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What We’re Reading: Pfizer/BioNTech Seek Booster EUA; Harm Reduction Bill Vetoed; Life Expectancy Drops
The FDA is considering Pfizer/BioNTech’s request for its updated COVID-19 booster; California Governor Gavin Newsom rejects bill allowing supervised injection sites; a new report from the CDC shows 2019-2020 life expectancy fell in all states.
Pfizer/BioNTech Ask FDA for EUA
An updated booster that targets the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants of SARS-CoV-2 is under consideration by the FDA for use in patients 12 years and older, reports Stat News. Pfizer and BioNTech applied for emergency use authorization (EUA) of their newest booster, despite not including new clinical trial data—one is expected to start this month—with this most recent application. According to a statement from Pfizer, a conditional marketing authorization application has also been submitted to the European Medicines Agency for the booster, which contains mRNA encoding both the original SARS-CoV-2 and Omicron BA.4/BA.5 spike proteins.
Supervised Drug Injection Site Bill Rejected
Driven in large part by the ongoing opioid crisis and presented as a harm reduction measure, a bill has been rejected by California Governor Gavin Newsom that would have permitted injection drug use under supervised watch, reports The New York Times. The proposed pilot program included providing clean needles and connections to treatment services. Proponents say this program had potential to save taxpayer money and thousands of lives, while detractors claim illicit drug use would be encouraged and treatment discouraged.
2020 Saw Drop in Life Expectancy
According to a new report from the CDC on life expectancy in all states and Washington, DC, life expectancy dropped by 1.8 years to 77.0 years overall from 2019 to 2020. This is the last year for which complete data are available, according to ABC News, with principal reasons for the decline being COVID-19 and drug overdoses. Women had an overall life expectancy more than 5 years longer than that of men, at 79.9 vs 74.2 years, and among the states, Hawaii had the highest overall life expectancy at 80.7 years and Mississippi the lowest, at 71.9 years.
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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The Senate Finance Committee has introduced bipartisan legislation that proposes using Medicaid and Medicare programs to help prevent and reduce generic drug shortages; US indicators for COVID-19, flu, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) declined further last week; findings from a recent study reveal growing disparities in child death rates across racial and ethnic groups.
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Navigating Health Policy in an Election Year: Insights From Dr Dennis Scanlon
April 2nd 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with Dennis Scanlon, PhD, the editor in chief of The American Journal of Accountable Care®, about prior authorization, price transparency, the impact of health policy on the upcoming election, and more.
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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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