The FDA approved a drug to treat a rare form of childhood epilepsy; uninsured Americans will no longer have access to free COVID-19 tests; a conservation group is suing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over failure to protect rivers from pollution.
The FDA has approved UCB SA’s drug to treat seizures associated with a rare form of childhood epilepsy, according to a report from Reuters. The drug fenfluramine (Fintepla) is already approved to treat Dravet syndrome, another form of childhood epilepsy, in patients aged 2 years and older but is now indicated for Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) as well, which is known to cause cognitive dysfunction and frequent seizures for about 30,000 to 50,000 Americans. The approval was granted after the agency reviewed safety and efficacy data from a phase 3 clinical trial of 263 patients with LGS. In the United States, patients can access fenfluramine through a restricted drug distribution program.
As reported by ABC News, uninsured Americans will begin to see some of the free testing options for COVID-19 go away, even if they are showing symptoms, because several testing companies will stop providing free tests. Quest Diagnostics, one of the companies suspending its free-testing policy, said that patients who are not covered by Medicare, Medicaid, or private health insurance will be charged $125, including $119 for the test and a $6 physician fee, when using one one of its polymerase-chain reaction tests, either by ordering the test online or visiting an in-person location. Additionally, federal funding to cover the cost of COVID-19 testing and treatment for uninsured patients has run out and any renewal of funds must be approved by Congress, which has been unable to agree on whether to provide the White House’s request for more relief.
The Upper Missouri Waterkeeper, a group devoted to the conservation of natural waterways, has filed a lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for failing to protect rivers in Montana from pollution, according to The Associated Press. The group alleges that the agency failed to intervene when the Montana Legislature rolled back its water pollution regulations and argued that the implementation of new rules proposed by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality will allow more nutrient pollution in streams, rivers, and other waterways across Montana. Nutrient pollution is a product of runoff from farm fertilizer, industrial plants, treated sewage waste, pet waste, among other sources, which can harm wildlife and encourages the growth of toxic algae blooms.
Congress Urged to Repeal Comstock Act Threatening Reproductive Rights and Public Health
May 16th 2024In a joint letter addressed to Congress, Healthcare Across Borders, Take Back the Court Action Fund, and UltraViolet Action called out the resurgence of the Comstock Act, urging immediate action to repeal this century-old law that threatens reproductive rights and public health in the US.
Read More
After the ACA Expanded Health Care Access, 2024 Elections May See Voters Demand Affordability
May 15th 2024At the spring conference of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute, speakers discussed how health policy, affordability, and transparency may play a role in voters’ decisions.
Read More
Frameworks for Advancing Health Equity: Urban Health Outreach
May 9th 2024In the series debut episode of "Frameworks for Advancing Health Equity," Mary Sligh, CRNP, and Chelsea Chappars, of Allegheny Health Network, explain how the Urban Health Outreach program aims to improve health equity for individuals experiencing homelessness.
Listen
House lawmakers are expected to advance a contracting ban today on 5 Chinese research firms; US government officials temporarily relaxed strict guidelines on how laboratories handle, store, and transport H5N1 bird flu samples; a recent report found that the number of abortions occurring in the US continued to grow despite bans.
Read More
Patients With MG Report Higher Azathioprine Discontinuation vs Other Immunosuppressants
May 15th 2024Survey data from over 200 patients showed that treatment discontinuation was lower for those taking mycophenolate or methotrexate than for those taking azathioprine for their myasthenia gravis (MG).
Read More