street from the neat white house in West Baltimore where he had been raised by his grandmother. His parents had lived there, too, lost to heroin addiction. As a boy, Sleepy vowed to become a police officer. (He asked not to use his full name to avoid police scrutiny.). But the streets called, and by his early teens he was selling crack and heroin. In 2007, just a few blocks from his childhood home, he fired a gun into a car carrying gang members whom he feared were hunting him. He went to prison on an attempted murder charge and was released in 2022. (Richtel, 8/24)
The New York Times: Why Getting High Has Only Gotten Cheaper
In the early 1970s, the American government launched what became known as the war on drugs. The goal was to reduce substance abuse. The strategy: Crimp the demand for heroin, cocaine and other illicit substances by disrupting the supply and making drug use expensive. A key way “we measured success was getting the price up,” said Robert DuPont, who served as the White House drug czar from 1973 to 1977. “It meant we got the job done.” (Richtel and Hwang, 8/24)
