The Host
This week, the eyes of the nation are on Texas, the place a federal choose who previously labored for a conservative Christian advocacy group is ready to resolve whether or not the abortion capsule mifepristone can keep available on the market. Mifepristone is half of a two-pill routine that now accounts for greater than half of the abortions in the USA.
In the meantime, Novo Nordisk, one other of the three giant drug corporations that dominate the marketplace for diabetes remedies, has introduced it’s going to reduce the value of lots of its insulin merchandise. Eli Lilly introduced its cuts early this month. However the push for extra inexpensive insulin from activists and members of Congress will not be the one cause for the change: Due to quirks in the best way the drug market works, chopping costs may really save the businesses cash in the long term.
This week’s panelists are Julie Rovner of KHN, Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Name, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico.
Among the many takeaways from this week’s episode:
- The federal choose inspecting the decades-old approval of mifepristone may difficulty a call at any time after a listening to largely behind closed doorways, throughout which he appeared open to limiting entry to the drug.
- Democratic governors search to counter the nippiness of Republican states’ warnings to pharmacies about distributing mifepristone, and a separate lawsuit in Texas seeks to set a precedent for punishing individuals who aren’t medical suppliers for helping somebody in acquiring an abortion.
- In pandemic information, Congress is transferring ahead with laws that will power the Biden administration to declassify intelligence associated to the origins of covid-19, whereas the editor of Cochrane Opinions posted a clarification of its not too long ago printed masking research, noting it’s “inaccurate” to say it discovered that masks aren’t efficient.
- High federal well being officers despatched an uncommon letter to Florida’s surgeon normal, warning that his embrace of vaccination misinformation is dangerous, even lethal, to People. Whereas covid vaccines include some threat of unfavorable well being results, contracting covid carries the next threat of poor outcomes.
- Novo Nordisk’s announcement that it’s going to reduce insulin costs places strain on Sanofi, the remaining insulin maker that has but to regulate its costs.
- The Veterans Well being Administration will cowl Leqembi, a brand new Alzheimer’s drug. The choice comes as Medicare considers whether or not it’s going to additionally cowl the drug. Consultants warning that new medicine shaking up the weight-loss market may show pricey for Medicare.
- Washington is eyeing modifications to federal guidelines that will have an effect on the follow of medication. One change would power well being plans to hurry up “prior authorization” selections by well being insurers and improve transparency round denials, which supporters say would assist sufferers higher entry wanted care. One other proposal would ban noncompete clauses in contracts, together with in well being care. Arguments for and in opposition to the change each cite the difficulty of doctor burnout — although they disagree on whether or not the ban would make the issue higher or worse.
Plus, for “additional credit score,” the panelists recommend well being coverage tales they learn this week that they suppose it is best to learn, too:
Julie Rovner: “Tradeoffs” podcast’s “The Conservative Clash Over Abortion Bans,” by Alice Miranda Ollstein and Dan Gorenstein
Alice Miranda Ollstein: Politico’s “Sharpton Dodges the Spotlight on Latest Push to Ban Menthol Cigarettes,” by Julia Marsh
Sarah Karlin-Smith: Attract’s “With New Legislation, You Can Expect More Recalls to Hit the Beauty Industry,” by Elizabeth Siegel and Deanna Pai
Jessie Hellmann: The New York Instances’ “Opioid Settlement Hinders Patients’ Access to a Wide Array of Drugs,” by Christina Jewett and Ellen Gabler
Additionally talked about on this week’s podcast:
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