Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Eli Lilly Opens Compassionate Use Pathway For Patients Needing Experimental Obesity Drug
Stat: Eli Lilly To Allow More Patients To Apply For Special Access To Unapproved Obesity Drug
Six weeks after STAT reported that Eli Lilly granted a single 79-year-old patient special access to retatrutide, an unapproved obesity drug, the company confirmed on Monday that it will allow other patients to apply for early access. (Lawrence and Chen, 8/3)
The latest autism research —
CIDRAP: No Link Between MMR Vaccination Before Age 2 And Autism, Large US Study Suggests
A national retrospective cohort study of more than 2.5 million children found no association between receiving the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine before age 2 years and having an autism diagnosis. “These results reinforce existing evidence supporting the safety of MMR vaccination,” wrote the authors, from the University of Washington. (Holohan, 8/3)
MedPage Today: Circumcision And Autism: What A New Study Found
A study of U.S. children found no evidence linking neonatal male circumcision with autism spectrum disorder, prospective data from the ECHO cohort showed. Among nearly 2,800 boys in 14 ECHO sites, 6% of those who were circumcised had autism compared with 9% of uncircumcised males, according to Monica McGrath, ScD, MHS, of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, and co-authors. After adjusting for confounders, circumcision was not associated with an autism diagnosis, ... McGrath and colleagues reported in JAMA Pediatrics. (George, 8/3)
More health and wellness news —
Bloomberg: TikTok Finalizing Trio Of Settlements Over Addiction Claims
TikTok is finalizing agreements to settle three upcoming trials related to allegations that its video product is addictive and harmful to minors. Plaintiffs’ attorneys Joseph VanZandt of Beasley Allen and Emily Jeffcott of Morgan & Morgan confirmed TikTok had resolved in principle with their clients, subject to the finalization of a written settlement agreement. The settlement amounts are confidential, they said in an email. TikTok did not respond to a request for comment. (Carville and Levine, 8/3)
CIDRAP: Universal Screening Could Find More Babies Born With Cytomegalovirus Infection, Researchers Say
After Michelle Longo gave birth to her third son, she noticed some unusual bruising on him. At the time, she didn’t know that the bruises were a sign that he had a little known condition. “They said, ‘Third baby, quick labor; it was probably just bruising from coming down the birth canal,” Longo, 35, from Swedesboro, New Jersey, told CIDRAP News. “Nobody said anything. He started feeding fine. It was good.” (Holohan, 8/3)
Fox News: Protein Restriction May Boost Longevity In Sedentary Adults, Study Finds
Eating less protein, not cutting calories, may be an easier path to a longer, healthier life for sedentary adults, according to a new scientific review. While previous research has long tied calorie restriction to improved lifespan and lower rates of age-related disease, studies have found that many people have difficulty maintaining strict low-calorie diets. (Mordowanec, 8/3)
San Francisco Chronicle: ‘I Would Never Do This’: What Scientists Say About Peptide Injections
Eric Verdin studies experimental drugs for their potential to extend human life. He has personally taken a GLP-1 medication, part of a broad class of compounds known as peptides. But when asked about the largely unproven injectable peptides increasingly promoted by celebrities, podcasters and wellness influencers, the CEO of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in Novato had a blunt response. (Ho, 8/2)
