Pharma & Tech: Aug. 11, 2022

Parents Become Drug Developers to Save Their Children’s Lives
By Jared Whitlock Families affected by ultra-rare diseases are starting their own companies to speed the development of treatments for their kids, venturing into territory that traditional drugmakers deem too risky.

In California, Abortion Could Become a Constitutional Right. So Could Birth Control.
By Rachel Bluth Proposition 1, the constitutional amendment that would enshrine abortion in California’s constitution, would also lock in a right that has gotten less attention: the right to “choose or refuse” contraception.

A GOP Talking Point Suggests Birth Control Is Not at Risk. Evidence Suggests Otherwise.
By Julie Rovner Republicans say Democrats are wrong to claim that birth control could be the Supreme Court’s next target. But Democrats have plenty of evidence that it might be.

Watch: Explaining the Nitty-Gritty of Medicare Drug Price Negotiations — And Patients’ Potential Savings
KHN chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner discusses the Senate Democrats’ plans to let Medicare negotiate some drug prices, cap out-of-pocket drug costs for seniors, and fund enhanced subsides for ACA marketplace health plans.

Ad Targeting Manchin and AARP Mischaracterizes Medicare Drug-Price Negotiations
By Victoria Knight and Colleen DeGuzman The advocacy group American Commitment said empowering Medicare to negotiate drug prices would raid it of billions of dollars. Drug pricing experts say that that’s not the case and that such policies would instead reduce costs for the Medicare program and seniors.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Manchin Makes a Deal
In a rare surprise for official Washington, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) announced a deal to expand the planned health bill in the Senate to include provisions raising taxes and addressing climate change. The measure would include a third year of expanded subsidies for the Affordable Care Act, but not health care coverage for people left out of Medicaid in states that failed to expand the program. Meanwhile, the ACA goes back to court, and the Biden administration restores anti-discrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people that were rolled back by the Trump administration. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Dr. Céline Gounder of KHN about the latest on the monkeypox outbreak.

KHN’s ‘What the Health?’: Drug Price Bill Is a Go in the Senate
Two things happened in Washington this week that were inevitable: President Joe Biden tested positive for covid-19, and the Senate agreed to move forward on a budget bill that includes only a sliver of what Biden hoped it would. Still, the bill to allow Medicare to negotiate some drug prices, cap out-of-pocket drug costs for seniors, and extend temporary subsidies for Affordable Care Act insurance premiums would represent a major step if Democrats can get it across the finish line. Meanwhile, abortion battles continue to escalate around the country, with Texas leading the way in restrictions. Shefali Luthra of The 19th, Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, and Rachel Cohrs of Stat join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews Dr. Jack Resneck Jr., the new president of the American Medical Association.

Everything You Need to Know About Paxlovid — Especially, Should You Take It?
By Michelle Andrews Paxlovid has eclipsed other available therapies for preventing life-threatening covid symptoms in high-risk patients. But even as doctors praise its effectiveness, many say they have unanswered questions about prescribing the drug and want more and better data about it.

As Big Pharma Loses Interest in New Antibiotics, Infections Are Only Growing Stronger
By Arthur Allen Existing drugs still treat most infections. But that has discouraged investment in new drugs that will be needed when — not if —the old ones fail.

EPA Action Boosts Grassroots Momentum to Reduce Toxic ‘Forever Chemicals’
By Andy Miller Experts say the EPA’s recent declaration that some PFAS chemicals are unsafe at detectable levels in drinking water signals acceleration in efforts to curb exposure to compounds found in nearly every American’s blood.

Listen: Can California Lower the Price of Insulin?
California Healthline senior correspondent Angela Hart describes California’s ambitious plan to manufacture generic insulin under the state’s new “CalRx” drug label.

Covid Sewage Surveillance Labs Join the Hunt for Monkeypox
By Mark Kreidler Wastewater testing has proved a reliable early alarm bell for covid outbreaks. U.S. researchers are now adapting the approach to track the explosive spread of monkeypox.

Tribe Embraces Recreational Marijuana Sales on Reservation Where Alcohol Is Banned
By Arielle Zionts The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota allows people to buy and use recreational marijuana but not alcohol. Some tribal citizens say cannabis is safer than alcohol, meth, and opioids — which have wreaked havoc on the state’s Indigenous communities.

Music Festivals Embrace Overdose Reversal Drugs, but Fentanyl Testing Kits Remain Taboo
By Blake Farmer, Nashville Public Radio Music festival promoters are allowing distribution of overdose reversal medication as fentanyl deaths continue to surge. But nonprofits and volunteers are often left to do the work, and more controversial forms of harm reduction aren’t openly allowed.

Citing a Mental Health Crisis Among Young People, California Lawmakers Target Social Media
By Zinnia Finn Legislators are considering two bills that address online addiction among children by taking aim at website features such as push notifications and targeted posts. But Big Tech is fighting the effort, saying companies are already taking steps to protect children.

Watch: Navigating Social Media After Mass Shootings
By Hannah Norman A University of Pennsylvania professor shares advice on navigating the intersection of gun violence and social media as part of KHN’s new “Spotlight” interview series.

The US Mental Health Hotline Network Is Expanding, but Rural Areas Still Face Care Shortages
By Christina Saint Louis On July 16, a three-digit number, 988, became the centerpiece of a nationwide effort to unify responses to Americans experiencing mental health crises. But many people, especially those in rural areas, will continue to find themselves far from help if they need more support than call operators can offer.

Lo que debes saber sobre Paxlovid para tratar covid, en especial, ¿debes tomarlo?
By Michelle Andrews Desde que Paxlovid comenzó a estar disponible hace siete meses, ha eclipsado otras terapias disponibles para prevenir los síntomas graves de covid en pacientes de alto riesgo. Algunos médicos se apresuran a recetarlo, pero como ocurre con tanto sobre la pandemia de covid, hay controversia.

La línea de salud mental 988 se expande, pero no demasiado en las zonas rurales
By Christina Saint Louis La línea 988 de National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, que se lanzó el 16 de julio, fue diseñada como una herramienta universal de apoyo a la salud mental para quienes llaman en cualquier momento y desde cualquier lugar.