Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Philips' Recall Of Sleep Apnea Equipment Causes Trouble For Sufferers
The Wall Street Journal: Sleep Apnea Sufferers Scramble After Philips Recall Of Critical Machine
Aaron Horton, a sleep apnea sufferer, stops breathing for brief periods hundreds of times every night. To keep his oxygen levels up, he uses a device made by Royal Philips NV that is now subject to a huge recall by the Dutch healthcare conglomerate. It warned in June that the machines could be sending potentially cancer-causing particles into users’ airways. When Mr. Horton, a 30-year-old paramedic from Glen Allen, Va., called his medical-device supplier for an alternative, he was told none was available. For now, he is continuing to use the Philips machine. (Roland, 8/15)
In other pharmaceutical and manufacturing news —
CIDRAP: Study Shows Zanamivir Might Be Most Effective Antiviral For Influenza
For healthy adults and children, zanamivir [commonly known by the brand name Relenza] may be the most effective antiviral used to shorten the duration of influenza symptoms, according to a new study in JAMA Network Open. (8/13)
FiercePharma: Pfizer Halted Chantix Distribution Then Recalled A Dozen Batches. Now, A Generic's Here To Help Fill The Shortage
Pfizer’s reign over the smoking treatment space with its cessation med Chantix is coming to a close. Trying to fill a recent shortage for Pfizer’s smoking med caused by safety concerns, the FDA has approved Par Pharmaceuticals’ copycat version, also known as varenicline, “well ahead” of its expected review date, the agency said a statement on Wednesday. Though Pfizer’s generic rival Par Pharmaceuticals received the FDA’s special expedited treatment, impending copycat competition wasn’t unexpected given Chantix lost its main patent in November last year. (Higgins-Dunn, 8/12)
FiercePharma: Viatris In Talks With West Virginia University On Plan That Could Keep Idled Morgantown Factory Afloat
While Viatris didn't find a buyer in time to save the former Mylan plant it shuttered last month, the company says it's looking to secure "the next best possible future" for the West Virginia facility. To see that mission through, Viatris is in talks with West Virginia University (WVU) on a memorandum of understanding that could see the school take charge of the Morgantown plant, which employed more than 1,400 people and operated for decades until its closure July 31. (Kansteiner, 8/12)
