Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Research Roundup: Heart Disease; TB; Lyme Disease; Blood Cancer
ScienceDaily: Dissolving Cardiac Device Monitors, Treats Heart Disease
Researchers have developed a soft, flexible, wireless device to monitor and treat heart disease and dysfunction in the days, weeks or months following traumatic heart-related events. And, after the device is no longer needed, it harmlessly dissolves inside the body, bypassing the need for extraction. (Northwestern University, 7/5)
CIDRAP: Trial For Shorter TB Treatment Closes Enrollment After Poor Outcomes
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) said today that the first clinical trial of a 3-month treatment regimen for tuberculosis (TB) is closing enrollment because of a high rate of unfavorable outcomes. The randomized controlled CLO-FAST trial sought to evaluate the safety and efficacy of a 3-month regimen containing clofazimine and high-dose rifapentine compared with the standard 6-month regimen. (Dall, 7/5)
CIDRAP: Valneva's Lyme Disease Vaccine Candidate Yields Promising Early Results
A phase 1 clinical trial of Valneva's VLA15 Lyme disease vaccine candidate shows that it is safe and produces a strong but waning immune response against the six most common strains of the Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium in Europe and the United States. Valneva researchers led the trial, which was published yesterday in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.(Van Beusekom, 7/5)
CIDRAP: Study: Multiple Booster Doses Protect Blood Cancer Patients From COVID-19
A new study in The Lancet shows booster vaccine doses protect lymphoma patients from COVID-19 infection, especially after the fourth dose. The findings are based on outcomes seen in the PROSECO study, which enrolled 592 patients with lymphoma from nine hospitals in England from March 11, 2021, to September 9, 2022. Participants had blood sampling completed before and after one to four COVID-19 vaccine doses to measure antibody levels and T-cell responses. (Soucheray, 7/5)
