What We’re Reading: COVID-19 Rise in Europe; FDA Meeting on Pregnancy Drug; Insulin Costs Lead to Rations

US COVID-19 Cases Anticipated to Rise in 3-4 Weeks

COVID-19 cases in Europe have been rising since early September, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, leading to warnings that the United States could experience another COVID-19 surge this winter. The Hill reported the 7-day average is approximately 230,000 cases per day in Europe as of last week, but confirmed deaths have remained low at an average of 280 per day. Some experts anticipate a rise in US cases, hospitalizations, and deaths beginning in 3 to 4 weeks; although it will likely not reach levels seen last winter, this depends on whether new variants begin to mutate and spread.

FDA Pushes to Remove Premature Birth Drug from Market

In a meeting held more than 2 years after the FDA deemed the drug ineffective and called for its removal, drugmaker Covis Pharma is pushing to keep hydroxyprogesterone caproate (Makena) on the market, the Associated Press reported. The injectable drug is intended to prevent premature births and received accelerated approval in 2011 under the condition that the drug’s original developer, Hologic, would conduct a follow-up study confirming it resulted in lower rates of disability and mortality among newborns. A 2019 study showed the drug neither reduced premature births nor resulted in healthier outcomes for newborns, and it increased the risk of blood clots, depression, and other adverse effects among mothers who received the injection. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has expressed support of the drug due to it being the only available treatment to prevent premature births. A panel of outside experts is expected to vote Wednesday, and FDA leaders will make a final decision on whether to order a withdrawal of hydroxyprogesterone caproate.

More Than a Million US Adults With Diabetes Ration Insulin

As reported by USA Today, a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found more than 1.3 million American adults with diabetes delayed purchasing or skipped or rationed insulin doses due to its high costs. According to the study, an estimate 16.5% of adults who require insulin did not take full doses as prescribed in 2021 in order to save money. Further, insulin rationing was found to vary based on age, income, and race. Adults with diabetes who were younger, middle-income, and Black were more likely to ration doses compared with their older, low-income, and White and Hispanic counterparts. The authors suggested some differences may be due to differing eligibility for Medicaid and other insurance factors.