Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Research Roundup: The Latest Science, Discoveries, And Breakthroughs
MedPage Today: Time Of Day Matters For Immunochemotherapy In Lung Cancer
Patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer who received immunochemotherapy in the morning or early afternoon had better survival outcomes compared with patients who received treatment later in the day, a phase III randomized trial showed. (Bassett, 2/2)
Stat: Sanofi Drug Improves Neurological Issues In Gaucher Disease
Sanofi’s Cerezyme has long been used as a treatment for Gaucher disease, a rare illness that can cause enlarged spleens and livers, bone pain, and fatigue. Patients with the kind of Gaucher that causes neurological problems, however, haven’t had a treatment option to address their symptoms. (Joseph, 2/2)
CIDRAP: Blood Test May Identify COVID Survivors At Risk For Ongoing Lung Disease
Abnormally high levels of lung-injury biomarkers in the blood after COVID-19 infection may flag patients at risk for ongoing lung disease, an Imperial College London–led study suggests. The team analyzed concentrations of lung-injury biomarkers in the plasma of 957 COVID-19 survivors participating in the observational Post HOSPitalisation-COVID study five months after hospital admission. Patients had similar COVID-19 severity on hospitalization. (Van Beusekom, 1/29)
CIDRAP: 2024-25 COVID Vaccine 80% Effective Against Death, CDC Estimates
The 2024-25 COVID-19 vaccine was an estimated 40% effective against hospital admission and 79% effective against invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) or death, with similar efficacy against the KP.3.1.1 and XEC variants, although with considerable uncertainty, researchers from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported yesterday in JAMA Network Open. (Van Beusekom, 2/4)
MedPage Today: Heart Attack, Stroke Risk Rises After Serious RSV, Study Says
Adults hospitalized with an acute respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection may face a sharp risk of cardiorespiratory events such as heart attack or stroke in the weeks afterward, according to a retrospective self-controlled case study. (Rudd, 2/4)
MedPage Today: Older Folks Can Be Spared From Extended Surgery For Aortic Dissections
For older patients with acute dissections affecting the ascending aorta, a more extensive arch reconstruction surgery was not necessarily better, according to nationwide data. (Lou, 2/2)
