Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Surgeons Achieve First Pig Kidney Transplant Into Live Patient
The New York Times: Surgeons Transplant Pig Kidney Into A Patient, A Medical Milestone
Surgeons in Boston have transplanted a kidney from a genetically engineered pig into an ailing 62-year-old man, the first procedure of its kind. If successful, the breakthrough offers hope to hundreds of thousands of Americans whose kidneys have failed. So far, the signs are promising. (Rabin, 3/21)
The Wall Street Journal: New Blood Thinners Will Prevent Blood Clots Without Causing Bleeding
A new class of anticoagulant drugs on the horizon is taking fresh aim at one of cardiology’s toughest challenges: how to prevent blood clots that cause heart attacks and strokes, without leaving patients at risk of bleeding. At least a half-dozen experimental blood thinners are in development that inhibit a protein called factor XI, one of several blood factors that regulate how the body forms clots. (Winslow, 3/21)
The Denver Post: Knees Stiff With Arthritis? This Company Is Studying Whether Fat Injections Can Improve Motion
A Louisville company is studying whether cells taken from patients’ fat could reduce knee pain and improve motion in people with arthritis. GID BIO is conducting a phase 3 trial of a process that extracts fat from the patient, uses a chemical reaction to isolate cells believed to have regenerative properties and injects them into the patient’s knee. (Wingerter, 3/21)
The New York Times: Toddlers Smell Like Flowers, Teens Smell ‘Goatlike,’ Study Finds
Few parents would describe the smells emanating from their adolescent children as redolent of sandalwood. But one of the distinct components of teenage body odor is a compound that evokes that warm, woody fragrance, according to a small new study, which compared the scents of adolescents to those of infants and toddlers. Unfortunately, that’s just about where the good news ended for teenagers (and their parents). Although there were many similarities between the chemicals wafting from teens and tots, the differences tended to favor the younger children, whose body odor samples had higher levels of a compound with a flowery fragrance. Adolescents, on the other hand, produced a compound that smelled like sweat and urine and had higher levels of substances described as smelling cheesy, musty and “goatlike.” (Anthes, 3/21)
Also —
Chicago Tribune: Breast Cancer Test May Make Bad Chemotherapy Recommendations For Black Patients, UIC Study Shows
While the rest of the world was in the throes of the pandemic, Valletta Howard was wrapping her mind around a breast cancer diagnosis. (Rockett, 3/22)
Fox News: Artificial Intelligence Helps Predict Seniors’ Long-Term Care Needs: ‘Critical Next Steps’
Could artificial intelligence predict when your aging loved one will need long-term care? Approximately 70% of adults aged 65 years and older will require long-term care at some point in their lifetime, statistics show — and the time leading up to that can be fraught with uncertainty. One California company is looking to change that with its new AI platform called Waterlily. The founder and CEO, Lily Vittayarukskul, started the platform after her own personal struggles with family caregiving. (Rudy, 3/21)
Modern Healthcare: Digital Diabetes Tools Not Effective: Peterson Health Tech Study
Most digital diabetes management tools are not cost effective and few demonstrate clinically relevant outcomes for patients, according to a study published Thursday. The results, published by the nonprofit research firm Peterson Health Technology Institute, should only increase the headwinds facing digital health companies attempting to convince payers and providers their products lead to healthier patients and lower costs. (Turner, 3/21)
