Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Oral Pill for Sleep Apnea Shows Promising Results In Trial
The Hill: Oral Pill AD109 Could Provide New Option For People With Sleep Apnea, Stage 3 Trial Shows
An oral drug designed to treat sleep apnea showed promising results in a recent clinical trial, suggesting there may be another alternative on the market soon for people who don’t like using Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machines. In the phase 3 trial, 646 adults with mild to severe obstructive sleep apnea were given the once-nightly pill AD109, Science Daily reported, based on materials provided by the American Thoracic Society. Researchers found that more than 40 percent of participants’ conditions improved to a less severe OSA classification, while 18 percent achieved complete control of the disease. (Kaplan, 9/17)
More pharma and tech updates —
Stat: FDA Approves First-Ever Gene Therapy For Sanfilippo Syndrome
The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved a new gene therapy for Sanfilippo syndrome type A, an ultra-rare disease sometimes known as childhood Alzheimer’s. The therapy, called Fayuvi, was developed by Ultragenyx. It is the first drug specifically approved to treat Sanfilippo. Ultragenyx did not immediately release a price. (Mast, 9/17)
AP: South Korea Plans To Approve Abortion Pills
South Korea plans to approve abortion pills for the first time to promote women’s rights to health and safety, deepening debates over abortions in a country that until recently had imposed strict rules on the procedure. The government announced Wednesday that it aims to allow medication abortions for women who are up to nine weeks pregnant by the first quarter of 2027. Officials said that for the first two years, abortion pills would be directly prescribed and dispensed by doctors. (Kim, 9/17)
The New York Times: The Next Gene-Editing Technology May Also Be The Oldest
Over the past decade, the gene-editing technology known as CRISPR has become a familiar scientific tool, used to create lifesaving cures, make more productive crops, and even engineer allergy-free dogs. But scientists didn’t invent CRISPR from scratch. They discovered it in bacteria and other microbes, which use it as a defense against invading viruses. On Thursday, scientists reported that they had found another gene-editing defense in nature, this one in viruses themselves. (Zimmer, 9/17)
Medical Xpress: New MRI Measure Reveals How Closely Blood Flow Matches Brain Cells' Energy Needs
Researchers from the Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute (Stevens INI) at the Keck School of Medicine of USC have developed a new, noninvasive way to examine how blood flow and cellular organization align across the layers of the living human brain. The study, published in Nature Communications, introduces the cerebral blood flow–cell-body staining intensity similarity index, or CCSI. It may help scientists understand how blood vessels, cells and energy-producing machinery work together to support brain function. (Mondal, 9/17)
KFF Health News: The Drugs And Devices Have Been On The Market For Years. But FDA-Ordered Studies Still Aren’t Done
When the FDA was deciding whether to approve the drug Tavneos several years ago to treat a set of rare autoimmune diseases, agency experts argued that would be a mistake, according to FDA records. One problem cited: The manufacturer had provided only “limited safety data.” As it often does, the FDA in 2021 approved the drug with a proviso: It required the manufacturer to conduct an additional years-long safety study once the drug was on the market. (Hilzenrath, 9/18)
