Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Third Human Case Of Bird Flu Affirms Need For Testing; The Drawbacks Of An Artificial Womb
The New York Times: Why The Human Case Of Bird Flu With Respiratory Symptoms Is Concerning
The third human case of H5N1, reported on Thursday in a farmworker in Michigan who was experiencing respiratory symptoms, tells us that the current bird flu situation is at a dangerous inflection point. (Rick Bright, 6/2)
Scientific American: It Is Too Soon For Clinical Trials On Artificial Wombs
Artificial wombs are moving from the realm of science fiction to possible trials with severely premature human babies. We are excited about the great potential benefits of this technology; however, with fetal rights now a political front in the abortion debate, we believe that society must address the ethical and legal implications well before those clinical trials begin. (Vardit Ravitsky and Louise King, 5/31)
Stat: Innovation In Antibiotics Is Ailing. 'Brain Drain' May Kill It
In today’s labor market, good help is hard to find. For companies developing antibiotics, it’s becoming nearly impossible. Three years ago, I became CEO of the AMR Action Fund, which is investing approximately $1 billion in biotech companies developing treatments for antimicrobial-resistant infections, a growing global health crisis that now contributes to 4.9 million deaths every year. I have spent most of my career developing antibiotics and investing in biotechnology companies, so I was aware of the scientific and financial headwinds we’d be up against — including workforce challenges. (Henry Skinner, 6/3)
The New York Times: The Pandemic Probably Started In A Lab. These 5 Key Points Explain Why.
On Monday, Dr. Anthony Fauci will return to the halls of Congress to testify before the House subcommittee investigating the Covid-19 pandemic. He will most likely be questioned about how the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which he directed until retiring in 2022, supported risky virus work at a Chinese institute whose research may have caused the pandemic. (Alina Chan, 6/2)
Bloomberg: NHS Wait Times Have Gotten Out Of Control
Anecdotes aren’t data (as the apparently oft-misquoted saying goes), but over the past 14 years the two paint a depressingly similar picture of Britain’s National Health Service. (Therese Raphael, 6/2)
