General
As Coronavirus Fears Intensify, Effectiveness of Quarantines Is Questioned Chris Buckley et al., The New York Times
Amid news the coronavirus is spreading at an accelerating rate, concern is growing that China’s lockdown of cities may not only have come too late but could even make the situation worse.
Relatives Wonder Why Pneumonia Deaths Not in Coronavirus Tally Wenxin Fan, The Wall Street Journal
A 53-year-old fitness trainer died on Wednesday after checking into a hospital in Wuhan a little more than a week earlier, said his niece. His family had expected the death certificate to reflect the deadly coronavirus, because as his condition deteriorated, his doctors told his family he was suffering from an untreatable virus in his lungs.
World Health Organization chief to meet Chinese officials in Beijing as coronavirus deaths rise Emma Newburger, CNBC
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the World Health Organization’s director general, is traveling to Beijing, China, to meet with government and health officials on the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak.
Trump administration wants to lower seniors’ insulin costs Caitlin Owens and Jonathan Swan, Axios
The Trump administration is working on a proposal to lower seniors’ out-of-pocket costs for insulin, which have nearly doubled over the last decade.
Trump should apologize for minimizing troops’ injuries, VFW says Anne Gearan, The Washington Post
The veterans group decries the president’s “misguided” description of brain injuries as less severe than the loss of limbs.
‘They Did Not Realize We Are Human Beings’ Dan Diamond, Politico
In Iowa, a community of Marshall Islanders has found a place to settle, decades after the U.S. dropped nuclear bombs on their Pacific home. Now can Washington deliver on the promises it made?
China extends holiday to contain virus as death toll rises Joe McDonald, The Associated Press
China on Monday expanded sweeping efforts to contain a viral disease by extending the Lunar New Year holiday to keep the public at home and avoid spreading infection as the death toll rose to 81.
Trump’s dispute with Azar gives new life to drug pricing plan Sarah Karlin-Smith and Adam Cancryn, Politico
President Donald Trump has one big option to make good on his promise to slash drug prices: Tie the cost of U.S. drugs to the lower prices paid overseas
CTE doctor Bennet Omalu has profited selling distorted science Will Hobson, The Washington Post
Bennet Omalu became famous after telling the world he’d discovered CTE. His fellow brain doctors knew better.
The Pharmacist Is Out: Supermarkets Close Pharmacy Counters Sharon Terlep and Jaewon Kang, The Wall Street Journal
Regional grocery chains get squeezed by consolidation, shrinking profits in prescription drugs.
Pete Stark, former congressman who helped draft the ACA, dies Axios
Former Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) has died, his family confirmed in a statement Saturday. He was 88.
Virus Worries Batter Stocks and Oil as Bonds Surge: Markets Wrap Todd White, Bloomberg
Intensifying concern over the human and economic impact of the deadly coronavirus sent stocks, oil and China’s yuan tumbling Monday while spurring Treasuries and other havens. Italian bonds jumped after regional elections.
Payers
When Insurance Won’t Cover Drugs, Americans Make ‘Tough Choices’ About Their Health Patti Neighmond, NPR News
The majority of Americans have health insurance that includes coverage for prescription drugs. But unfortunately that doesn’t ensure that they can afford the specific drugs their doctors prescribe for them.
Providers
Call For FDA To Withdraw Preterm Birth Drug Divides Doctors and Insurers Emmarie Huetteman, Kaiser Health News
Doctors fear that the only drug approved to prevent preterm birth, the nation’s leading cause of infant mortality and disability, will no longer be available to expectant mothers.
Pharma, Biotech and Devices
J&J CEO to testify at trial for first time on Baby Powder risks Michael Erman and Lisa Girion, Reuters
Johnson & Johnson Chief Executive Officer Alex Gorsky was set to be called as a witness on Monday in what would be his first appearance in a jury trial over allegations that the company’s Baby Powder causes cancer.
‘The time to worry is now’: The coronavirus in China could threaten pharma’s ingredient sourcing Ed Silverman, Stat News
As a novel coronavirus spreads through China and rattles the rest of the world, the pharmaceutical industry is on guard over the adequacy of its global supply chain.
China Testing HIV Drug as Treatment for New Coronavirus, AbbVie Says Michael Erman, Reuters
China is testing an HIV drug as a treatment for symptoms of the new coronavirus that is rapidly spreading, said drugmaker AbbVie Inc on Sunday.
AmerisourceBergen CEO earned $14.7 million in company stock gains in 2019 Bob Herman, Axios
Steven Collis, CEO of drug distributor AmerisourceBergen, made $14.7 million in his company’s 2019 fiscal year based on the actual realized gains on his stock, according to new company disclosures.
J&J scientific officer ‘pretty confident’ they can create coronavirus vaccine as outbreak widens Jessica Bursztynsky, CNBC
Johnson & Johnson’s Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Paul Stoffels told CNBC on Monday that he believes the drugmaker can create a vaccine in the coming months to fight against the fast-spreading coronavirus.
Containing new coronavirus may not be feasible, experts say, as they warn of possible sustained global spread Helen Branswell, Stat News
Some infectious disease experts are warning that it may no longer be feasible to contain the new coronavirus circulating in China. Failure to stop it there could see the virus spread in a sustained way around the world and even perhaps join the ranks of respiratory viruses that regularly infect people.
Coronavirus fears spark run on surgical face masks in U.S. Jennifer A. Kingson, Axios
Despite reassurances from public health officials that Americans don’t currently need to wear face masks as a precaution against coronavirus, many drug stores are selling out.
Health IT
These 10 startups acquired by Alphabet reveal a health care play centered on surveillance Erin Brodwin, Stat News
At a gathering of the world’s business and political titans last week, Google CEO Sundar Pichai became the latest tech leader to sharpen his focus on health care.
Apple and Microsoft representatives are set to join a meeting on Monday promoting patient access to health data Christina Farr, CNBC
Apple and Microsoft will each be sending a representative to a meeting on Monday hosted by a group that’s supporting efforts by the Department of Health and Human Services to make it easier for patients to access and share their medical information.
Opinions, Editorials and Perspectives
U.S. Hospitals Aren’t Ready for the Coronavirus Betsy McCaughey, The Wall Street Journal
No one knows whether the coronavirus will substantially threaten the U.S., where it has already been detected, but one thing is certain: American hospitals aren’t ready for the deadly virus or a future global contagion. Travelers from China’s Wuhan region are being diverted to five U.S. airports, where they can be screened.
Research Reports
Survival of African American and non‐Hispanic white men with prostate cancer in an equal‐access health care system Paul Riviere et al., American Cancer Society
African American (AA) men in the general US population are more than twice as likely to die of prostate cancer (PC) compared with non‐Hispanic white (NHW) men. The authors hypothesized that receiving care through the Veterans Affairs (VA) health system, an equal‐access medical system, would attenuate this disparity.
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