Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Trump's Obesity Drug Plan Light On Details; We Need A National Board To Handle Foodborne Illnesses
Bloomberg: Obesity Drugs For All? White House Deal Is Just A Start
A White House deal with Eli Lilly & Co. and Novo Nordisk to lower the prices of their popular obesity medicines, Zepbound and Wegovy, is a step toward making them more affordable and accessible to Americans — but until we have more details, it’s hard to tell how big a step it really is. (Lisa Jarvis, 11/7)
Stat: Listeria Outbreak Shows U.S. Needs New Approach To Foodborne Illness
Six Americans have died and more than 20 others have been sickened in a growing listeria outbreak linked to prepackaged pasta meals. It is upsetting, but not surprising. I worked on food safety at the Food and Drug Administration for many years. The U.S. has one of the safest food systems in the world, but too many Americans fall ill from contaminated food every year — and too many families experience tragic, preventable loss. That’s unacceptable in the 21st century. (Frank Yiannas, 11/7)
The Washington Post: The Science That Extended Dick Cheney’s Life Can Help Every American
Former vice president Dick Cheney’s death stunned me this week — because of how extraordinarily long he lived in defiance of a failing heart. His decades-long journey through cardiovascular catastrophe mirrors the triumphant arc of modern medicine, which has turned what was once a death sentence into a chronicle of survival built on relentless scientific progress. (Charles C. Hong, 11/6)
Stat: New Technologies Should Complement, Not Replace, Lab Animals
In recent months, the Food and Drug Administration and National Institutes of Health have announced new initiatives to reduce and replace animal testing in biomedical research. Central to these efforts are “new approach methodologies,” such as lab-grown human-based models and computational technologies, promoted as more modern and human-relevant. But amid this rush toward alternatives, we risk abandoning modern animal models that have become increasingly relevant to human biology. (Anis Barmada, 11/7)
The Washington Post: How Long Does Covid Booster Protection Last? A New Study Offers Answers.
More evidence highlighting the benefit, and limitations, of covid-19 vaccines. (Leana S. Wen, 11/6)
