Coronavirus
FDA says it would clear a coronavirus vaccine so long as it’s safe and at least 50% effective Will Feuer and Berkeley Lovelace Jr., CNBC
The Food and Drug Administration would authorize a coronavirus vaccine so long as it is safe and at least 50% effective, the agency’s commissioner, Dr. Stephen Hahn, said Thursday.
Remdesivir Gets Lukewarm Endorsement From Experts in Covid Fight Jade Wilson, Bloomberg
Gilead Sciences Inc.’s remdesivir is worth prescribing for patients with severe Covid-19 though evidence of its benefits remains inconclusive, according to a panel of international experts convened by the British Medical Journal.
Tobacco-Based Covid Vaccine May Start Clinical Trials in Weeks Corinne Gretler, Bloomberg
An experimental Covid-19 vaccine developed that’s produced in tobacco plants may start clinical trials within weeks as the race for immunization intensifies. British American Tobacco Plc, the maker of Lucky Strike cigarettes, expects a response from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration any day now, Chief Marketing Officer Kingsley Wheaton said in an interview.
Trump urges people who have recovered from covid-19 to donate blood plasma Carolyn Y. Johnson, The Washington Post
President Trump issued a national call to action Thursday, exhorting people who have recovered from covid-19 to donate blood plasma to help others fight the disease and boost the nation’s supply.
Aboard the Diamond Princess, a Case Study in Aerosol Transmission Benedict Carey and James Glanz, The New York Times
In a new report, a research team based at Harvard and the Illinois Institute of Technology has tried to tease out the ways in which the virus passed from person to person in the staterooms, corridors and common areas of the Diamond Princess. It found that the virus spread most readily in microscopic droplets that were light enough to float in the air, for several minutes or much longer.
Families File First Wave of Covid-19 Lawsuits Against Companies Over Worker Deaths Janet Adamy, The Wall Street Journal
In responding to the lawsuits, employers have said they took steps to combat the virus, including screening workers for signs of illness, requiring they wear masks, sanitizing workspaces and limiting the number of customers inside stores. Some point out that it is impossible to know where or how their workers contracted Covid-19, particularly as it spreads more widely across the country.
Drugmakers Race to Build Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Chains Elaine Chen, The Wall Street Journal
Pharmaceutical companies that are racing to develop vaccines for the coronavirus are already working behind the scenes to build the supply chains needed to deliver their drugs to billions of people as rapidly as possible.
Coronavirus testing still can’t keep up with demand Caitlin Owens, Axios
Testing is once again becoming a critical weakness in the America’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, and experts say we may need to revive tighter standards about who can get a test.
U.S. officials see ‘signs of progress’ in Sun Belt coronavirus outbreaks, though deaths remain high Berkeley Lovelace Jr. and Will Feuer, CNBC
The Department of Health and Human Services said Thursday that it is seeing “signs of progress” in Southern states fighting the coronavirus pandemic, though the number of deaths remains high.
AstraZeneca to be exempt from coronavirus vaccine liability claims in most countries Ludwig Burger and Pushkala Aripaka, Reuters
AstraZeneca has been granted protection from future product liability claims related to its COVID-19 vaccine hopeful by most of the countries with which it has struck supply agreements, a senior executive told Reuters.
U.S. government to launch ‘overwhelming’ COVID-19 vaccine campaign by November Carl O’Donnell, Reuters
The Trump administration anticipates launching a far-reaching promotions campaign by November to encourage Americans to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, contingent on evidence that a successful vaccine will be available roughly by year end, a senior administration official said.
How Jared Kushner’s Secret Testing Plan “Went Poof Into Thin Air” Katherine Eban, Vanity Fair
This spring, a team working under the president’s son-in-law produced a plan for an aggressive, coordinated national COVID-19 response that could have brought the pandemic under control. So why did the White House spike it in favor of a shambolic 50-state response?
Payers
Don’t Count on Lower Premiums Despite Pandemic-Driven Boon for Insurers Bernard J. Wolfson, Kaiser Health News
When COVID-19 smacked the United States in March and April, health plans feared medical costs could skyrocket, jacking up premiums drastically in 2021, when millions of the newly unemployed might still be out of work.
Medicare coverage for Alzheimer brain scans in question Marilynn Marchione, The Associated Press
The results announced Thursday are from a $100 million study of more than 25,000 Medicare recipients. It’s been closely watched by private insurers too, as the elderly population grows and more develop this most common form of dementia, which currently has no cure.
Providers
Fewer than 10% of primary care practices have stabilized operations amid COVID-19 pandemic Heather Landi, FierceHealthcare
Nearly 9 in 10 primary care practices continue to face significant difficulties with COVID-19, including obtaining medical supplies, meeting the increasing health needs of their patients, and finding sufficient resources to remain operational, according to a recent survey of close to 600 primary care clinicians in 46 states.
Pharma, Biotech and Devices
The drug industry’s new tactic in Washington: calling Trump’s bluff Nicholas Florko and Lev Facher, Stat News
The most brazen move came this week: Unlike most CEOs, who jump at the chance to visit the White House, pharmaceutical executives — newly empowered by their high-profile efforts to respond to the coronavirus and fed up with President Trump’s repeated threats — responded to his latest invitation with open contempt.
Moderna board member resigns to avoid conflict of interest during coronavirus vaccine trial Noah Higgins-Dunn, CNBC
A member of Moderna’s board of directors resigned to avoid any “potential or even apparent conflict of interest” during the company’s phase three trial for its potential coronavirus vaccine, the company announced Thursday.
Merck quarterly sales fall 7.6% as pandemic cuts doctor visits Manas Mishra, Reuters
Merck & Co Inc (MRK.N) reported a 7.6% fall in second-quarter sales on Friday as a drop in visits to doctors’ offices because of the COVID-19 pandemic hurt sales of several important drugs.
Stryker posts loss as COVID-19 delays procedures Kimberly Chin, MarketWatch
Stryker Corp. swung to a loss in the fiscal second quarter as the company’s sales were dented by the postponement of deferrable medical procedures amid measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
Health IT
Teladoc’s second-quarter revenue climbs 85% with 2.8 million visits Jessica Kim Cohen, Modern Healthcare
Teladoc Health posted $241 million in revenue for this year’s second quarter, up 85% from $130.3 million posted in the same period last year.
Shafer says COVID-19 pandemic has driven ‘burst of innovation’ at Cerner Heather Landi, FierceHealthcare
Cerner generated $134.7 million in profit during the second quarter, up 6% from $127 million in the same period in 2019. The health IT company reported a profit of 44 cents per share. That reflects an improvement from its earnings of 39 cents per share in the second quarter 2019.
Opinions, Editorials and Perspectives
Now Is Price Transparency’s Moment Richard G. Harris, Morning Consult
In recent years Americans have become familiar with the quote, “Never let a good crisis go to waste” — and for the nation’s largest hospital systems, many of which are sitting on billions of dollars of financial reserves, the challenges brought on by the coronavirus are no different. Through active lobbying of Congress and the administration, hospitals have received more than $175 billion in bailouts to date with more requested. But, in an effort to flip the script as hospitals lobby for additional funds, Congress should not let this crisis go to waste: now is the time for the federal government to push its price transparency agenda.
How Our Indian Country Flattened the Curve Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle, The Atlantic
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians has for centuries practiced the Booger Dance to ward off illnesses and other malevolent forces. As night descends, men selected as “boogers,” or evil entities, appear in tattered clothing and absurd masks made from gourds, wood, or hornets’ nests. They mimic outsiders (typically Euro-Americans) and exaggerate lewd behavior as they dance. I was taught growing up that the dance stemmed from the tribe’s experiences with devastating sickness such as smallpox, which Europeans brought to American soil. The ceremony is a reminder that we must always work to keep our home and people safe.
Research Reports
Medicare Beneficiaries Speak up on Coronavirus: A Survey eHealth
This report examines how Medicare beneficiaries are responding to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic after several months of restrictions on everyday life. The findings are based on a nationwide survey of Medicare beneficiaries who purchased Medicare health insurance products through eHealth. The survey was conducted on a voluntary basis between July 20 and 21, 2020, and a total of 2,761 responses were collected. Where appropriate, comparisons are drawn from eHealth’s April, 2020 survey of Medicare beneficiaries.
General
Working In A Male-Dominated Medical Practice Can Cost Female Physicians $90,000—Or More Maggie McGrath, Forbes
Within healthcare, the gender disparities in pay are as well documented as they are particularly bad: according to Medscape’s 2020 compensation study, there is a 25% wage differential between male and female primary care physicians and a 31% gap among specialists. And according to a new study out of Harvard Medical School Thursday morning, there’s a factor that is exacerbating the existing gaps: medical practices with more than 50% male physicians on staff.
Surprise billing fix faces major hurdles in last-minute push Rachel Cohrs, Modern Healthcare
Advocates of protecting consumers from surprise medical bills using a market-based payment benchmark are pushing to include their fix in the next COVID-19 relief package, but they face significant hurdles.
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