Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Sacklers Increase Purdue Settlement Offer, With An Added Condition
The New York Times: Sacklers Up Their Offer To Settle Purdue Opioids Cases, With A New Condition
Seven months after the Supreme Court struck down a deal that would have resolved thousands of opioid cases against Purdue Pharma, the company’s owners, members of the Sackler family, have increased their cash offer to settle the litigation — but with a novel catch. Under the framework for a new deal, the Sacklers would not receive immunity from future opioid lawsuits, a condition that they had long insisted upon but that the court ruled was impermissible. (Hoffman, 1/23)
In other pharmaceutical news —
Fierce Healthcare: AIDS Org Wins $10M Antitrust Ruling Over Prime Therapeutics
An arbitrator has determined Prime Therapeutics violated federal and state antitrust laws against the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) and independent pharmacies. In a ruling (PDF) handed down Jan. 17, the AHF was awarded more than $10 million and injunctive relief after Prime Therapeutics was found to engage in horizontal price-fixing with Cigna’s pharmacy benefit manager (PBM), Express Scripts. (Tong, 1/23)
MedPage Today: More Thyroid Cancers Found After Starting GLP-1s: Researchers Think They Know Why
More thyroid cancers were detected soon after starting a GLP-1 receptor agonist than other diabetes drugs, a secondary analysis of a target trial emulation of a comparative effectiveness study found. ... But when the analysis was broadened beyond year one -- now looking at any length of time since treatment initiation -- GLP-1 agonist use wasn't significantly tied with thyroid cancer compared with the three other diabetes drug classes (HR 1.24, 95% CI 0.88-1.76), they wrote in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. (Monaco, 1/23)
On vaccines and vaccine hesitancy —
CNBC: Norovirus Vaccine From Moderna Could Have Phase 3 Results This Year
Norovirus is raging across the U.S. this winter. Moderna might soon have a vaccine for it. A large phase three trial of the shot is underway, with results expected as soon as later this year or 2026. Moderna needs to see a certain number of cases before it can analyze the data and determine how well its vaccine works, putting the timeline in flux. The 25,000-person study is enrolling ahead of schedule, said Doran Fink, Moderna’s clinical therapeutic area head for gastrointestinal and bacterial pathogens. (Peebles, 1/23)
The New York Times: Yes, Some Vaccines Contain Aluminum. That’s A Good Thing.
R.F.K. Jr. and others have blamed the ingredient for allergies and other illnesses. Scientists say it actually bolsters the immune response. (Rosenbluth, 1/24)
The New York Times: Pediatricians Try New Tactics To Win Over Vaccine Skeptical Parents
In pediatricians’ offices across the country, doctors are increasingly confronting concerns from parents about vaccines that for decades have protected children from serious and sometimes deadly diseases. Vaccine hesitancy is nothing new. But physicians say this skepticism has gained new momentum in recent years as vaccine misinformation has become widespread on social media, and as more Americans have become distrustful of the medical establishment. (Moyer, 1/24)
