Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Research Roundup: The Latest Science, Discoveries, And Breakthroughs
MedPage Today: Obesity In Lung Cancer Patients Linked To Longer Survival
Obesity was associated with improved overall survival (OS) after curative resection in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), particularly those who did not have low skeletal muscle mass (LSMM) or myosteatosis, according to a retrospective study from Korea. Among over 7,000 patients, those who were categorized as having obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥25) had a 21% reduced risk of death compared with patients without obesity ... reported Juhee Cho, MA, PhD, of Sungkyunkwan University and Samsung Medical Center in Seoul, and colleagues. (Bassett, 1/29)
MedPage Today: FDA Expands Enhertu Approval To HER2-Ultralow Breast Cancer
The FDA expanded the approval of trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd, Enhertu) to include treatment of unresectable/metastatic hormone receptor (HR)-positive, HER2-low/ultralow breast cancer. Approval stipulates use in patients with disease that has progressed on or proven unresponsive to at least one prior endocrine therapy in the metastatic setting, according to a statement from drugmakers AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo. (Bankhead, 1/28)
Bloomberg: Merck’s $8 Billion Cancer Vaccine Faces First US Jury Trial
Merck & Co. is facing its first jury trial over claims the company wrongfully marketed its lucrative Gardasil cancer vaccine as safe, the latest high-stakes litigation for the pharmaceutical giant. (Blumberg, 1/27)
Also —
CIDRAP: Study Shows For Most, Long-COVID Symptoms Persist Into Second Year
A new study based on German long-COVID patients shows 68% experience the same symptoms in year 2 as in year 1 of the chronic condition. The study, published yesterday in PLoS Medicine, adds to the current understanding of the long-term prognosis of post-COVID-19 syndrome (PCS). (Soucheray, 1/24)
MedPage Today: Cheap Clinical Biomarker May Predict Long COVID Severity In Older Women
Leukocyte count, a widely available and inexpensive clinical marker of inflammation, may help predict the severity of long COVID symptoms in postmenopausal women, researchers reported. (Monaco, 1/29)
Axios: Racial Gaps In Life Expectancy Shrank Before COVID
The gap in average life expectancy between Black and white Americans shrank significantly in the decades before the COVID-19 pandemic, though there was wide variation between states, new findings from the Urban Institute show. It's one more data point that suggests who you are and where you live in the United States is a major determinant of health — and how long one can expect to live. (Goldman, 1/28)
