First Edition: November 28, 2018
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations.
Kaiser Health News:
Chronically Ill, Traumatically Billed: The $123,000 Medicine For MS
Shereese Hickson’s multiple sclerosis was flaring again. Spasms in her legs and other symptoms were getting worse. She could still walk and take care of her son six years after doctors diagnosed the disease, which attacks the central nervous system. Earlier symptoms such as slurred speech and vision problems had resolved with treatment, but others lingered: she was tired and sometimes still fell. This summer, a doctor switched her to Ocrevus, a drug approved in 2017 that delayed progression of the disease in clinical trials better than an older medicine did. (Hancock, 11/28)
California Healthline:
California To Track Deaths From Flu More Closely, Including Seniors
California’s Department of Public Health says the flu killed 329 people under age 65 in the last flu season, from October 2017 to August 2018. But that is likely only a small fraction of the total deaths in the nation’s most populous state because the department didn’t count the hundreds of deaths of people 65 and older. The state figure could account for just 1 in 10 flu deaths. (Rowan, 11/27)
The Hill:
Trump Health Chief 'Looking Closely' At Thousands Who Lost Medicaid From Work Requirements
A top Trump administration health-care official on Tuesday said she is “looking closely” at why thousands of people have lost Medicaid coverage in Arkansas due to the state’s new work requirements, but indicated the administration would not slow down in implementing the new rules. Asked if those people losing coverage is a weakness in the administration’s plan, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma told reporters Tuesday that her agency is still trying to understand why those people left the Medicaid program. (Sullivan, 11/27)
Modern Healthcare:
CMS Has A Plan If Federal Judge Strikes Down ACA
The CMS has a plan to protect pre-existing conditions and Americans' access to care even if a federal judge overturns the Affordable Care Act, CMS Adminstrator Seema Verma said Tuesday. A slew of Republican state attorneys general have challenged the constitutionality of President Barack Obama's signature healthcare reform law, and that lawsuit may be decided any day. (Dickson, 11/27)
Modern Healthcare:
ACA Reinsurance Lowers Premiums, But Fails To Attract More Insurers
Reinsurance programs have successfully stabilized individual insurance premiums and boosted enrollment in Alaska, Minnesota and Oregon, but the programs have been less effective at attracting more insurers to sell individual plans in those states, according to a report released Tuesday. The three states were the first to implement reinsurance programs in 2018 under Section 1332 waivers in hopes of shoring up their individual markets amid rising premiums and dwindling insurer participation. Their efforts have proven mostly successful, illustrating the value of pursuing state solutions when federal policy is uncertain, researchers at Georgetown University's Center on Health Insurance Reforms concluded. (Livingston, 11/27)
The New York Times:
Chinese Scientist Who Says He Edited Babies’ Genes Defends His Work
A Chinese scientist who claims to have created the world’s first genetically edited babies said at a conference on Wednesday that his actions were safe and ethical, and he asserted that he was proud of what he had done. But many other scientists seemed highly skeptical, with a conference organizer calling his actions irresponsible. “For this specific case, I feel proud, actually,” the scientist, He Jiankui, said at an international conference on genome editing in Hong Kong. (Belluck, 11/28)
The Washington Post:
He Jiankui Defends Gene Editing Research, New Baby On The Way
“We should, for millions of families with inherited disease, show compassion,” he told a packed audience at the Second International Summit on Human Genome Editing in Hong Kong. “If we have this technology, we can make it available earlier. We can help earlier those people in need.” He’s scientific talk chronicled the development of this line of research, from early mouse experiments to primates and eventually a human clinical trial. He said that eight couples were enrolled in the trial, but one dropped out. All had fathers with well-controlled HIV and mothers who were not infected. (Shih and Johnson, 11/28)
The Associated Press:
Scientist Claiming Gene-Edited Babies Reports 2nd Pregnancy
A Chinese researcher who claims to have helped make the world's first genetically edited babies says a second pregnancy may be underway. The researcher, He Jiankui of Shenzhen, revealed the possible pregnancy Wednesday while making his first public comments about his controversial work at an international conference in Hong Kong. (Marchione, 11/27)
NPR:
Chinese Scientist He Jiankui Rebuked By Colleagues Over Gene Experiments
As soon as He finished his initial 15-minute presentation, American Nobel Prize-winning biologist David Baltimore, who chairs the conference, got up to speak. Baltimore noted that scientists had agreed that it would be irresponsible to try to create genetically modified babies until there was much more research to make sure it was necessary and safe, and a consensus had been reached it was prudent. (Stein, 11/28)
The Associated Press:
Gene-Editing Chinese Scientist Kept Much Of His Work Secret
The Chinese scientist who says he helped make the world's first gene-edited babies veered off a traditional career path, keeping much of his research secret in pursuit of a larger goal — making history. He Jiankui's outsized aspirations began to take shape in 2016, the year after another team of Chinese researchers sparked global debate with the revelation that they had altered the DNA of human embryos in the lab. He soon set his mind on pushing the boundaries of medical ethics even further. (Larson, 11/27)
The Associated Press:
Gene-Editing Scientist Under Scrutiny By Chinese Officials
The National Health Commission on Monday ordered local officials in Guangdong province —where Shenzhen is located — to investigate He's actions. China's state broadcaster, CCTV, reported Tuesday that if the births are confirmed, He's case will be handled "in accordance with relevant laws and regulations." It's not clear if he could face possible criminal charges. (Larson, 11/27)
Stat:
Sparse Data On CRISPR'd Embryos Leave Questions Unanswered
While the world waited for He Jiankui to back up his claim of CRISPR’ing two babies to an international summit of genome editors in Hong Kong on Wednesday morning, STAT asked genomics experts to review the only data He has publicly revealed, in a spreadsheet on the Chinese Clinical Trials Registry. Their verdict: The quality of the data is low, and there’s too little of it, to draw any firm conclusions about what He’s team accomplished. And there is no proof that the two embryos described in the spreadsheet were used to produce the twins whose birth He announced earlier this week. (Begley and Cooney, 11/27)
Stat:
He Took A Crash Course In Bioethics, Then Created CRISPR Babies
For someone who has caused a worldwide uproar over what many fellow scientists consider an ethical outrage, He Jiankui of China spent a remarkable amount of time discussing his work — which he claims led to the births of the first babies whose genomes had been edited when they were IVF embryos — with bioethicists, policy experts, and social scientists. Two of them are father and son: Dr. William Hurlbut of Stanford University, a member of the U.S. President’s Council on Bioethics in the early 2000s, and J. Benjamin Hurlbut of Arizona State University, a biomedical historian. (Begley, 11/27)
Stat:
UC Berkeley Expert Warned China Scientist Against Gene-Editing In 2017
A year before He Jiankui shocked the world with claims that he had created gene-edited babies, the Chinese scientist confided his plans in a researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. The researcher, Mark DeWitt, told no one. But his response at the time was unmistakable: Don’t do it. “I thought it was a terrible idea, with or without any kinds of approvals. I told him that. I said: ‘You’re not ready,’” Dewitt told STAT. (Robbins, 11/27)
The Associated Press:
At FDA, A New Goal, Then A Push For Speedy Device Reviews
Dr. Jeffrey Shuren was adamant: The United States would never cut corners to fast-track the approval of medical devices. "We don't use our people as guinea pigs in the U.S.," Shuren said, holding firm as the new director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's medical devices division. Again and again in 2011 — four times in all — Shuren was summoned before Congress. Lawmakers accused the agency of being too slow and too demanding in reviewing new devices like heart valves and spinal implants, driving U.S. manufacturers overseas where products faced less rigorous review. Each time, he pushed back. And yet the next year, Shuren and his team adopted an approach that surprised even some of his closest colleagues: The FDA would strive to be "first in the world" to approve devices it considered important to public health. (Perrone, 11/27)
The Associated Press:
Insulin Pumps Have Most Reported Problems In FDA Database
When Polly Varnado's 9-year-old daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, it didn't take long for the family to hear about insulin pumps. In September 2012, the girl picked out a purple one — her favorite color. Over the next seven months, she proceeded to be hospitalized four times in a McComb, Mississippi medical center with high blood sugar. But when Varnado asked about all her daughter's problems, she said, her doctor blamed user error. (Mohr and Weiss, 11/27)
The Hill:
Generic EpiPen Not Any Cheaper Than Existing Version
A generic competitor to the EpiPen won’t cost any less than the version already on the market, despite the Trump administration touting it as a cheaper alternative. Teva Pharmaceuticals on Tuesday said its drug is now available in limited quantities in the United States, for a wholesale cost of $300. The drug already on the market from original manufacturer Mylan also costs $300. (Weixel, 11/27)
Stat:
FDA Promised A 'Lower-Cost Option' To EpiPen, But The Price Isn't Any Lower
The pricing appears to undercut a notion promoted by FDA officials that approving more generics can help relieve the pocketbook pressure many Americans feel over the cost of their medicines. In announcing the approval last August, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb noted that such moves were part of an “overarching effort to remove barriers” to access to “critically important” drugs. (Silverman, 11/27)
The Wall Street Journal:
Teva Releases Generic EpiPen In Limited Doses In The U.S.
EpiPens have been in short supply since at least May, with problems stemming from regional supply disruptions and manufacturer issues.(Kellaher, 11/27)
The Associated Press:
Texas Detention Camp For Teen Migrants Keeps Growing
The Trump administration announced in June it would open a temporary shelter for up to 360 migrant children in this isolated corner of the Texas desert. Less than six months later, the facility has expanded into a detention camp holding thousands of teenagers — and it shows every sign of becoming more permanent. (11/27)
The Associated Press:
US Waived FBI Checks On Staff At Growing Teen Migrant Camp
The Trump administration has put the safety of thousands of teens at a migrant detention camp at risk by waiving FBI fingerprint checks for their caregivers and short-staffing mental health workers, according to an Associated Press investigation and a new federal watchdog report. None of the 2,100 staffers at a tent city holding more than 2,300 teens in the remote Texas desert are going through rigorous FBI fingerprint background checks, according to a Health and Human Services inspector general memo published Tuesday. (Burke and Mendoza, 11/27)
The New York Times:
Independent Autopsy Of Transgender Asylum Seeker Who Died In ICE Custody Shows Signs Of Abuse
A transgender woman who died in the custody of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency appeared to have been physically abused before her death in May from dehydration, along with complications from H.I.V., according to an independent autopsy released this week. The finding in the death of the woman, Roxsana Hernandez Rodriguez, 33, who was Honduran and had joined a migrant caravan seeking asylum in the United States, supported ICE’s determination of her cause of death. Still, the conclusion that she was abused raised questions about her treatment during the 16 days she was held. ICE has maintained that she was not abused in its custody. (Garcia, 11/27)
The Associated Press:
US Sued For $60 Million After Infant In Detention Later Died
The mother of a toddler who died weeks after being released from the nation's largest family detention center filed a legal claim seeking $60 million from the U.S. government for the child's death. Attorneys for Yazmin Juarez submitted the claim against multiple agencies Tuesday. Juarez's 1-year-old daughter, Mariee, died in May. (11/27)
The New York Times:
Juul’s New Product: Less Nicotine, More Intense Vapor
Juul Labs has soared to the top of the United States e-cigarette market in just three years with its high-nicotine products that give off just a wisp of vapor. Now, facing public backlash and overseas restrictions, the company is working on a way to lower the nicotine in its pods — but still maintain a potent punch from the addictive chemical. Juul is developing a pod that is higher in vapor, which, experts say, can enhance the rate at which nicotine is absorbed in the body. (Kaplan, 11/27)
The Wall Street Journal:
Big Tech Expands Footprint In Health
Amazon.com Inc. is starting to sell software that mines patient medical records for information doctors and hospitals could use to improve treatment and cut costs. The move is the latest by a big technology company into health care, an industry where it sees opportunities for growth. The market for storing and analyzing health information is worth more than $7 billion a year, according to research firm Grand View Research, a business in which International Business Machines Corp.’s Watson Health and UnitedHealth Group Inc.’s Optum already compete. (Evans and Stevens, 11/27)
Reuters:
Atrium Health Says Data Of About 2.65 Million Patients Involved In Breach
Atrium Health, previously Carolinas HealthCare System, said on Tuesday data of about 2.65 million patients including addresses, dates of birth and social security numbers may have been compromised in a breach at its third-party provider AccuDoc Solutions. Atrium, which provides healthcare and wellness programs throughout the Southeast region in the United States, said a review revealed an unauthorized access to AccuDoc's databases between Sept. 22 and Sept. 29. (11/27)
The Wall Street Journal:
Unilever Looks To Acquire GlaxoSmithKline’s Nutrition Business
Unilever PLC is in talks to acquire GlaxoSmithKline PLC’s nutrition business, people familiar with the matter said, a deal that would hand the consumer-goods giant one of India’s best-known brands. If finalized, a deal would end a monthslong auction process that also drew interest from Nestle SA and Coca-Cola Co. , who were all eager to bolster their presence in one of the world’s most promising consumer markets. (Dummett, Chaudhuri and Roland, 11/27)
The Washington Post:
One Of The Biggest Challenges Of Kicking Addiction Is Getting And Keeping A Job
After years of drug addiction and homelessness, Kenny Sawyer found himself staring at a job application at Hypertherm , a New Hampshire company that makes industrial cutting tools. He was sober at last. He really wanted this job. But the application asked whether he had been convicted of any felonies. Sawyer hadn’t. But he decided later that the company would want to know he had been jailed for misdemeanor assault after a fight over a crack purchase years earlier. He called to volunteer that information, well aware that a scrape with the law could cost him the opportunity. (Bernstein, 11/27)
The Associated Press:
Denver Trying Again For Possible 1st US Drug Injection Site
Despite federal opposition, Denver is trying again to become what could be the first U.S. city to open a supervised drug injection site, a strategy that some liberal cities have tried repeatedly to launch to reduce overdose deaths fueled by a nationwide opioid epidemic. The Denver City Council voted 12-1 on Monday to approve a measure that would allow one site to open for at least two years under a pilot program. But there are still several hurdles to clear. (Slevin, 11/27)
The Washington Post:
FDA Finds Heavy Metals In Kratom Products Used For Pain And Opioid Withdrawal
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that it had found high levels of heavy metals such as lead and nickel in some kratom products. The regulator has been clamping down on the substance, which advocates say helps ease pain and reduce symptoms of opioid withdrawal, but which the FDA says has similar effects to narcotics such as opioids and has resulted in dozens of deaths. (11/27)
USA Today:
Hundreds In The United States Die Each Year From Alcohol Withdrawal
About 16 million people in the United States have alcohol use disorder, which the National Institutes of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism define as "compulsive alcohol use, loss of control over alcohol intake, and a negative emotional state when not using." For those experiencing the most serious symptom of withdrawal – the shaking, shivering, sweating and confusion of delirium tremens, or the DTs – the death rate has been estimated as high as 4 percent, or 1 in 25. Of patients admitted to one hospital in Spain with alcohol withdrawal syndrome from 1987 to 2003, a research team there found, 6.6 percent died. That's roughly 1 in 15. (O'Donnell, 11/27)
The New York Times:
The Best Foods For Athletes
More fat? More carbs? What kind? How much? When? Questions about what constitutes an ideal and practical diet for competitive athletes consume and confuse many athletes, as well as their coaches and families. But a new, comprehensive review about the science of sports nutrition published recently in Science provides a lucid overview of what currently is known — and not known — about how athletes should eat. (Reynolds, 11/28)
The Washington Post:
Workplace Wellness Programs Work Best When Bosses Buy Into Them
Studies have shown that successfully adopting a culture that promotes health and wellness can help companies reduce health-care costs, cut absentee rates and perhaps attract top talent. One decade-long analysis by the research organization Rand Corp. of a Fortune 100 employer’s wellness program found that the disease management component generated savings of $136 per member every month, driven largely by a 30 percent reduction in employees’ hospital admissions. (Heubeck, 11/27)
The New York Times:
Battle Against Ebola In Congo Pits Medical Hope Against Local Chaos
The battle against Ebola now underway in central Africa is like no other. It is the first for which doctors have both a promising vaccine and treatments to offer. These medical innovations are experimental, but the vaccine seems to work well, the four new treatments have given preliminary hints of curative powers and a clinical trial of them began Monday. (McNeil, 11/27)
Reuters:
New Cases Of HIV Rise In Eastern Europe, Decline In The West
More than 130,000 people were newly diagnosed with HIV last year in Eastern Europe, the highest rate ever for the region, while the number of new cases in Western Europe declined, global public health experts said on Wednesday. European Union and European Economic Area countries saw a reduction in 2017 rates, mainly driven by a 20 percent drop since 2015 among men who have sex with men. That left Europe's overall increasing trend less steep than previously. (11/27)
The Washington Post:
Hector Hernandez's 'Beer Belly' Was A 77-Pound Cancerous Tumor
It seemed that each pound was going straight to his gut. Hector Hernandez said he has always been “a big guy,” so he did not notice a problem until a couple years ago when his arms and legs seemed to be getting smaller, while his stomach was getting bigger. The 47-year-old from Downey, Calif., said that he also started struggling with heartburn and constipation and noticed that, at times, he had a hard time catching his breath. (Bever, 11/27)
The Washington Post:
Active-Shooting Alarm Was Set Off In Error At Walter Reed, Navy And Bethesda Center Say
For more than an hour Tuesday, patients, staff and visitors were locked down and barricading themselves in offices during what they were told was a report of an active shooter that drew swarms of Montgomery County police to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda. But why that alert went out and whether it was a false alarm that sparked a genuine response or a drill preparation gone awry was murky for hours after the event in statements issued by the U.S. Navy and the officials at the medical campus near Washington. Through the afternoon, differing explanations were offered. (Hermann and Morse, 11/27)
The Associated Press:
3 More UMd Adenovirus Cases Diagnosed After Student’s Death
Three more cases of adenovirus have been confirmed at the University of Maryland, College Park, attended by an 18-year-old who died of complications from the respiratory infection. News outlets report the three new cases over Thanksgiving break bring the total number of cases at the school to nine, including freshman Olivia Paregol, who died Nov. 18. (11/27)