Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Canada Lures Top US Researchers With $362M In Promised Funding
Bloomberg: Harvard, MIT Scholars Head North As Carney Offers Millions
Canada has awarded 64 global scholars with C$504 million ($362 million) in funding to relocate their work to Canadian universities and advance projects in areas such as health and artificial intelligence. Some 48 of the researchers were poached from the US, including from elite institutions such as Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The other 16 researchers are coming from 12 other countries, including the UK, Germany, China and Japan. ... Canada’s effort to lure top research talent contrasts with recent US federal funding cuts that, combined with tightening immigration policies and clashes between the Trump administration and top-tier universities, have led some scholars to look for opportunities elsewhere. (Mallees, 8/27)
The New York Times: Some Scientists Have ‘Magic Hands’ In The Lab. This A.I. Is Learning Why.
On a recent afternoon, scientists buzzed around a lab in Cambridge, Mass., performing experiments. Their equipment was standard: a lab hood for working with dangerous chemicals, an incubator for growing cells. Their procedures were identical to those in biology labs everywhere. A closer look revealed some oddities, though. Along with lab coats and gloves, most of the scientists wore miniature cameras on headbands. Three additional cameras peered down at each work station from a shelf. (Zimmer, 8/27)
Stat: Former Stanford President Responds To Charges In Theo Baker Book
Three years after a closely watched research misconduct investigation of Stanford’s then-president, Marc Tessier-Lavigne, led to his resignation, the prominent neuroscientist revealed new details this week from his research and travel in an attempt to refute allegations that he published fraudulent results and orchestrated a cover-up. (Wosen, 8/27)
In pharmaceutical developments —
CNBC: FDA Approves Gilead HIV Pill Bixlenvo Designed To Simplify Treatment
The Food and Drug Administration approved a once-daily HIV pill from Gilead that could help simplify care for some patients, the company announced Thursday. (Constantino, 8/27)
MedPage Today: First Oral Option For Dermatomyositis Gets FDA Green Light
The FDA approved the first oral treatment option for the autoimmune disorder dermatomyositis. Brepocitinib (Lisraya) is indicated for adults with the rare condition, which causes chronic inflammation, progressive muscle weakness, and skin rashes. The oral drug addresses a longstanding need for patients who have few treatment options for symptom control. (Bankhead, 8/27)
CIDRAP: Studies Provide More Evidence That HPV Vaccines Benefit Men
Three new studies add to a growing body of research showing that men and boys vaccinated against the human papillomavirus (HPV) are much less likely than others to be infected with the ubiquitous virus, which can cause cancers of the head and neck, anus, and penis, as well as genital warts. (Szabo, 8/27)
Stat: AstraZeneca Details Failed ATTR-CM Study, Affecting Other Biotechs
AstraZeneca on Friday detailed the surprise failure of a closely watched heart disease clinical trial, laying out how its experimental drug offered no additional benefits for patients who were largely already on another type of medicine — the latest twist in a multi-billion dollar market. (Joseph, 8/28)
The Wall Street Journal: Why Revolution Medicines, The Drugmaker Behind A Pancreatic Cancer Breakthrough, Stayed Independent
Earlier this year, an oncology biotech with no drugs on the market—just promising research—was attracting takeover interest. Revolution Medicines stayed independent. This week, that bet paid off. (Martinez, 8/27)
On the opioid crisis —
AP: She Was A Pain Specialist To Top Athletes. Her Opioid Prescribing Alarmed The DEA
Joan Rubinger overcame a catastrophic biking accident that left her paralyzed to become an influential pain-relief specialist helping top-tier athletes get back on the field after acute and chronic injuries. ... But behind the scenes, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration alleged in court filings, Rubinger doled out thousands of illegal prescriptions for highly addictive painkillers, a “covert and slinking” scheme the nurse practitioner likened to selling hamburgers at a fast-food restaurant. Over a four-year period, federal authorities said, the nurse practitioner prescribed 260,000 pills containing controlled substances to patients in more than 20 states. (Goodman, Mustian and Pells, 8/28)
AP: Panthers LB Thomas Davis Suffered Opioid Addiction That Opened The Door To Sprawling Drug Case
Nobody could overlook the off-the-field community work — bankrolling a college scholarship endowment, a Thanksgiving food drive, a Christmastime gift giveaway — that cast Thomas Davis of the Carolina Panthers as one of the true good guys around Charlotte and across the NFL. ... Turns out, all those comebacks from all that pain took their toll and led to a deeper and more troubling story: As his career wound down, Davis became dependent on opioids, an addiction he blames for the unseemly breakup with his wife, Kelly, and the sullying of his once-pristine reputation. (Pells, Mastian and Goodman, 8/28)
