Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Scientists Mount Study To Test Diabetes Drug's Anti-Aging Powers
NPR: Cheap Longevity Drug? Researchers Aim To Test If Metformin Can Slow Down Aging
A drug taken by millions of people to control diabetes may do more than lower blood sugar. Research suggests metformin has anti-inflammatory effects that could help protect against common age-related diseases including heart disease, cancer, and cognitive decline. Scientists who study the biology of aging have designed a clinical study, known as The TAME Trial, to test whether metformin can help prevent these diseases and promote a longer healthspan in healthy, older adults. (Aubrey, 4/22)
Bloomberg: Adderall Abuse Risks Becoming Another Opioid Crisis, DEA Says
The fast rise of prescriptions for Adderall and other stimulants, along with rampant online treatment and advertising, suggest the start of another drug crisis like the opioid epidemic, a senior Drug Enforcement Administration official said Thursday. The warning is the most urgent public message yet on these types of drugs by the agency. (Swetlitz, 4/19)
Bloomberg: Cholera Vaccine: An Easier-To-Make Version Approved By WHO Amid Shortage
An oral vaccine for cholera that is more simple to make than existing versions has been approved by the World Health Organization in a move that is expected to rapidly increase production capacity amid global shortages. The inactivated oral inoculation, Euvichol-S, has similar efficacy to the two WHO-approved vaccines, the WHO said in a statement Friday. It’s made by Seoul-based EuBiologics Co., the same company that makes the older versions. (Kew, 4/19)
Stat: Different Drugs, Interchangeable Names, And A Mystery Illness
Makena, once the only available treatment to prevent preterm birth, has had its share of controversy. A yearslong debate over the drug’s effectiveness led the Food and Drug Administration to withdraw its approval of the product and demand it be pulled from the market after a confirmatory trial couldn’t replicate the results of a key study. But while the story of Makena’s rise and fall may be well known, one aspect of the drug’s legacy has gone untold. (Merelli, 4/22)
AP: What The Cost Of Insulin May Mean For Biden's Campaign
Rarely a day goes without President Joe Biden mentioning insulin prices. He promotes a $35 price cap for the medication for Americans on Medicare — in White House speeches, campaign stops and even at non-health care events around the country. His reelection team has flooded swing-state airwaves with ads mentioning it, in English and Spanish. All that would seemingly add up to a sweeping political and economic impact. The reality is more complicated. (Weissert, 4/21)
Reuters: CVS Loses Latest Bid To Escape HIV Patients' Discrimination Lawsuit
CVS Health has lost a bid to escape a proposed class action lawsuit accusing the company of discriminating against people with HIV by requiring them to receive their medications by mail. U.S. District Judge Edward Chen in San Francisco ruled on Friday that CVS was on notice that the mail-order program, administered by its Caremark pharmacy benefit manager division, could discriminate against people who need drugs for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, noting that plaintiffs had repeatedly asked to opt out of the program. (Pierson, 4/19)
Also —
NPR: Scientists With African, Asian Names Less Likely To Be Mentioned In News Stories
When one Chinese national recently petitioned the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to become a permanent resident, he thought his chances were pretty good. As an accomplished biologist, he figured that news articles in top media outlets, including The New York Times, covering his research would demonstrate his "extraordinary ability" in the sciences, as called for by the EB-1A visa. But when the immigration officers rejected his petition, they noted that his name did not appear anywhere in the news articles. (Peng, 4/19)
