Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Arkansas Pharmacies Sue Express Scripts, Accuse It Of Underpaying Reimbursements
Healthcare Dive: Express Scripts Targeted By Arkansas Pharmacies In First-Of-Its-Kind Lawsuit
A group of independent pharmacies in Arkansas are suing Express Scripts, one of the largest pharmaceutical middlemen in the U.S., for allegedly underpaying for tens of thousands of prescriptions. The lawsuit filed Tuesday, which seeks hundreds of millions of dollars in damages, is the first filed under a state law passed last year giving Arkansas pharmacies the ability to go after PBMs for reimbursing them below the acquisition cost of drugs, according to lawyers for the plaintiffs. (Parduhn, 9/16)
In other pharmaceutical news —
MedPage Today: Contaminated Glutathione Injections Sicken Dozens In U.S.
More than 25 people across four states became sick after getting glutathione injections, and at least three were hospitalized, according to the CDC. All three had received intravenous glutathione, and one had to be admitted to the intensive care unit to be treated for shock and abnormal blood clotting. The main problem appears to be that all of the injections were made by compounding pharmacies that used glutathione ingredients that were intended for use only in dietary supplements. (Fiore, 9/16)
MedPage Today: FDA Warns Of Serious Risks Tied To Misuse Of Double-Chin Fat Dissolver
Unapproved use of deoxycholic acid injection (Kybella) outside of the submental fat region may carry a risk of neuromuscular and other potentially serious adverse events, according to an FDA labeling update. A review of the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) revealed 129 cases of adverse events associated with use of deoxycholic acid in unapproved areas since the product was approved in 2015, the agency stated in a safety communication. The reports included some serious adverse events, such as blurred or reduced vision with periorbital use of deoxycholic acid injection and muscle or nerve injury, including facial paresis and paresthesia. (Bankhead, 9/16)
The Washington Post: Funding Cuts Could Threaten New Cancer Breakthroughs, Experts Warn
Cancer science achieved several landmark breakthroughs in the past year, but the field is at an “inflection point” amid threats to research funding, the American Association for Cancer Research said in its annual progress report Wednesday. The report touted 11 new treatments approved by the Food and Drug Administration since July 2025 and a steady decline in the cancer mortality rate, which fell by 35 percent between 1991 and 2024. (Wu, 9/16)
San Francisco Chronicle: Psychedelic Research Has A Problem: Everyone Knows Who Got High
Psychedelic research has blown up in medicine over the past decade, with scientists exploring magic mushrooms, acid and other mind-altering drugs to treat a host of conditions, from depression and anxiety to intractable post-traumatic stress disorder. But as the first potential therapies hurtle toward U.S. federal approval, some scientists say the field is skipping a critical step in studying these drugs: double-blinding. (Allday, 9/16)
MedShadow Foundation: What Americans Really Want From Drug Ads
Results from a new national poll show broad support for fewer prescription drug ads, and tighter rules governing how they’re regulated. (Jaycox, 9/15)
KFF Health News: 3 Common Drugs Older Adults Might Be Overusing
The scenario often unfolds like this: Medical researchers investigate a frequently used drug and report that it’s less effective for older patients than previously thought, or that its risks outweigh its benefits in older adults. More studies follow, confirming those findings. After a few years, medical associations revise their guidelines, warning that the drug in question should be avoided or at least prescribed more selectively. It might be added to the Beers Criteria, an influential list of potentially inappropriate medications for older patients, published by the American Geriatrics Society. (Span, 9/17)
On the use of AI in healthcare and beyond —
The New York Times: OpenAI Discloses Six New Incidents Of ‘Concerning' A.I. Behavior
OpenAI on Wednesday disclosed six new instances in which artificial intelligence systems hid mistakes, made up data and moved files onto the open internet without permission, amid an ongoing industrywide debate about A.I. safety. The San Francisco company revealed what it said was the “unexpected or concerning” behavior of its A.I. models as part of a new framework for reporting “misalignment,” which is when the goals or actions of A.I. systems diverge from human intentions and values. (Martin, 9/16)
Bloomberg: Headspace Meditation App Being Acquired By AI Startup Sword For $300 Million
Headspace, a popular meditation and mental health support app, is being acquired by Sword Health, an artificial intelligence startup focused on healthcare. The Headspace acquisition, announced Wednesday, is expected to close by the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2026, the companies said in an interview. The all-cash deal is valued near $300 million, according to a person with knowledge of the matter, who declined to be identified discussing private details of the transaction. (Kelly, 9/16)
Axios: AI Is Not Yet Driving Drug Development
Curing disease is one of AI's most tantalizing use cases, fetching billions of VC dollars, but thus far it's generated more excitement than evidence. That's the thrust of a peer-reviewed paper published in Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, which calls the clinical impact of AI "disappointingly limited." (Primack and Rychlewski, 9/16)
MPR News: Allina Health's Doctors Strike Takes On AI Diagnoses
Unionized doctors at Allina Health are concerned about a growing interest in creating diagnoses with the help of artificial intelligence. (Wurzer, Levin and Zurek, 9/16)
