Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Perspectives: Breakthrough Therapy Act Is Flawed; Texas Made Right Decision On Fentanyl Testing Strips
The Breakthrough Therapies Act, recently proposed by Senators Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) as a way to expand access for therapeutic purposes to potentially beneficial but highly regulated Schedule I substances like psilocybin and LSD, has the right underlying idea but provides a solution that is wrong. (Arthur L. Caplan and Kenneth I. Moch, 12/2)
For too long, many believed that fentanyl wasn鈥檛 a Texas problem. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no sense of urgency,鈥 paramedic Daniel Sledge complained to the Chronicle last year. As one of the people who saw the drug鈥檚 deadly impacts on the state, he knew better than most the damage the potent, highly addictive drug could do.聽(12/3)
Biogen Inc. and Eisai Co. caused a stir in September when they announced positive results in a late-stage trial for a closely watched Alzheimer鈥檚 drug, lecanemab. Doctors tempered their excitement, though, until they could scrutinize the full peer-reviewed data. (Lisa Jarvis, 12/1)
Biogen Inc. and Eisai Co. caused a stir in September when they announced positive results in a late-stage trial for a closely watched Alzheimer鈥檚 drug, lecanemab. Doctors tempered their excitement, though, until they could scrutinize the full聽peer-reviewed data. (Lisa Jarvis, 11/30)
It usually doesn't take long for new parents to fill a prescription for amoxicillin 鈥 an antibiotic frequently wielded in fighting ear infections and other common childhood illnesses. (12/1)
The first detailed look at data on Amgen Inc.鈥檚 obesity drug offers a promising glimpse into the future of weight-loss treatment. How promising? (Lisa Jarvis, 12/1)