Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Survey: Social Media Changes The Minds Of Many Doctors Over Drugs
FiercePharma: Docs Admit To Changing Perceptions Of A Drug Due To Social Media
Social media can have as powerful an influence on physicians as they do on the public, according to a new survey conducted by Sermo and LiveWorld. Of the 50-plus pharma marketers and 200-plus U.S. physicians surveyed, more than half (57%) of doctors said they frequently or occasionally change their initial perception of a medication due to social media. (Renfrow, 2/20)
The Hill: Reported HIPAA Complaints And Breaches Shot Up From 2017 To 2021: HHS
A report released on Friday found that HIPAA complaints and breaches spiked between 2017 and 2021, with the agency in charge of handling the notices saying it lacks sufficient resources to properly respond. ... According to the report, the number of large HIPAA breaches rose by 58 percent between 2017 and 2021, and the number of complaints rose by 39 percent. The agency defines large breaches as ones that affect at least 500 individuals. (Choi, 2/17)
Charlotte Ledger: How Much Should Hospital CEOs Make?
As health care costs continue to rise, the executives of North Carolina’s nine largest nonprofit hospital systems have received double- and triple-digit percentage raises over the past decade, according to a report released last week by the State Treasurer’s Office. The report found that the hospital systems paid their top executives more than $1.75 billion from 2010 to 2021, and the average CEO compensation was $3.4 million in 2020. (Crouch and Hoban, 2/20)
In other health industry news —
The Boston Globe: 12 Diseases And Health Conditions Local Biotech Companies Are Tackling Right Now
Here, we examine 12 diseases and conditions — ranging from cancer to chronic pain, Alzheimer’s to postpartum depression — and the innovative companies working on solutions. Some of those treatments may be years away, or never end up making it over the hurdles of testing and approval at all. Some could be available in a matter of months. (Cross and Saltzman, 2/21)
The Wall Street Journal: Walgreens CEO Bets On Doctors Over Drugstores In Search For Growth
A year into her job as Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc.’s WBA 1.21%increase; green up pointing triangle chief executive, Rosalind Brewer realized the company’s board wasn’t entirely sold on her plan to save its ailing drugstore business. So she took directors on the road. (Terlep, 2/19)
Stat: Battle Between Vertex, Insurers Leads To Crushing CF Drug Costs
Dan Brickey was stunned when he learned the news. The cost of the cystic fibrosis medicine that his 2-year-old daughter, Ali, had recently started taking was about to climb from just $180 out of pocket each year to a whopping $43,600 in 2023. The dramatic change was due to a decision by the drug’s manufacturer, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, to slash the amount of financial assistance that it offers to patients this year. (Silverman, 2/20)
Stat: FDA Approves Apellis Drug For Eye Disease Geographic Atrophy
The Food and Drug Administration approved on Friday the first treatment for geographic atrophy, a progressive eye disease and a leading cause of blindness in older people. The new drug, called Syfovre, is made by Apellis Pharmaceuticals. (Feuerstein, 2/17)
Stat: Travere Therapeutics Drug Approved For Rare Kidney Disease
Travere Therapeutics, a biotech focused both on treating rare diseases and distancing itself from controversial founder Martin Shkreli, on Friday won accelerated approval for a drug that treats IgA nephropathy, a rare and deadly autoimmune disease that attacks the kidneys and can lead to organ failure. (Wosen, 2/17)
On the health care worker shortage —
KHN: Senators Say Health Worker Shortages Ripe For Bipartisan Compromise
Senators are eying the growing shortage of health care workers in the United States as one of the few problems where there is room for bipartisan solutions, even in a deeply divided Congress gearing up for a presidential election cycle. (McAuliff, 2/17)
