Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Well-Intentioned Scientists Race To Find Cures, But Rush For Answers Could Backfire
Stat: Competing Covid-19 Efforts Could Hamper Progress, Experts Warn
As many of the most forward-thinking tech and biopharma behemoths — from Apple and Google to Gilead and MIT — rush in to use their savvy and expertise to help fight Covid-19, some of their independent efforts risk undermining their common goals. For all the know-how and good intentions of these institutions, responding to a global pandemic is far different than operating in the private sector. In interviews with STAT, several researchers and technology experts said that instead of collaborating and seeding innovation, some groups are effectively duplicating each other’s work or competing for limited resources — which could stymie progress in the pandemic response, the experts warned. (Brodwin and Robbins, 4/23)
Sacramento Bee: Rancho Cordova CA Biotech Firm Close On Coronavirus Therapy
Scientists in the Sacramento area believe they have developed a way to keep the new coronavirus from finding the doorknob that it typically turns to enter human lung cells. Chris Xu, the CEO of Rancho Cordova-based ThermoGenesis, said the biopharmaceutical treatment could go to market within two months. (Anderson, 4/22)
The New York Times: Fox News Stars Trumpeted A Malaria Drug, Until They Didn’t
For a month’s stretch, the Fox News star Laura Ingraham relentlessly promoted the malaria drug hydroxychloroquine to her nearly four million nightly viewers. The drug was “a game changer” in the fight against the coronavirus, the conservative anchor declared. She booked recovered patients to describe their “miracle turnaround” — “like Lazarus, up from the grave,” as Ms. Ingraham put it. Anyone who questioned the drug’s efficacy, she said, was “in total denial.” (Grynbaum, 4/22)
The Washington Post: Fox News Hosts Go Mum On Hydroxychloroquine, The Covid-19 Drug They Spent Weeks Promoting
At the height of Fox News’s coverage of a would-be treatment for the novel coronavirus, the network’s medical correspondent, Marc Siegel, offered a remarkable testimonial during Tucker Carlson’s show. Siegel said his 96-year-old father, suffering from symptoms of the virus and fearing he would die, made a full recovery thanks to the drug, hydroxychloroquine, and a course of antibiotics. “He got up the next day and was fine,” Siegel told an astonished Carlson. (Farhi and Izadi, 4/22)
Politico: New Jersey Lawmaker Bangs The Drum For Hydroxychloroquine
President Donald Trump’s push to put hydroxychloroquine at the forefront of his administration’s coronavirus strategy may be quieting down, but one of his biggest proxies in New Jersey is keeping up the fight. “Not only do I read the stories, I read the studies,” state Sen. Joseph Pennacchio, who is co-chairman of Trump’s 2020 campaign in New Jersey, told POLITICO on Wednesday. “The internet is a wonderful place,” he added, saying he’s discussed the issue with physicians. (Sutton, 4/23)
CNN: Hydroxychloroquine Study: New York Researcher Says Preliminary Results Are Ready, But State Hasn't Released Them
In what's described as the largest study of its kind, New York researchers have submitted to the state health department preliminary results of their work looking at hydroxychloroquine, the drug President Trump has touted as a "game changer" in the fight against coronavirus. "We have reviewed several hundred medical records of Covid patients at this point in over 20 hospitals and done a preliminary analysis," David Holtgrave, the lead researcher, said Wednesday. Doctors and patients anxiously await the results of studies like this one to guide them toward the most effective therapies for Covid-19. (Cohen, 4/22)
The New York Times: Video: ‘What Do You Have To Lose?’ How Trump Has Promoted Malaria Drug
President Trump has pushed a malaria drug, hydroxychloroquine, as a treatment for coronavirus patients. A recent study found that patients taking it had higher death rates compared with those who did not. (4/22)
