Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
GLP-1s Get New FDA Warning Label About Rare Sudden-Blindness Side Effect
NBC News: FDA Orders New Warning On GLP-1s Over Rare Eye Condition Linked To Sudden Blindness
The Food and Drug Administration said Monday that GLP-1 drugmakers must add a warning label about a rare eye condition that can cause sudden blindness. The condition, called nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, or NAION, affects the optic nerve, which carries signals from the eye to the brain. When blood flow to the nerve is reduced or blocked, it can cause sudden vision loss. The condition is permanent with no known treatment. (Lovelace Jr., 11/9)
Stat: Eli Lilly GLP-1 Pill Foundayo Helped Alleviate Sleep Apnea, Studies Show
Eli Lilly’s GLP-1 pill Foundayo helped alleviate sleep apnea in two late-stage studies, but it doesn’t appear as effective as Lilly’s injectable drug Zepbound. (Chen, 11/9)
More pharma and tech news —
Stat: Bayer's Novel Drug For Stroke Recurrence Wins FDA Approval
The Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved Bayer’s drug to reduce recurrence of stroke, making available the first in a novel class of medications that hold the promise of preventing blood clots more safely. (Chen and Cooney, 11/9)
The Guardian: New Drug Could Be Cure For Common Cause Of High Blood Pressure
Millions of people with high blood pressure stand to benefit from a new drug that has stunned doctors by reversing a common cause of the condition for years after patients stopped taking the medication. Patients who took the drug, called baxdrostat, saw their blood pressure improve during a six- to 12-month course of the daily pills, but unexpectedly the benefits remained up to two years later, with some patients no longer on any hypertension drugs and potentially cured of the condition. (Sample, 11/8)
CNN: Pelacarsen, A Promising Drug For An Inherited Heart Risk, Flops, Stunning Doctors
In the course of scientific discovery, there are triumphant moments when researchers present their findings to a rapt audience that jumps to its feet for a standing ovation. It happened in a conference room full of doctors in May after they learned a new drug, daraxonrasib, nearly doubled survival time for pancreatic cancer patients. Then there’s the reaction that Dr. Steven Nissen expects at the American Heart Association’s annual conference on Saturday, when he reveals the results of a large study testing an experimental drug meant to lower risk of heart attack and stroke risk. (Goodman, 11/7)
The Washington Post: Why The Simple Flu Shot Could Be A Surprise Weapon Against Cancer
The humble flu shot may have a hidden talent: fighting cancer. In a small clinical trial in Ohio, doctors injected an ordinary flu vaccine straight into patients’ skin tumors, hoping to fool the immune system into mistaking the cancer for an infection. The ruse seemed to take. Immune cells flooded into most of the injected tumors. By the time surgeons cut the cancers out, more than a third of patients showed signs that their tumors were in retreat. In a few, no trace of cancer remained. (Dolgin, 11/8)
MedPage Today: Smartwatch Detection Of Reduced LVEF? Not So Fast, Study Says
The enthusiasm for smartwatch detection of left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD) was tempered by a Korean study indicating difficulties with the technology in its current state. Using an artificial intelligence (AI)-ECG model trained to detect LVSD, researchers set a threshold for a result of LVSD versus no LVSD when applied to Apple Watches and Samsung Galaxy Watches. (Lou, 11/9)
The New York Times: Biotech Firm Claims Some Credit For Groundbreaking Virus Research
A tech start-up made a splash last month with a remarkable announcement: Its researchers had used artificial intelligence to design viruses tailored to kill the bacteria causing a dangerous infection. Those viruses were used to treat a sick patient. The disclosure, in a blog post on the company’s site, drew cautious curiosity from experts and coverage in The New York Times. But now the company, Radical Numerics, has acknowledged that it did not work alone. (Zimmer, 11/06)
Stat: Bill Ackman Launches New Brain Research Institute
If you’re blind, Bill Ackman wants to help you see again. That is the ambitious plan the billionaire is pursuing with the Ackman Oxman Institute, a new institution in New York City that will act as a hub for brain injury research, including brain-computer interfaces that can help people move, speak, and connect to digital devices through brain activity. (Broderick, 11/9)
