Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Pharma Firm's Expensive Gamble Falters As Experimental Muscular Dystrophy Drug Fails In Trial
Stat: Servier's $1.55 Billion Muscular Dystrophy Drug Fails Major Test
The French pharma Servier said Tuesday that an experimental drug it purchased in June for $1.55 billion in cash, plus about $1 billion more in potential milestones, failed to slow a rare form of muscular dystrophy in a long placebo-controlled trial. (Mast, 11/3)
MedPage Today: FDA Panel Largely Pans Trial Data For Myopia Eye Drops
The regulatory status of a low-dose atropine eye drop formulation for myopia remained unresolved following a day-long FDA advisory committee meeting, but closing comments did not bode well for SYD-101. The Dermatologic and Ophthalmic Drugs Advisory Committee (DODAC) did not vote to recommend for or against approval of the eye drops, but panelists' responses to key questions posed by the FDA suggested the evidence from a phase III trial of SYD-101 did not meet standards for approval. (Bankhead, 11/3)
Modern Healthcare: Siemens, GE HealthCare Pursue Faster, Cheaper Radiotherapy
One of the most common treatments for cancer may soon become faster and more affordable. Medtech companies across the radiotherapy industry are pursuing different ways to improve care, from developing faster and cheaper treatment delivery devices to using artificial intelligence to accelerate the often lengthy pretreatment planning process. About 50% to 60% of people diagnosed with cancer undergo radiotherapy, a treatment that uses high doses of ionizing radiation to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors, according to the medical device trade association AdvaMed. (Dubinsky, 11/3)
The Guardian: Why Pharma Firms Are Going To Earth’s Orbit In Search Of New Cancer Drugs
Roughly 300 miles above our heads, three washing machine-sized capsules are orbiting the Earth. Inside one of them, tiny crystals of a potential cancer drug are being grown in the weightlessness of space. The others are testing heat protection materials and navigation systems for when the capsules plunge back through Earth’s atmosphere at hypersonic speeds. Together, they represent a small but significant step towards what some hope will become a lucrative new industry: manufacturing drugs and other materials in space. The spacecraft belong to California-based Varda Space Industries. (Geddes, 11/4)
Bloomberg: Apple Releases IOS 27.3 Beta With Watch AI Listening Tools, Health App, China AI
Apple Inc. rolled out the first developer beta versions of iOS 27.3 and watchOS 27.3 on Tuesday, putting new features like always-listening artificial intelligence tools, its AI platform for China and a fresh Health app into widespread testing. The controversial Audio Intelligence capabilities, which work with the company’s Series 12 and Ultra 4 smartwatches, were unveiled more than a month ago as part of a September product launch event. The idea is to use AI and a device’s microphone to track and analyze nearby conversations. (Kelly and Gurman, 11/3)
