Pharma and Tech: Sept. 21, 2023
Save Billions or Stick With Humira? Drug Brokers Steer Americans to the Costly Choice
Arthur Allen
Thousands of patients with autoimmune diseases who rely on Humira, with a list price of $6,600 a month, could get financial relief from new low-cost rivals. So far, the pharmacy benefit managers that control drug prices in America have not delivered on those savings.
Why the CDC Has Recommended New Covid Boosters for All
Arthur Allen
As covid-19 hospitalizations tick upward with fall approaching, the CDC says it’s time for new boosters — and not only for those at highest risk of serious disease. Here are seven things you need to know.
A New Covid Booster Is Here. Will Those at Greatest Risk Get It?
Amy Maxmen
The CDC says everyone over 6 months old should get the new covid booster. But the emergency response mechanisms that supported earlier vaccine campaigns are gone. As one expert wonders: How to get boosters to people beyond Democrats, college graduates, and those with high incomes?
Activist Misuses Federal Data to Make False Claim That Covid Vaccines Killed 676,000
Tom Kertscher, PolitiFact
Anti-vaccine tech entrepreneur Steve Kirsch, whose wild assertions have been repeatedly debunked, wrongly attributes deaths following vaccination to the vaccines themselves. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which runs the database, calls that inaccurate and irresponsible.
Pfizer and Moderna Are Pushing the New Covid Booster. Should You Get It? The CDC Is About to Decide.
Arthur Allen
Chances are, if you aren’t older, chronically ill, or obese, you don’t need a forthcoming covid vaccine to stay out of the hospital. But it probably wouldn’t hurt.
5 Things to Know About the New Drug Pricing Negotiations
Arthur Allen and Rachana Pradhan and David Hilzenrath
The Biden administration unveiled the first 10 drugs subject to price negotiations, taking a swipe at the pharmaceutical industry. But what does it mean for patients?
How Far Will Montana’s Push to Remove Lead from School Drinking Water Go?
Keely Larson
Montana has earmarked $3.7 million to address widespread high levels of lead in school drinking water. But it likely isn’t enough to solve the problem.
Artificial Intelligence May Influence Whether You Can Get Pain Medication
Andy Miller and Sam Whitehead
To contain the opioid crisis, health and law enforcement agencies have turned to technology to monitor doctor and patient prescription data. Experts have raised questions about how these systems work and worry about their accuracy and potential biases. Some patients and doctors say they’re being unfairly targeted.
A Nanoengineer Teamed Up With Rihanna’s Tattoo Artist to Make Smarter Ink
Rae Ellen Bichell
Tattoos are more popular than ever. About a third of Americans have at least one. A scientist-entrepreneur, together with a celebrity tattoo artist, believes that ink could be doing a lot more.
Most States Have Yet to Permanently Fund 988. Call Centers Want Certainty.
Christina Saint Louis
For rural Americans, who live in areas often short of mental health services and die by suicide at a far higher rate than urbanites, the federally mandated crisis phone line is one of the few options to connect with a crisis counselor.
Cozy Images of Plush Toys and Blankets Counter Messaging on Safe Infant Sleep
Colleen DeGuzman
Unsafe sleep environments are among the main reasons accidental suffocation or strangulation is a hard-to-solve public health problem.
‘Like a Russian Roulette’: US Military Firefighters Grapple With Unknowns of PFAS Exposure
Patricia Kime and Hannah Norman
Federal research linking “forever chemicals” to testicular cancer confirms what U.S. military personnel long suspected. But as they seek testing for PFAS exposure, many wonder what to do with the results. There’s no medical treatment yet.
‘Dr. Google’ Meets Its Match: Dr. ChatGPT
Andrew Leonard
With the rise of generative AI, people who once turned to “Dr. Google” to check on medical symptoms are now turning to chatbots. Researchers say the bots are often more accurate, but urge caution in the absence of any regulations.
As More Patients Email Doctors, Health Systems Start Charging Fees
Harris Meyer
Doctors say billing for email consultations reduces message volume and gives them more free time. The increasingly prevalent practice has also raised fears about negative impacts to patient care.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Injects Presidential Politics Into the Covid Vaccine Debate
Phil Galewitz and Daniel Chang
Losing ground in the Republican primary, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida and his top medical advisers dismissed the recent federal recommendation that almost everyone get an updated covid shot.
Health Workers Warn Loosening Mask Advice in Hospitals Would Harm Patients and Providers
Amy Maxmen
Clinicians, researchers, and workplace safety officers worry new guidelines on face masks from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention might reduce protection against the coronavirus and other airborne pathogens in hospitals.
Welcome Back, Congress. Now Get to Work.
Congress returns from its summer recess with a long list of tasks and only a few work days to get them done. On top of the annual spending bills needed to keep the government operating, on the list are bills to renew the global HIV/AIDS program, PEPFAR, and the community health centers program. Meanwhile, over the recess, the Biden administration released the names of the first 10 drugs selected for the Medicare price negotiation program.
Journalists Recap How Smallpox Was Wiped Out and How Opioid Settlement Cash Is Being Paid Out
KFF Health News and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.
Por qué los CDC recomiendan el nuevo refuerzo contra covid para todos
Arthur Allen
El Comité Asesor sobre Prácticas de Inmunización de los CDC votó 13-1 a favor de la moción después de meses de debate sobre si limitar los refuerzos a grupos de alto riesgo.