An independent FDA advisory panel endorses Moderna boosters for select groups; circuit court lets Texas abortion law stand, paving the way for appeals; Robert Califf, MD, is reportedly being eyed to head the FDA again.
An FDA advisory panel unanimously endorsed Moderna’s COVID-19 booster shot for the same groups for whom the Pfizer booster is currently authorized, STAT News reports. Specifically, the panel voted in favor of administering the shot to those 65 and older, those aged 18 to 64 with risk factors for more severe COVID-19, and those whose professions put them at high risk of contracting COVID-19. The experts recommended boosters be administered to these groups at least 6 months following their second dose, and they conceded it is too early to determine when the shots will become available to the general public. Experts will deliberate on booster data from Johnson & Johnson today.
In a 2-1 ruling, the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals allowed Texas’ restrictive and controversial abortion law to remain in place, following a series of prior challenges, The Hill reports. The latest ruling will allow the law to stand as it works its way through the courts. Texas’ ban constitutes the strictest in the nation as it prohibits any abortion after the detection of fetal cardiac activity, usually around 6 weeks and before many women know they are pregnant. The decision is expected to be appealed to the Supreme Court, and the current decision marks the third time in October the appeals court has sided with Texas to keep the law in place.
The Biden administration is considering FDA veteran Robert Califf, MD, to lead the agency, POLITICO reports. Califf previously served as commissioner during the Obama administration. The agency, which has played a critical role in the nation’s COVID-19 response, has been without a permanent leader since January, as acting commissioner Janet Woodcock, MD, has been filling in. Califf currently works for the Duke Clinical Research Institute and in 2019 began leading health policy at Alphabet, Google’s parent company. During his 2016 confirmation process, concerns were brought up regarding Califf’s close industry ties.
The Supreme Court seems likely to reject a challenge to the abortion pill mifepristone; the FDA is inspecting far fewer pharmaceutical companies conducting clinical research; AstraZeneca has sued to block an Arkansas law that it said would unlawfully expand the 340B program to include for profit-pharmacy chains.
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Oncology Onward: A Conversation With Thyme Care CEO and Cofounder Robin Shah
October 2nd 2023Robin Shah, CEO of Thyme Care, which he founded in 2020 with Bobby Green, MD, president and chief medical officer, joins hosts Emeline Aviki, MD, MBA, and Stephen Schleicher, MD, MBA, to discuss his evolution as an entrepreneur in oncology care innovation and his goal of positively changing how patients experience the cancer system.
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A global AIDS program that was in limbo for months got temporary relief after congressional negotiators agreed to a 1-year renewal in the next government funding package; the outcome of the November presidential election could determine the state of fetal tissue research in the US; federal officials and industry executives failed to make improvements that stop hacking attacks.
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Covered Preventive Services at Risk: V-BID Summit Breaks Down the Braidwood v Becerra Case
March 20th 2024For more than a decade, certain high-value preventive care services have been covered at no cost to patients under the Affordable Care Act, but a current legal challenge has the coverage at risk.
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