About pharma
FDA approves first COVID-19 drug: antiviral remdesivir: “The drug, which California-based Gilead Sciences Inc. is calling Veklury, cut the time to recovery by five days — from 15 days to 10 on average — in a large study led by the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
It had been authorized for use on an emergency basis since spring, and now becomes the first drug to win full Food and Drug Administration approval for treating COVID-19. President Donald Trump received it when he was sickened earlier this month.”
Recall that the WHO does not endorse its efficacy.
4 AbbVie brands land on pharma's top TV spenders list for September: ”The top 10 brands spent $182 million, the highest monthly total since January, according to data from real-time TV ad tracker iSpot.tv. AbbVie’s Humira led the way as usual, but with an even bigger budget of $57.7 million, an increase of 45% over what the Illinois drugmaker spent on the product in August.”
About the public’s health
Convalescent plasma in the management of moderate covid-19 in adults in India: open label phase II multicentre randomised controlled trial (PLACID Trial): “Convalescent plasma was not associated with a reduction in progression to severe covid-19 or all cause mortality. This trial has high generalisability and approximates convalescent plasma use in real life settings with limited laboratory capacity. A priori measurement of neutralising antibody titres in donors and participants might further clarify the role of convalescent plasma in the management of covid-19.”
U.S. signs international declaration challenging right to abortion and upholding ‘role of the family’: “The United States joined Brazil, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia and Uganda on Thursday to co-sponsor a nonbinding international antiabortion declaration, in a rebuke of United Nations human rights bodies that have sought to protect abortion access.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar participated in the virtual signing ceremony.”
Mich. Law Gives Employers Immunity From COVID-19 Suits: “Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Thursday signed bills that allow workers to stay home if they have COVID-19 symptoms and grant immunity to employers from lawsuits filed by workers or customers who contract the coronavirus so long as they are following federal, state and local safety laws.” This immunity is something the Republicans wanted to include in COVID-19 financial relief packages; the Democrats refused. Interesting that a Democratic governor approved of this measure. Perhaps other states will follow suit.
Wikipedia and W.H.O. Join to Combat Covid Misinformation: “As part of efforts to stop the spread of false information about the coronavirus pandemic, Wikipedia and the World Health Organization announced a collaboration on Thursday: The health agency will grant the online encyclopedia free use of its published information, graphics and videos.”
About health insurance
Trump says he hopes Supreme Court strikes down ObamaCare: In a “60 minutes” interview, Trump said he hopes the Supreme court will strike down the ACA. He was very vague about a plan to replace it. He reiterated those statements in last night’s debate.
About healthcare IT
Correlations Between COVID-19 Cases and Google Trends Data in the United States: A State-by-State Analysis: “This study documents the feasibility of syndromic surveillance of internet search terms to monitor new infectious diseases such as coronavirus disease 2019. This information could enable better preparation and planning of health care systems.”
About diagnostics
Quest Diagnostics ups guidance, notches major sales growth and gives back CARES Act cash: “The New Jersey-based testing company has seen sales hit $2.78 billion for the third quarter, up more than 42% on the year-ago period, with sales up 11% to $6.43 billion for the nine-month period.
What’s driving this growth? COVID-19 testing. The company has now performed more than 22 million molecular and serology tests to date, what it says is ‘more than any other provider.’”