Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Civica Rx Will Sell A Cheap Generic Version Of Expensive Cancer Drug
In the latest bid to address high prescription drug costs, a nonprofit plans to sell a cheaper generic version of an expensive cancer medicine in the U.S. (Silverman, 8/3)
Briana Lawson was ready to knock her diabetes into remission. For years, the 47-year-old health care consultant had treated her high blood sugar with metformin. But to avoid a lifetime of medication, she knew she’d need to lose weight. (Palmer, 8/4)
In news about CVS, Walgreens, and US Med-Equip —
CVS Health thumped second-quarter expectations and hiked its full-year forecast as growing prescription claims and COVID-19 test kits sales countered a drop in vaccinations. A longer cough cold and flu season also brought in more business, as claims in CVS Health’s biggest segment, pharmacy benefits management, rose about 4 percent. ... (8/3)
Tennessee’s attorney general said Wednesday he has sued Walgreens, accusing the drugstore chain of contributing to the state’s opioid crisis by failing to maintain effective controls against the abuse of prescription pain pills. (Raby, 8/3)
US Med-Equip, a Houston-based medical equipment and services provider, said Tuesday that it acquired Freedom Medical, another medical equipment provider based in Pennsylvania. US Med-Equip declined to disclose the terms of the deal. (Carballo, 8/3)
In pharmaceutical research —
An experimental antibody treatment prevented malaria in the majority of participants in a small but important new study, providing a measure of hope in the effort to lower the burden of the disease worldwide. (Welle, 8/3)
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals’ treatment for an increasingly common heart disease succeeded in a closely watched clinical trial, the company said Wednesday, clearing the path to approval and affirming the promise of a drug analysts expect to reap blockbuster sales. (Garde, 8/3)
Teens and young adults with treatment-resistant anxiety who were given a single daily CBD pill for 12 weeks reported their symptoms fell by an average of 43%, the Australian youth mental health organization Orygen found in a pilot study. The results among the 31 patients were remarkable, said Paul Amminger, a research fellow at Orygen and professor of youth mental health at the University of Melbourne, who led the study. (Millson, 8/3)
