Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Scientists Are Including More Females In Studies But Still Falling Far Short Of What's Needed
Stat: Females Still Routinely Left Out Of Biomedical Research — And In Analyses
If you think biomedical scientists are doing a better job studying both biological sexes in their experiments than they used to, you’d be half right, a new study says. Researchers decided to revisit a study conducted 10 years ago that found females were excluded from most biomedical research based on fears of female hormonal variation complicating the findings. To see if that practice persisted after the government issued new research guidelines, the team from Northwestern University and Smith College — including a co-author of the original study — examined more than 700 scientific journal articles from nine fields published in 2019. (Cooney, 6/9)
Stat: Startup Developing An Inhaler For Seizures Is Acquired By UCB
A startup conceived to improve emergency treatment for epileptic seizures based on a father’s fears for his son’s safety has been sold to a large biopharma company also making a rescue therapy for the dangerous attacks. UCB (UCBJF), based in Brussels, has acquired Engage Therapeutics of Summit, N.J., for $125 million upfront, with potential milestone payments of up to $145 million. Engage is developing Staccato Alprazolam, a combination of an inhaler and the drug alprazolam, that has been tested in a Phase 2 clinical trial to see if it can quickly halt an epileptic seizure. (Cooney, 6/5)
San Francisco Chronicle: Exclusive: How SF Sidestepped State Law On Developing Toxic Sites
Contaminated gas stations, vehicle repair shops and parking garages have become prized development commodities in San Francisco in recent years as the city struggles with a crushing housing shortage. But city officials have repeatedly stymied public oversight when assessing whether these chemical-tainted properties are safe for hundreds of new homes by allowing developers to bypass environmental reviews required under state law, a Chronicle investigation has found. (Dizikes, 6/7)
San Francisco Chronicle: Trial Underway In SF Could Remove Fluoride From Drinking Water
About 200 million Americans, nearly two-thirds of the population, drink water containing fluoride to fight tooth decay. That could be changed by a case now on trial in a San Francisco federal court.Consumer groups including Food and Water Watch, the Fluoride Action Network and Moms Against Fluoridation contend recent studies show that when pregnant women drink fluoridated water, their children are significantly more likely than others to suffer neurological damage, including reduced IQs and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Fluoridated toothpaste, the groups maintain, provides all of the benefits and none of the risks. (Egelko, 6/8)
