AJMC Staff

New data show a decrease in COVID-19 deaths in the United States; long-term exposure to low levels of air pollution increases mortality risk; Moderna pressured to ramp up vaccine production.

Pfizer and BioNTech ask FDA to authorize their COVID-19 vaccine in children; the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended widespread use of the world’s first malaria vaccine; a US judge blocks Texas’ strict abortion law.

Anxiety and depression rates increased 13% and 14.8%, respectively, in 2020, before declining in 2021; Anthem Blue Cross and UnitedHealthcare are among major insurers behind on payments; a federal investigation discovered racial and gender-based pay discrimination among sales representatives at AstraZeneca.

Francis Collins, MD, PhD, will step down as director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) at the end of the year; the Biden administration ends a ban on federal funds for clinics that provide abortion referrals; the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine is 90% effective in preventing hospitalization and death 6 months after the second dose.

Analysis finds significant spike in deaths among nursing home residents due to the Delta variant; hospitalization charges for patients with COVID-19 vary widely; spotlighting the threat of heat waves and extreme weather conditions for pregnant women.

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Consumer protections against surprise medical billing will go into effect January 1; Merck’s experimental oral COVID-19 antiviral drug shows efficacy against variants; an online questionnaire finds a 40% decrease in teen vaping from 2020 to 2021.

The CDC strongly recommends pregnant people get vaccinated against COVID-19; Eli Lilly pledges to reduce the price of its insulin lispro injection; House Democrats are divided over Biden’s health care spending bill.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issues a warning on fentanyl-laced counterfeit prescription drugs; a new FBI report shows a year-to-year increase in murders nationwide from 2019 to 2020; Pfizer will soon begin testing a novel combination therapy as a preventive measure against COVID-19 infection.

Study results released earlier this month showcased results in children and adults with uncontrolled asthma. The findings were presented at the European Respiratory Society (ERS) 2021 International Congress.

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The CDC says yes to COVID-19 booster shots; a new survey shows vaccine hesitancy and skepticism are falling; the US Preventive Services Task Force updates screening suggestions for 2 sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

The FDA signs off on booster shots of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for older and at-risk adults; the House of Representatives voted to advance an abortion rights bill; a Gallup poll finds that 18 million US adults cannot afford at least 1 prescription for their household.

Ruxolitinib cream, to be sold under the name Opzelura, is the first topical Janus kinase inhibitor cream for the treatment of atopic dermatitis.

Chronic graft-vs-host disease (GVHD) is a condition that can occur after an allogeneic stem cell transplant in which the donated cells initiate an immune response and attack the transplant recipient’s organs.

President Joe Biden reportedly will increase global COVID-19 vaccine donations; the pandemic may have led to an increase in home births; use of Biogen’s Adulhelm, an Alzheimer disease drug, does not hit initial projections.

The Supreme Court announces it will hear arguments for Mississippi’s case to overturn the landmark Roe v Wade decision on December 1; the Biden administration aims to address extreme heat conditions in the workplace; rehab timing may affect stroke recovery.

Pfizer says a newly formulated dose of its vaccine is safe and effective in children; CDC data underscore the efficacy of the 3 COVID-19 vaccines; Biden aims to reform health care with trillion-dollar package.

Although some cancers are falling for rural US residents, liver cancer is on the rise, a new study has found.

The Department of Justice moves to stop Purdue Pharma's bankruptcy deal; Mississippi records the nation's highest COVID-19 death rate; the pandemic coincided with a rise in mass shootings.

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One in every 500 Americans has now died of COVID-19; nearly 3 million individuals signed up for health coverage under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) during the recent special enrollment period; Democrats on a House committee vote against Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s drug pricing reform bill.

Looking forward to the 10th anniversary of the Patient-Centered Oncology Care® (PCOC) conference, taking place in a hybrid format September 23-24, 2021, Joseph Alvarnas, MD, of City of Hope, editor-in-chief of Evidence-Based Oncology™, and co-chair of the meeting, discusses the takeaways that attendees can expect to hear about in the areas of patient care, payment and quality, and multidisciplinary collaboration among specialists.

COVID-19 hospitalizations among the unvaccinated cost billions between June and August; the Department of Justice called for a temporary block on the Texas abortion law; legislators limited the power of public health officials in at least 26 states, a report shows.

The general public may not yet need COVID-19 booster doses, according to a new review; a significant incidence of anxiety tied to climate change and government inaction is being reported in young people; COVID-19 infections in US children have increased by approximately 240% since early July.

President Joe Biden plans to announce new steps aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19; spotlighting the rise of unsubstantiated diagnoses and subsequent drugging in nursing homes; CDC report finds unvaccinated people are 11 times more likely to die from COVID-19.

This pivotal phase 3 trial led to the recent approval of lonapegsomatropin for growth hormone deficiency.

Crigler-Najjar Syndrome Type 1 is an ultra-rare disease where treatment relies on a liver transplant or full-day phototherapy sessions.

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