No One Should Be ‘Unable To Save A Life Because Of The High Price’ Of Naloxone, Senators Say
Lawmakers are urging HHS to take steps to bring down the price of the antioverdose medication. And NIH decides to cut drugmakers out of a study on opioids.
The Hill:
Senators Push HHS To Negotiate Lower Prices On Opioid Overdose Reversal Drug
A group of senators is urging the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take measures to reduce the price of a potentially life-saving medication reversing the effects of an opioid overdose. An estimated 115 people die per day of an overdose involving an opioid. Sens. Angus King (I-Maine) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and 13 Democratic senators signed a letter from Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) to call on HHS to negotiate a cheaper price for naloxone, which comes in the form of an injection or a nasal spray and is used to reverse opioid overdoses. (Roubein, 4/18)
Stat:
NIH Shifts Course On Industry Opioids Partnership After Ethics Flags Raised
It’s been touted by health officials for almost a year: a planned opioids research partnership worth roughly $400 million. Ideally, the National Institutes of Health and the pharmaceutical industry would each pick up half the tab, NIH Director Francis Collins has said, to fund research aimed at addressing the opioid epidemic. Collins reiterated last month: Dozens of drug companies were on the verge of teaming up with the agency, which researchers hope will lead to the discovery of new medicines to treat addiction or serve as alternatives to opioids. (Facher, 4/19)
In other national health care news —
The Washington Post:
HHS Secretary Readmitted To Hospital For Further Treatment Of Diverticulitis
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar was readmitted to an Indiana hospital Tuesday evening for further treatment and observation of a case of diverticulitis, according to department officials. The readmission came about 48 hours after Azar was admitted overnight to St. Vincent’s Hospital in Indianapolis after receiving intravenous antibiotics — and slightly more than a day after he had been discharged with plans to return to Washington. (Goldstein and Sun, 4/18)
The Washington Post:
‘We Should See If It Works’: Lawmakers Want Veterans Affairs To Study Whether Pot Is Safer Than Painkillers
A bipartisan measure introduced this week in the House would authorize the Department of Veterans Affairs to research whether marijuana is a viable substitute for highly addictive opioids in treating former military personnel suffering from post-traumatic stress and chronic pain. The VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2018 would initiate a five-year study to examine the drug’s safety and efficacy, and require VA researchers to compile annual status reports for Congress. The bill was introduced by Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.), chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and Rep. Tim Walz (D-Minn.), the ranking minority-party member of the committee, along with 35 co-sponsors — including seven Republicans. Companion legislation is under review by leaders of the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. (Wax-Thibodeaux, 4/18)
Bloomberg:
Cigna-Express Scripts Deal To Face Justice Department Review
Cigna Corp. confirmed that its proposed $54 billion acquisition of Express Scripts Holding Co. will be reviewed by the U.S. Department of Justice, which has raised the bar for approving deals that don’t combine direct competitors. The health insurer has been telling investors since at least early April about the review, but hadn’t made a public statement until late Wednesday. Analysts at Credit Suisse sent an alert to clients on April 5, saying Cigna Chief Executive Officer David Cordani told investors during an event in Europe that the deal would be looked at by the Justice Department. (Tracer and McLaughlin, 4/18)
Stat:
A 'Breakthrough In Organ Preservation' Raises Hopes For Tranplants
For decades, transplant surgeons have treated organs as if they were beers for a camping trip: You just pack them in a cooler and hit the road. But livers, it turns out, aren’t much like lagers, and might benefit from a different sort of travel. The alternative that researchers have come up with is a machine designed to mimic the environment of the human body, keeping the organ warm and breathing as it’s being shuttled from donor to recipient. Now, after comparing the two, a team has shown that this contraption not only kept livers safer for longer than cold storage, but also allowed surgeons to transplant organs that might otherwise have been thrown out. (Boodman, 4/18)
Stat:
Scientists Create A Biomedical Tattoo To Monitor For A Sign Of Cancer
Scientists have designed a biomedical tattoo that changes color when calcium in the blood is too high — a tool that they say could one day be used to monitor for the earliest signs of disease. Some types of cancer increase the amount of calcium in the blood before symptoms appear. So researchers engineered cells that turn dark like a tattoo when calcium is too high. They published a proof-of-concept paper on the work Wednesday in Science Translational Medicine. (Thielking, 4/18)
The Wall Street Journal:
Gene Therapy Shows Promise In Patients With A Blood Disorder
Researchers have used an experimental gene therapy developed by biotech company bluebird bio Inc. to reduce the number of blood transfusions needed in 22 people with beta-thalassemia, an inherited blood disorder. The results are another sign of the promise of gene therapy, which aims to deliver beneficial genes to patients’ cells to replace defective ones. (Toy, 4/19)