Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Trump's Vaccine Order A Public Health Hazard; Why We Spend So Much On Research With No Results
Bloomberg: Trump's Vaccine Order Puts Parents In A Bind
President Donald Trump’s proposed sweeping changes to the childhood vaccine schedule, whether ever actually implemented or not, are yet another affront to public health in the US. (Lisa Jarvis, 8/11)
The New York Times: He Saw Specialist After Specialist. He Died When No One Gave Him a Flu Shot.
This wasn’t a failure of medical discovery; it was a failure of medical delivery. The most effective treatment in the world does nothing for the patient who doesn’t receive it. (Aaron E. Carroll, 8/10)
Stat: Why Is MoonLake Immunotherapeutics Scared Of Releasing Data On Its Drug?
Biotech companies don’t hide or obfuscate strong data. It’s an old saw but one that I have found to be a reliable predictor of future success or failure, particularly when judging clinical trial results. Yet once again, MoonLake Immunotherapeutics has announced “positive” results from a study of its autoimmune drug candidate marred by a level of data obtuseness that renders the word meaningless. (Adam Feuerstein, 8/11)
Stat: Primary Care May Struggle With Medicare Weight Loss Drug Program
In Venice, Italy, the fabled Bridge of Sighs spans a narrow canal, its small stone-barred windows once offering prisoners a final glimpse of freedom as they were escorted to their cells. The name reflects their resignation, the quiet exhale of those who knew what awaited them. For many primary care physicians, a similar sigh now accompanies the start of Medicare’s “Bridge” program, which promises discounted access to the GLP‑1 weight loss medications Wegovy, Zepbound, and Foundayo. (Jeffrey Millstein, 8/11)
Stat: Abortion’s Transformation Began Long Before Dobbs
A physician is eating dinner with her family when an encrypted message appears on her phone. A frightened 17-year-old explains that she took misoprostol — one of the medications commonly used to end a pregnancy. Four weeks later, she is still nauseated and her pregnancy test remains positive. She wants to know: Can she see a doctor without her parents finding out? Could she get into legal trouble for taking abortion pills? (Jennifer Karlin, 8/11)
