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Dr. Robert Califf even personally commissioned a report from the nation’s top medical advisers that recommended reforms, including potentially removing some drugs from the market. But six years later, opioids are claiming more lives than ever, and the FDA has not pulled a single drug from pharmacy shelves since the report’s publication. In fact, the agency continues putting new painkillers on the market — six in the last five years. (Perrone, 7/27)

Senators from Maine and Maryland have proposed legislation they said would support older residents who are addicted to opioids. Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine and Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin of Maryland said Wednesday they’ve introduced a bill to address challenges that Medicare beneficiaries face when seeking treatment for addiction. Collins said the toll of the opioid epidemic on older adults is an underappreciated aspect of the crisis. (7/28)

AbbVie Inc's (ABBV.N) unit Allergan has reached an agreement to pay over $2 billion to resolve thousands of lawsuits related to the marketing of its opioid painkiller, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter. (7/27)

“While this heat-, water- and oil-resistant chemical was created over 80 years ago to solve problems, it has become increasingly clear that it's created more problems than it solved,” said Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) during floor debate. “Traces of the PFAS can also be found within the human body, animals drinking water, fish and soil. In fact, a recent report by the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] found PFAS in the blood of 97 percent of Americans.” (Forrest, 7/27)

An effort to give millions of veterans easier access to health and disability benefits suffered another surprising setback Wednesday on the Senate floor when supporters couldn’t muster the 60 votes needed to limit debate. The 55-42 procedural vote on cloture derailed, at least temporarily, a sweeping expansion of veterans benefits that appeared to be heading to President Joe Biden’s desk this week. (Lerman, 7/27)

The House overwhelmingly passed legislation by Wyoming Republican Liz Cheney Wednesday that would extend eased telehealth rules through the end of 2024. The 416-12 vote was a significant win for telehealth advocates. The bill would allow Medicare and federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics to continue covering telehealth visits from patients’ homes, as well as audio-only telehealth under Medicare. The measure would also extend a waiver permitting mental health patients to avoid having to go to in-person visits. (Leonard, 7/27)