Drug makers sign on to help produce Merck’s COVID-19 pill for developing countries; research shows promise for organ transplants from genetically modified pigs; blood sample collection tubes added to FDA list of shortages.
The Medicines Patent Pool has signed agreements with 27 generic drug manufacturers to produce versions of Merck’s COVID-19 pill, according to a report from ABC News. These deals would enable the drug companies to make the raw ingredients needed for molnupiravir and the finished product itself, and they would help 105 developing countries. Molnupiravir, from Merck and Ridgeback Bioherapeutics, reportedly cuts hospitalization rates in half among patients with early signs of COVID-19. It is approved for use in the United Kingdom and the European Union, and received an emergency use authorization from the FDA in December.
Reported by The Associated Press, researchers in Alabama successfully transplanted genetically modified pig kidneys into a brain-dead man, potentially opening the door for the testing of similar transplants in living patients. The latest in a string of experimental surgeries provides hope at overcoming the organ shortage experts consider an “unmitigated crisis” with no real solution. Similar experiments have involved temporarily attaching a pig’s kidney to blood vessels outside the body of a deceased recipient and giving a dying man a heart from a pig, which continues to keep him alive.
The FDA has expanded their medical device shortage list to include all blood specimen collection tubes, according to Reuters, marking yet another challenge caused by increased demand and vendor issues from the COVID-19 pandemic. At present, according to the FDA, laboratory professionals should only perform blood draws when medically necessary, adding that health care personnel should consider sharing samples between lab departments if specimens are already available. Previously, only sodium citrate tubes, which were used to help and treat bleeding disorders in patients with COVID-19, were added to the shortage list.
Exploring Medicare Advantage Prior Authorization Variations
March 26th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the March 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on variations in prior authorization use across Medicare Advantage plans.
Listen
Navigating Health Literacy, Social Determinants, and Discrimination in National Health Plans
February 13th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the February 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on how health plans can screen for health literacy, social determinants of health, and perceived health care discrimination.
Listen
Homelessness Compounds Hospital Stay Challenges: Study Reveals Prolonged Discharge Struggles
March 28th 2024In this investigation, outcomes of interest were morbidity rate and length of hospital stay or a traumatic injury among a homeless population, and whether age and/or injury severity had an influence on that relationship—with implications for improving the discharge process for these patients.
Read More
FDA Approves Vadadustat for Anemia in Patients With CKD Undergoing Dialysis
March 28th 2024The FDA approved vadadustat (Vafseo), an oral medication, to treat anemia in adult patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on dialysis for at least 3 months. This fills a need for a new treatment option as anemia is common in these patients and can significantly impact their quality of life.
Read More