Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
FDA Approves OTC Sales Of New Topical Erectile Dysfunction Gel
A first-of-its-kind topical gel for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, called Eroxon, has been authorized for over-the-counter marketing in the United States, according to pharmaceutical company Futura Medical, which developed the product. (Howard, 6/12)
Boston-based Ironwood Pharmaceuticals’ blockbuster drug for gastrointestinal problems was cleared Monday to treat functional constipation in patients 6 to 17 years of age, making it the first approved medicine for the disorder in pediatric patients. Linzess, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2012 to treat irritable bowel syndrome with constipation in adults, generated more than $1 billion in US net sales in each of the last two full years, according to a company spokesman. (Saltzman, 6/12)
Telehealth company Ro has paused advertising of the obesity drug Wegovy as the drug suffers shortages, a reversal in aggressive promotional efforts by the provider that involved splashy ads in subway stations. (Chen, 6/12)
In health care industry news —
Health systems across the country are exploring blending artificial intelligence into their communication with patients, from billing to after-hours messages about medication or symptoms. But how best to actually talk to patients about the technology and its risks is still an open question. (Ravindranath, 6/13)
Health care’s labor shortage is adding new urgency to the need for new tech. Americans 65 and older, those most in need of health care services, are expected to outnumber children in the U.S. for the first time by 2030 — just as the health care sector is expected to have a shortfall of more than 200,000 physicians and nurses. (King, 6/12)
Over the past year, an average of 1,200 people were stuck in Massachusetts hospital beds each day because workers could not find a place to discharge them, a new report says, in the latest sign that hospitals continue to struggle with overcrowding even as the COVID pandemic has ebbed. The patients occupied approximately 15 percent of the state’s staffed medical and surgical hospital beds, according to data from March 2022 through February this year, creating backups in emergency rooms as other patients waited to be admitted. (Bartlett, 6/12)
A social media and digital ad campaign encouraging people to consider health care as a career path looks to make a dent in the acute worker shortage the industry faces. The ads that begin today promote positions in direct and indirect patient care, support roles and administrative jobs. The campaign comes at a time when the Michigan Health & Hospital Association estimates that hospitals statewide are trying to fill 27,000 open positions, including 8,000 nursing jobs. (Sanchez, 6/12)
The Center for Autism and Related Disorders, which operates 130 treatment centers in the U.S., filed for bankruptcy in Texas on Monday with a plan to sell itself back to its founder. ... Based in Henderson, Nevada, the company specializes in applied behavioral analysis therapy for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. (Knauth, 6/12)
