Top Stories

  • Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, said in an interview that he is “guardedly optimistic” that a coronavirus vaccine will be authorized by the end of the year, but that the United States will likely see an increase in COVID-19 deaths because the country failed to adhere to “really effective public health measures” that could have helped mitigate the current uptick in infections. Collins also said members of the White House’s coronavirus task force no longer have a “direct connection” to President Donald Trump, who primarily gets his information from Vice President Mike Pence and adviser Dr. Scott Atlas. (NPR News)
  • The White House is weighing millions of dollars worth of cuts in federal funding for coronavirus relief and health programs targeting HIV treatment, the opioid crisis, newborn screenings and other health issues in New York, Washington, D.C., Portland, Ore., and Seattle, according to documents obtained by a news outlet. Trump has called these Democratic-led cities “lawless” and accused them of not doing enough to stop riots stemming from protests over racism and police violence over the summer, and a spokesperson for New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio warned the funding threats were “nothing more than political retribution.” (Politico)
  • The United States saw about 299,000 more deaths than would be expected in a typical year between Feb. 1 and Oct. 3, with about 198,000 deaths attributable to COVID-19, according to new estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that indicate the pandemic’s death toll, including deaths not directly from COVID-19, is higher than official figures suggest. Racial disparities were persistent and people between 25 and 44 years old were hit particularly hard, with a so-called excess death rate up 26.5 percent over previous years, more than any other age group, the report found. (The Washington Post)
  • Roche Holding AG’s Actemra, an immunosuppressive drug known as tocilizumab, may help critically ill coronavirus patients, according to an observational study published in JAMA Internal Medicine that found 28 percent of patients who were given Actemra within 48 hours of admission to intensive care died within a month, compared with 37 percent of patients who didn’t receive the drug. More rigorous studies have found mixed results on Actemra’s benefits for COVID-19 patients, however, and researchers said more studies are needed. (Bloomberg)

Chart Review

Events Calendar (All Times Local)

10/21/2020
UsAgainstAlzheimer’s Summit
Health Affairs: A Conversation on Children’s Health 2:00 pm
America’s Health Insurance Plans: CIO Insights for 2021 and Beyond 2:00 pm
Milken Institute Global Conference: A Conversation with FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn 2:45 pm
Boston University Webinar: How Women Can Lead the Fight for Universal Healthcare 4:30 pm
10/22/2020
FDA Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee 10:00 am
FDA Patient Engagement Advisory Committee Meeting 10:00 am
The Wall Street Journal’s Tech Live: COVID-19 and the State of Testing 10:30 am
The Aspen Institute: The COVID-19 Vaccine Process Featuring FDA CommissionerDr. Stephen Hahn and Former Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg 3:00 pm
10/23/2020
University of Pennsylvania Discussion: The Financial Impact of COVID-19 on Health Care Providers 12:00 pm
10/24/2020
American Public Health Association 2020 Annual Meeting and Expo
10/25/2020
American Public Health Association 2020 Annual Meeting and Expo
10/26/2020
American Public Health Association 2020 Annual Meeting and Expo
Health Innovation Alliance: The Impact of Telehealth on Disparities, Inequities and Addiction Treatment 1:00 pm
View full calendar

New Report – Great Expectations: The Evolving Role of Companies in a Post-Election World

The 2020 election, already being termed “the most important presidential election in American history,” has significant potential to reshape how corporate America and brands interact with politics.

A new report from Morning Consult takes a deep-dive into Americans’ changing expectations around brands’ engagement with politics, and the issues consumers care most about as they relate to corporate social responsibility and political activism. Download the report.

Coronavirus

How the F.D.A. Stood Up to the President
Sheila Kaplan et al., The New York Times

After months of caving to pressures from the White House, Commissioner Stephen Hahn and a band of agency scientists have eked out a few victories.

U.S. trial of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine may resume this week – sources
Julie Steenhuysen and Marisa Taylor, Reuters

AstraZeneca Plc’s COVID-19 vaccine trial in the United States is expected to resume as early as this week after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration completed its review of a serious illness in a study participant, four sources told Reuters.

States prepare for their own vaccine safety reviews amid worries about Trump’s influence on the FDA
Zachary Brennan, Politico

Several states are setting up their own coronavirus vaccine reviews to counter public safety concerns as the Trump administration pushes the Food and Drug Administration to approve a shot on an aggressive timeline that they fear could be too rushed.

Antibody Treatments, Though Promising, Will Be in Short Supply
Katie Thomas, The New York Times

Even if the drugs are proven to work — still a big if — there’s little chance that they will soon be widely available.

Lilly Plant Making Covid Drug Is Flagged Again by FDA Inspectors
Anna Edney, Bloomberg

U.S. drug-safety inspectors have found continuing quality-control problems problems at a New Jersey plant Eli Lilly & Co. is using to help produce its Covid-19 antibody therapy, posing a potential obstacle to the company meeting its goal of producing 1 million doses by year-end.

Pfizer Sets Up Its ‘Biggest Ever’ Vaccination Distribution Campaign
Costas Paris and Jared S. Hopkins, The Wall Street Journal

Like other drugmakers testing potential vaccines, Pfizer is urgently laying the groundwork with its logistics partners so it can move quickly if its vaccine gets the go-ahead from the Food and Drug Administration and other regulators around the world.

Public health experts push vaccine makers, HHS to release Covid-19 trial protocols
Ed Silverman, Stat News

Amid concerns over a lack of transparency Covid-19 product development, more than two dozen academics and health policy experts are urging federal officials and several vaccine makers to fully disclose all information concerning their clinical trial protocols and agreements.

Disjointed Covid-19 Apps Across U.S. Raise Questions About Tech’s Role
David Uberti, The Wall Street Journal

Months after a burst of optimism about the potential for technology to help track the spread of Covid-19, a hodgepodge of mobile phone apps around the U.S. has yielded unclear results amid inconsistent policies and usage.

White House flags 31 ‘red zone’ states for new cases per capita
Meryl Kornfield, The Washington Post

Most of the country is battling a concerning number of new coronavirus infections per capita, according to a weekly White House coronavirus task force report shared with state health officials on Sunday.

Payers

Republicans Say Obamacare Is Thriving Under Trump Administration
Alex Ruoff, Bloomberg Law

Republicans are trying to sell the Trump administration as the best steward of Obamacare, despite the increasing number of uninsured people and the push to upend the health law.

N.Y. Accuses Christian Group of Misleading Consumers on Health Coverage
Reed Abelson, The New York Times

New York State accused a major Christian group on Tuesday of deceiving customers by illegally offering health insurance to as many as 40,000 residents since 2016.

Nebraska Gets OK to Set Work, Wellness Rules for Health Benefits
Christopher Brown, Bloomberg Law

Nebraska won federal approval of its plan to require some Medicaid enrollees to complete work and wellness requirements to get dental insurance and other health benefits.

Lawmakers press HHS for documents on Trump’s drug-card plan
Dan Diamond, Politico

Senior Democratic lawmakers are demanding that the health department turn over internal documents on President Donald Trump’s plan to give seniors $200 discount cards to buy prescription drugs, following a POLITICO report that the department’s top lawyer warned the plan could violate election law.

Providers

Providers’ rocky road to recovery could last into 2022
Shannon Muchmore, Healthcare Dive

As health systems are set to start reporting their third quarter earnings results this week, new research highlights hospitals’ ongoing fears about financial viability, patient volumes and supply stocks.

The overwhelming aftershocks of the pandemic
Caitlin Owens, Axios

The pre-pandemic health care system was already full of holes, many of which have been exposed and exacerbated over the past several months, and many Americans will be stuck with that system as they grapple with the long-term consequences of the pandemic.

Pharma, Biotech and Devices

Justice Department Presses to Curtail Purdue Pharma Bankruptcy Probe
Peg Brickley and Sara Randazzo, The Wall Street Journal

The Justice Department is urging a bankruptcy judge to limit a creditor probe of OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP into the billions of dollars in profits collected by the Sackler family members who own the company.

Novartis to pursue SMA drug branaplam in Huntington’s disease
John Miller, Reuters

Novartis is seeking to repurpose its investigational oral spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) drug branaplam to treat Huntington’s disease, the Swiss drugmaker said on Wednesday, as it plans a clinical trial after winning U.S. orphan drug designation.

Health Technology

Lyra mental health service teams up with Calm meditation app
Christina Farr, CNBC

Lyra Health, a richly funded start-up selling employee mental health services to businesses, is adding meditation, mindfulness and sleep support to its program through a new partnership with app-maker Calm.

What do patients think about AI in the clinic? The FDA wants to find out
Casey Ross, Stat News

Autonomous AI systems are rapidly making their way into the health care system, presenting regulators with thorny questions about how to protect data, prevent bias, and make sure constantly evolving machines can operate safely in clinical practice.

Bridging the Miles — And the Pandemic — Teledentistry Makes Some Dentists Wince
Eric Berger, Kaiser Health News

Teledentistry allows dental professionals like Planerova to remotely review records and diagnose patients over video.

Opinions, Editorials and Perspectives

Children and families need resources to address trauma at its roots
Ayanna Pressley and Carolyn B. Maloney, Stat News

As we move through this moment of collective trauma, we must adopt focused, evidence-based approaches to make our country whole again and ensure that these approaches prioritize a precious responsibility — our children’s future.

Research Reports

Risk for In-Hospital Complications Associated with COVID-19 and Influenza — Veterans Health Administration, United States, October 1, 2018–May 31, 2020
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Compared with influenza, COVID-19 is associated with increased risk for most respiratory and nonrespiratory complications, the study found.

General

As election nears, Trump leans on health care agencies to aid his campaign
Lev Facher, Stat News

Amid mounting desperation about his reelection odds, President Trump has increasingly come to rely on an unorthodox campaign tool: the Department of Health and Human Services.

Senators urge Pentagon to suspend implementation of Army’s new fitness test
Missy Ryan, The Washington Post

Democratic senators appealed Tuesday for support of a legislative proposal that would suspend implementation of the Army’s new fitness test, arguing that the high-profile initiative to improve physical readiness is based on faulty data and could undermine the goal of creating a diverse force.

Cancer research another long-term casualty of the coronavirus pandemic, scientists say
Linda Givetash, NBC News

The pandemic has caused unprecedented disruptions in medical research for potentially lifesaving cancer treatments.

Morning Consult