Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Scientists Believe GLP-1s May Be Rewiring Parts Of Your Brain
The Washington Post: Ozempic May Be Reshaping The Brain, Scientists Say
Ozempic was supposed to be a gut story. Then Allison Shapiro looked at the brain scans. An assistant professor at the University of Colorado Anschutz, she was part of a team studying 13 teens and young women with a hormonal disorder affecting the ovaries who were put on GLP-1 drugs. As part of testing to catalogue the effect of the medication on their bodies, Shapiro took snapshots of their brains before and after. She was astonished to find extensive changes. (Cha, 5/28)
In other pharma and tech news —
MedPage Today: Decnupaz Approved For Rare Blood Cancer
The FDA approved the antibody-drug conjugate pivekimab sunirine (Decnupaz) for the rare hematologic malignancy blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell neoplasm (BPDCN). The approval stipulates use of the drug in adults. Although BPDCN occurs most often in patients ages 60 and older, the condition can affect patients in any age group. (Bankhead, 5/27)
Stat: BioVAT Stem Cell Heart Patch Offers Hope For Heart Failure Patients
Hearts can’t heal themselves. After a heart attack or other cardiovascular insult, hearts can’t regenerate weakened muscles, leaving them less able to pump blood throughout the body. While medications to manage symptoms of heart failure — including newer obesity drugs — have been improving outcomes, many people ultimately face only two solutions: a heart transplant or heart device implant. (Cooney, 5/27)
CIDRAP: Over-The-Counter Antibiotic Sales A ‘Significant Barrier’ To Addressing Antibiotic Resistance
The results of a survey conducted among healthcare professionals in 37 countries suggest over-the-counter (OTC) antibiotic sales remain all too common, researchers reported last week in JAC-Antimicrobial Resistance. The electronic survey, sent to members of the AMR Insights Ambassador Network by a team of international researchers, assessed demographic characteristics, the existence of national regulations regarding OTC antibiotic sales, and the availability of specific antibiotics for purchase without a prescription. Although research has shown that the use of OTC antibiotics remains ubiquitous in many countries, particularly in Asia and Africa, the researchers said the practice “remains inadequately described on a global scale.” (Dall, 5/27)
The Wall Street Journal: Flavored Vapes Are Becoming More Readily Available. How Safe Are They?
Vaping may be healthier than smoking, but that doesn’t make it healthy. That is the message public-health experts hope Americans keep in mind after the U.S. government eased long-held restrictions on flavored vaping products earlier this month. (Calfas, 5/27)
Also —
Bloomberg: Australia Sues 3M For $1.4 Billion Over Defense Site PFAS
Australia has sued 3M Co. and its local arm for more than A$2 billion ($1.4 billion) in damages relating to contamination from perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, at 28 defense bases. The Department of Defence is looking to recover “significant past and future expenses” incurred by investigating and managing contamination resulting from the historic storage and use of 3M’s aqueous film-forming foam, Assistant Minister for Defence Peter Khalil said in a statement Thursday. (Leigh and Ma, 5/28)
