Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Perspectives: FDA Should Examine Accelerated Approval Process; Medicare Must Approve Aduhelm
America鈥檚 science policies are changing. America鈥檚 scientists need to change with them. The recent controversies over the Food and Drug Administration鈥檚 accelerated approval of an Alzheimer鈥檚 treatment are a lesson in the costs of failing to do so. (Jason Karlawish, 6/24)
Medicare officials recently finalized a plan to deny almost every patient with early-stage聽Alzheimer鈥檚 disease access to a new, FDA-approved drug that could slow the progress of their disease. This decision is devastating for California, which is home to more聽Alzheimer鈥檚 patients than any other state. Additionally, the Medicare decision will increase the racial inequities already surrounding聽Alzheimer鈥檚. Worse still, this rationale could be used to deny access to patients with equally debilitating diseases such as Parkinson鈥檚, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, and others. (Scott Suckow, 6/26)
We are paying more for nearly everything today 鈥� from groceries to gas to housing. As inflation reaches its highest rate in 40 years 鈥� rising 7% last year alone 鈥� Americans are asking what Congress can do to help them pay for the essentials they need. (James O'Neal, 6/22)
The continuing spread of SARS-CoV-2 remains a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. What physicians need to know about transmission, diagnosis, and treatment of Covid-19 is the subject of ongoing updates from infectious disease experts at the Journal. (Eric J Rubin, M.D., Ph.D., et al, 6/23)