Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
J&J Covid Vaccine No Longer Available In US; Advances Made In New Antibiotic Creation
While Johnson & Johnson's adenovirus vaccine against COVID-19 never caught on like the mRNA shots from Pfizer and Moderna did, the prophylactic once carried high hopes. But now, the shot’s fate is officially sealed in the U.S. (Kansteiner, 5/16)
A joint report from the World Health Organization and the Global AMR R&D Hub urges G7 countries to push harder for innovative financing mechanisms and other incentives to ensure a "robust and sustainable" supply of new antibiotics. (Dall, 5/16)
A New York City woman sued Abbott Laboratories on Monday, accusing the healthcare company of misleading consumers into believing its PediaSure nutrition drinks were "clinically proven" to increase children's height. (Stempel, 5/15)
Scripps Research chemists have solved a long-standing problem in the field of pharmaceutical chemistry with a relatively simple and controllable method for making benzocyclobutenes (BCBs) -- a class of reactive compounds that are highly valued as building blocks for drug molecules, but have been relatively hard to access. (Scripps Research Institute, 5/11)
Researchers described the structure of a special type of amyloid beta plaque protein associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD) progression. Scientists showed the small aggregates of the amyloid beta protein could float through the brain tissue fluid, reaching many brain regions and disrupting local neuron functioning. The research also provided evidence that a newly approved AD treatment could neutralize these small, diffusible aggregates. (Cell Press, 5/10)
ImmunityBio was hit with a complete response letter from the FDA for its bladder cancer prospect, sending the California-based company’s stock into a steep slide Thursday. (Keenan, 5/11)