Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
VA Would Fund Psychedelic Treatments For Veterans Under Proposed Bill
Military.com: 'Saving Lives': Bill Would Fund Psychedelic Therapies For Military Veterans
New legislation introduced in Congress would require the Veterans Affairs (VA) secretary to designate the department’s medical facilities as “innovative therapies centers of excellence,” which would include increasing federal funding to study the therapeutic uses of psychedelics for veterans, according to a copy of the legislation shared with Military.com. The “Innovative Therapies Centers of Excellence Act of 2025” sponsored by U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, would designate not fewer than five VA medical facilities that can offer these different therapeutic modalities. (Mordowanec, 3/9)
More pharmaceutical developments —
MedPage Today: Another Study Finds No Ties Between Tylenol In Pregnancy And Autism
Positive associations between maternal acetaminophen prescriptions during pregnancy and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in offspring became null in sibling-matched analyses, a nationwide cohort study in Taiwan found. (Henderson, 3/9)
MedPage Today: Cancer Drug Pulled From Market Over Safety Concerns
The cancer drug tazemetostat (Tazverik) is being voluntarily withdrawn in the U.S. and all other markets over concerns about secondary cancers, drugmaker Ipsen announced. The company also said it is discontinuing all active trials of the EZH2 inhibitor and any expanded access programs. (Bassett, 3/9)
CIDRAP: Study Links Fluoroquinolone Antibiotics To Increased Risk Of Panic Attacks
A new study by a team of Canadian researchers hints at a potential link between fluoroquinolone antibiotics and increased risk of panic attacks. Although fluoroquinolones are among the most widely prescribed antibiotics, they've been linked to an array of side effects, including tendinitis and tendon rupture, peripheral neuropathy (a nerve condition that causes weakness, numbness, and pain in the hands and feet), and central nervous system effects. (Dall, 3/9)
CBS News: Penn Medical Student With Rare Genetic Form Of ALS On Mission To Develop Gene Therapy
A medical student at the University of Pennsylvania is on a special mission in the research lab that could save her life. Yentli Soto Albrecht's battle is against ALS, a fatal neurodegenerative disease. She has a rare genetic form of the disease. It's a race against time in the research lab for Soto Albrecht, who is an MD/PHD student at the Perelman School of Medicine. (Stahl, 3/9)
