Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
PhRMA Unveils Guidelines To Improve Racial Diversity In Clinical Trials
Stat: PhRMA Issues Guidelines For Improving Clinical Trial Diversity
The pharmaceutical industry’s largest lobbying organization released guidelines on Tuesday to enhance racial and ethnic diversity among participants in clinical trials run by its member drug makers. The principles address a problem that has long hampered the development of new medicines and vaccines, including the studies of potential Covid-19 shots. (St. Fleur, 11/17)
In other pharmaceutical and biotech news —
The Wall Street Journal: Purdue Gets Chapter 11 Approval Of Justice Department Opioid Settlement
A bankruptcy judge approved an $8.34 billion settlement between Purdue Pharma LP and the Justice Department that requires the drugmaker to plead guilty to three felonies over its marketing and distribution of OxyContin and is structured to support state and local government programs addressing the opioid crisis. Approval of the agreement Tuesday by Judge Robert Drain of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in White Plains, N.Y., marks a milestone in Purdue’s chapter 11 case and advances the drugmaker’s goal to turn itself into a corporate trust run for the benefit of the public. (Randles, 11/17)
Modern Healthcare: Amazon Pharmacy Not Likely To Disrupt Drug Fulfillment
Amazon customers in the U.S. can get prescriptions delivered to their home and receive up to an 80% discount when paying without insurance, the e-commerce giant announced Tuesday in its latest push into the healthcare industry. Amazon Prime members across 45 states will have access to unlimited, free two-day deliveries and can compare prices across 50,000 pharmacies. They can also save up to 80% on generic drugs and 40% off branded products when paying without insurance, which is administered by Evernorth subsidiary Inside Rx. (Kacik, 11/17)
The Washington Post: U.S. Pharmacies Attract New Flu Shot Customers As Coronavirus Surges
Walmart, Walgreens Boots Alliance, CVS Health and Rite Aid report that demand for flu shots at their U.S. pharmacies is up sharply — in some cases double from last year — as people try to protect themselves from influenza in the midst of a worsening covid-19 pandemic. The pharmacies have told Reuters they are giving millions more flu shots than they have in past years, filling a gap from covid-19 for wary consumers who are avoiding the doctor’s office. The gains represent millions of dollars in potential profit. (Humer, 11/17)
Modern Healthcare: Medtronic Amassing AI Capabilities With Acquisitions
Medtronic this week continued its expansion into the artificial-intelligence surgery space, a push it's mainly pursued through acquisitions. The newly acquired company, Medicrea, uses AI to ease pre-operative planning and tailor implants for spine surgeries. It marks Medtronic's seventh acquisition this year. (Kim Cohen, 11/17)
Stat: Limited Data In Covid-19 AI Tools Could Produce Unreliable Results
As the United States braces for a bleak winter, hospital systems across the country are ramping up their efforts to develop AI systems to predict how likely their Covid-19 patients are to fall severely ill or even die. Yet most of the efforts are being developed in siloes and trained on limited datasets, raising crucial questions about their reliability. (Brodwin, 11/18)
