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What We’re Reading: Listeria Outbreak; COVID-19 Death Decline; Eli Lilly Pays in Drug Patent Trial
A listeria outbreak has been linked to deli meats and cheeses; the World Health Organization announced that there has been a 90% drop in recent deaths in COVID-19 globally compared with 9 months ago; Eli Lilly was ordered to pay $176.5 million in a US migraine drug patent trial.
CDC Warns of Listeria Outbreak
An outbreak of listeria has been linked to meats and cheese sold at the deli counter, according to the CDC. The CDC reported that deli meat in multiple states had been linked to the outbreak. Listeria can be easily spread in food on deli counters, deli slicers, surfaces, and hands and can survive and grow in cold temperatures. The CDC said that a single food could not be identified as the source of the outbreak due to how easily listeria can spread. People at the highest risk of severe listeria are people aged 65 years and older, pregnant people, and those with a weakened immune system.
WHO Reports 90% Drop in COVID-19 Deaths
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that there was a 90% decrease in COVID-19 deaths from February globally, according to The Associated Press. In the previous week, a total of 9400 deaths due to COVID-19 were reported compared with the 75,000 weekly deaths in February. Testing and sequencing rates remain low globally and vaccination gaps between rich and poor countries are wide, which continues to be the reason for global COVID-19 deaths. The United Nations health agency also announced that newly registered COVID-19 cases came in at more than 2.1 million for the week, which is down 15% from the previous week.
Eli Lilly Pays in Drug Patent Trial
Eli Lilly & Co will have to pay $176.5 million to Teva Pharmaceuticals International GmbH after a trial determined that its migraine drug galcanezumab infringed on 3 Teva patients, according to Reuters. The jury found that Lilly’s migraine drug violated its rights in the patents and that Lilly infringed the patents willfully. Both drugs in question treat migraines by using antibodies to inhibit headache-causing peptides. A spokesperson for Lilly said that the decision will not affect the ability to offer galcanezumab to patients. The spokesperson for Lilly also said that the company is confident that they will “ultimately prevail” in the case.
AA Unlikely to Cause Anxiety, Depression but May Be Affected by Mental Illness
May 7th 2024A Mendelian randomization study using genetic analysis found that alopecia areata (AA) increases the risk of anxiety and depression, but not the other way around, providing unique evidence for a causal link while adding to existing evidence.
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Examining Low-Value Cancer Care Trends Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
April 25th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the April 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on the rates of low-value cancer care services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
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AUA Session Highlights the General Urologist’s Role in Gender-Affirming Care
May 7th 2024During her session, Polina Reyblat, MD, Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, highlighted best practices urologists should incorporate to make transgender and gender-diverse patients comfortable during physical exams and avoid retraumatization.
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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.
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Access Denied: CMS’ Action Hurts Patients With Cancer in Rural America
May 6th 2024CMS rules hindered the access of rural patients with cancer to medically integrated pharmacies in 2023. The authors discuss the impact on equity in health care, emphasizing the need for regulatory change.
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What Mass General Brigham Is Doing to Combat Prostate Cancer Disparities Among Men of Color
May 5th 2024Quoc-Dien Trinh, MD, MBA, chief of urology at Brigham & Women's Faulkner Hospital, highlighted successful efforts to improve prostate cancer care access for underserved communities in Massachusetts.
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