What We’re Reading: Teva Opioid Settlement; Maternity Care Action Plan Revealed; HIV PrEP in Texas Lawsuit

Teva Agrees to Proposed $4.25 Billion Opioid Settlement

Teva Pharmaceuticals tentatively agreed to a proposed $4.25 billion settlement to resolve thousands of lawsuits surrounding its involvement in the opioid epidemic, The Washington Post reported. According to the cases brought by states, Native American tribes, and other jurisdictions, Teva allegedly provided misleading information to doctors regarding the company’s addictive fentanyl products for patients with cancer. Kåre Schultz, president and CEO of Teva, noted the settlement in the company’s second quarter earnings report, saying the agreement was made to “resolve the majority of our costly legacy opioids litigation, and importantly, make critical medicines available to those most impacted by the US opioid epidemic.” If the settlement is finalized, Teva will pay $3 billion in cash and $1.2 billion worth of the overdose-reversing drug Narcan over 13 years, with about $100 million directly distributed to Native American tribes involved.

CMS Announces Maternity Care Action Plan

CMS released its Maternity Care Action Plan, which will implement concepts included in the Biden administration’s Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis. According to a CMS press release, the goal of this action plan is to improve health outcomes and reduce inequities for people throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period while taking a more holistic approach. As mentioned in the Biden administration’s blueprint, 5 priorities to improve maternal health in the United States include increasing high-quality maternal health service access and coverage, amplifying the voices of people giving birth, and making improvements in data collection and standardization, workplace diversity, and economic and social support. CMS also encouraged industry stakeholders to suggest commitments they can make to improve maternal health outcomes.

Texas Lawsuit Puts PrEP Coverage at Risk

Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) drugs, including Gilead’s emtricitabine/tenofovir drugs Truvada and Descovy, may be harder to access in the United States depending on the outcome of a Texas lawsuit, Bloomberg reported. Jonathan Mitchell, lawyer and Republican former solicitor general of Texas, claims mandatory PrEP coverage violates the Religious Freedom Restoration Act by forcing Christian people to financially contribute to drugs for men who have sex with men, who are disproportionately affected by HIV. According to the US Justice Department, Mitchell lacks the qualifications to sue because his clients have not been injured by the mandate, and disagreements based on religion are not enough to take action against the Affordable Care Act, under which HIV PrEP coverage is protected.