FDA Approves First Gene Therapy For Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
June 23, 2023
Morning Briefing
In what NPR calls an “eagerly anticipated decision,” the FDA approved Thursday a treatment called Elevidys from Sarepta Therapeutics to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy by targeting the genetic defect behind it. The treatment costs $3.2 million. Also in the news: the high cost of drugs.
Moderna Already Seeking FDA Authorization For New Covid Shots
June 23, 2023
Morning Briefing
The drugmaker’s newest covid shots target the variant that currently dominates new covid infections in the U.S. — XBB.1.5. The FDA recently indicated that new shots for the fall should be aimed at these variants. Also in the news, how long covid can affect mental health.
3M’s Bill To Settle PFAS Water Contamination Lawsuits: $10.3 Billion
June 23, 2023
Morning Briefing
The company announced Thursday it will pay at least this sum to settle lawsuits over contamination of U.S. drinking water systems with potentially harmful “forever chemicals,” AP reports. Also in the news, “cancer alley” in Louisiana, Minneapolis’ poor air quality, and more.
Viewpoints: End Of Roe Has Had Negative Impact On OB-GYNs; Patient Navigator Details Difficulty After Roe
June 23, 2023
Morning Briefing
Editorial writers take a look at the effects of overturning Roe, Cost Plus Drug Co., nursing schools and more.
Morning Briefing for Friday, June 23, 2023
June 23, 2023
Morning Briefing
How a year without Roe has shaped US health care. Plus, vaping, diabetes, new covid shots, PFAS, gene therapy, fentanyl, and weekend reads.
More In US Say They’ll Vote Only For Politicians With Same Abortion Stance
June 23, 2023
Morning Briefing
A Gallup survey, reported in The Guardian, says over a quarter of registered U.S. voters will vote only for candidates who share their beliefs on abortion, up from last year’s figure. USA Today, meanwhile, highlights how independent women are increasingly at odds with the GOP position on abortion.
Study: Rising Diabetes Will Affect 1.3 Billion People By 2050
June 23, 2023
Morning Briefing
A new study blames global aging and rising body weight for increasing diabetes cases, which will impact billions more people around the world by 2050. Separately, data show that Hispanic and Asian Americans mainly drove population growth after the pandemic.
CDC Data: Disposable E-Cigarettes Drive Booming Sales And Youth Vaping
June 23, 2023
Morning Briefing
After a 47% spike during the pandemic years, sales numbers declined in the second half of 2022. The drop is attributed in part to state and local bans on flavored products, though disposable e-cigarettes purchases continue to thrive. And use by teenagers is still climbing.
Denied Care, Distant Travel: Women Tell Their Stories Of A Post-Roe US
June 23, 2023
Morning Briefing
Many women of reproductive age in the U.S. have been impacted over the last year as new state laws and court decision quickly shifted how pregnant women are treated. Some tell news outlets about their personal stories of fear and uncertainty, difficulty in getting care, and dangerous outcomes.
House Conservatives Want Abortion Bill Vote As GOP Searches For Unified Footing
June 23, 2023
Morning Briefing
Republican lawmakers at the state and federal level have struggled in the past year to strike a balance on abortion, which has so far proved to be a defining campaign issue. In the House, conservative caucus members want a vote on the No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act, but moderate members worry about the election impact.
A Year Without Roe: Cascade Of Bans, Legal Fights Shape Abortion Access
June 23, 2023
Morning Briefing
In the year since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization “dropped a nuclear bomb into public health,” as one expert said, the U.S. has become a patchwork of state laws banning or expanding access to abortion. That trend will continue, as will court battles that have extended to abortion medications and fallout at the ballot boxes.
Abortion Pills To Remain Legal For Now In Wyoming As Judge Blocks Ban
June 23, 2023
Morning Briefing
The state’s first-in-the-nation law banning abortion pills now won’t go into effect July 1 as a lawsuit against the ban proceeds. Other abortion-related news is from Maine — where a bill allowing medically-necessary late abortions was advanced — Ohio, Texas, and elsewhere.
White House To Rally With Abortion Rights Groups To Mark Dobbs Anniversary
June 23, 2023
Morning Briefing
The Biden administration is holding a series of events over the next two days to spotlight the Supreme Court’s politically controversial decision that overturned abortion rights in the U.S. Groups like Planned Parenthood, EMILY’s List and NARAL-Pro Choice America will join Friday’s White House rally and endorse President Joe Biden for re-election.
Abortion Providers And Clinics Struggle With Moral, Ethical Choices
June 23, 2023
Morning Briefing
Some physicians say the past year has been the toughest of their careers. Dozens of clinics have halted or changed their services in the past year, and many clinics in states where abortion is still legal say they are barely hanging on amid bottlenecks and wait times.
First Edition: June 23, 2023
June 23, 2023
Morning Briefing
Today’s early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Advocates Call for 911 Changes. Police Have Mixed Feelings.
By Molly Castle Work
June 23, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Though most California counties are experimenting with dispatching health professionals rather than law enforcement to respond to people experiencing mental health crises, powerful police unions fear defunding.
Malpractice Lawsuits Over Denied Abortion Care May Be on the Horizon
By Harris Meyer
June 23, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Physicians and attorneys say it’s a question of when — not if — a pregnant person dies from lack of care in a state with an abortion ban, potentially setting the stage for a malpractice lawsuit that could pressure providers to reconsider delaying or denying care.
What’s It Really Like to Be HHS Secretary? Three Who’ve Done It Spill the Beans
By Julie Rovner and Emmarie Huetteman
June 22, 2023
KFF Health News Original
Three secretaries of Health and Human Services, who served under Presidents Joe Biden, Donald Trump, and Barack Obama, gathered this week for a rare, candid conversation hosted by the Aspen Ideas Festival and KFF Health News’ “What the Health?” about the experience of being the nation’s top health official.
KFF Health News' 'What the Health?': Live From Aspen: Three HHS Secretaries on What the Job Is Really Like
June 22, 2023
Podcast
What does a day in the life of the nation’s top health official really look like? And how much of their agenda is set by the White House? In this special episode of KFF Health News’ “What the Health?” — taped before a live audience at Aspen Ideas: Health, part of the Aspen Ideas Festival, in Aspen, Colorado — host and chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner leads a rare conversation with the current and two former U.S. secretaries of Health and Human Services. Secretary Xavier Becerra and former secretaries Kathleen Sebelius and Alex Azar talk candidly about what it takes to run a department with more than 80,000 employees and a budget larger than those of many countries.
Research Roundup: Enterovirus; Pseudomonas; Neurodegeneration
June 22, 2023
Morning Briefing
Each week, KFF Health News compiles a selection of health policy studies and briefs.