Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Theranos Ex-CEO Sentenced To More Than 11 Years In Prison
The Wall Street Journal: Elizabeth Holmes Sentenced to 11.25 Years in Prison
Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of Theranos Inc. convicted of fraud, was sentenced to 135 months, or 11.25 years, in prison, capping the extraordinary downfall of a one-time Silicon Valley wunderkind. U.S. District Judge Edward Davila, who oversaw the monthslong trial in which Ms. Holmes was convicted of running a yearslong fraud scheme at her blood-testing company, delivered the sentence Friday in federal court. (Somerville, 11/18)
In other pharmaceutical industry news —
Reuters: Big Pharma May Have To Reveal Government Deals In WHO's Draft Pandemic Rules
Pharmaceutical companies could be made to disclose prices and deals agreed for any products they make to fight future global health emergencies, under new rules that would govern a World Health Organization-backed pandemic accord reviewed by Reuters. (Rigby and Farge, 11/18)
The Washington Post: Blood Tests For Alzheimer’s Are Here. Here’s What You Need To Know.
Some experts say much more research is needed before the new tests can be widely deployed, especially in primary-care settings. Others say there already is sufficient information on the accuracy of some tests. All agree that no single test is perfect and physicians still should perform a complete clinical assessment. Widespread use of the tests may be some time off in the future — after insurance coverage improves and even more accurate next-generation tests become available. For now, none is covered by Medicare, and private insurance coverage is patchy. (McGinley, 11/17)
KHN: As STDs Proliferate, Companies Rush To Market At-Home Test Kits. But Are They Reliable?
Among the more remarkable legacies of the covid-19 pandemic is how quickly federal regulators, the health care industry, and consumers moved to make at-home testing a reliable tool for managing a public health crisis. But that fast-track focus is missing from another, less publicized epidemic: an explosion in sexually transmitted diseases that can cause chronic pain and infertility among infected adults and disable or kill infected newborns. The disparity has amplified calls from researchers, public health advocates, and health care companies urging the federal government to greenlight at-home testing kits that could vastly multiply the number of Americans testing for STDs. (Szabo, 11/18)
Stat: Editas Halts Development On First Clinical CRISPR Program
Editas Medicine, one of the small handful of original CRISPR companies, announced Thursday it is halting development on its first clinical program after data showed only a small subset of patients were responding. (Mast, 11/17)
