AJMC Staff

A new investigation blames the COVID-19 pandemic on a leak from a laboratory in China; Colorado proposes co-pay limits for EpiPens; the first at-home flu and COVID-19 test maker, Lucira Health, declares bankruptcy.

Court decision could ban abortion pill, mifepristone, nationwide; Illinois gears up to fight mental health crisis among children; CMS rejects expanded coverage for Alzheimer drug, Leqembi.

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The latest research to look at the links between Parkinson disease and air pollution said the Rocky Mountain region and the Mississippi-Ohio River Valley appeared to be the most affected.

Wall Street investors pour money into developing new psychedelic treatments for mental illnesses; extreme temperature fluctuations around the country can pose health risks; Moderna and Merck's combination skin cancer treatment receives breakthrough designation from the FDA.

The civil money complaints, which carry a maximum penalty of $19,192 for a single violation, are intended to hold tobacco companies accountable for selling e-liquids—or vape juice—without FDA approval.

Merck’s COVID-19 pill has been shown to not be successful against household infection risk; the government plans to allow states to use Medicaid funds for prison drug treatment and other services; Ozempic, used to treat type 2 diabetes, is in short supply because it’s being sought for weight loss.

A fifth person has been cured of HIV following a stem cell transplant for cancer; a new study examining a treatment of spinal cord stimulation after stroke had favorable results; some food companies enraged by proposed FDA healthy food guidelines.

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Senators concerned over health care worker shortages; Medicaid beneficiaries left unaware of renewal deadline; Ohio to open health clinic after toxic train derailment.

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The Biden administration sends medical experts to the site of the derailed train carrying hazardous materials in Ohio; senators push for pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reforms; Kentucky Supreme Court proceeds with near-total abortion ban.

Social Security and Medicare spending could double by 2023; FDA panel experts want naloxone to be available over the counter after the drug information is revised; Moderna announced its COVID-19 vaccines will stay free, and the Biden administration might keep tests and treatments free for the uninsured.

Some communities will use COVID relief money to pay medical debt; residents living near train car derailment site in Ohio are worried about toxic chemical health effects; following medical guidelines point by point would create impossibly long workdays for providers, studies are pointing out.

Women of color have a longer journey to diagnosis for endometriosis and uterine fibroids, have fewer resources to access care, and receive different treatments than White women, said Linda D. Bradley, MD, of Cleveland Clinic.

By following FDA treatment guidelines, care for patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) is not typically affected by step therapy, quantity limits, or prior authorization, explained Jerry Bagel, MD, director of the Eczema Treatment Center of New Jersey.

HHS wants to require nursing homes to disclose more ownership and management information; privacy advocates warn that mental health data can legally be sold from certain platforms not covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act; the FDA won’t review Soligenix’s cancer drug proposal because of an insufficient application.

This agreement enables the integration of data from Dexcom’s continuous glucose monitor (CGM) directly into DarioHealth's metabolic digital health tool, adding another layer of support.

Congress has no solution for out-of-network ambulance rides; teenagers going to an emergency department in a mental health crisis don't receive necessary follow-up care; Medicaid explores nutritional benefits of food as medicine spending in some states.

CDC recommends adults and children get routine COVID-19 shots; single dose of antibiotic during labor reduces risk of mothers developing sepsis; suicide rates increase after 2-year decline.

China’s angry reaction after spy balloon retrieval rouses drug supply chain anxiety; after allegedly overcharging California’s Medi-Cal program, managed care company Centene will pay millions in a settlement; major drug companies are chasing new pharma deals amidst dropping patent exclusivity.

Biden’s State of the Union (SOTU) address emphasized drug access for those on Medicare, the Cancer Moonshot, and more; HIV diagnoses are increasing in Washington, DC, from missed wellness visits and preventive visits upended during the start of COVID-19; California online women’s pharmacy The Pill Club will pay $18.3 million in Medicaid fraud settlement with California.

CVS Health Corp. is nearing a $10.5 billion deal to take on Oak Street Health Inc.; an innovative cystic fibrosis drug that can lengthen life expectancy for patients is blocked by high costs and unavailability in low-income countries; New York City will end the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for city workers.

Being able to treat patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and a KRAS mutation with sotorasib has been exciting, and now there’s another drug available with the approval of adagrasib at the end of 2022, explained Lucio Gordan, MD, of Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute.

A pediatric shot for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) may not be covered as a free routine vaccine; hospitals fail to comply with payment transparency rules; the fate of abortion pills is in the hands of conservative judges

CDC warns against EzriCare Artificial Tears, which were recalled by the manufacturer; certain weight loss drugs not covered by most payers; Mississippi's Republican governor denies being privately in support of Medicaid expansion.

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Merck & Co. and Eli Lilly & Co. report sales loss for COVID-19 treatments; Republican state attorneys general tell CVS and Walgreens that mailing mifepristone might break the law; exposure to air pollution over time is associated with a rise in incidence of depression and anxiety.