About the public’s health
Why the Coronavirus Has Been So Successful: This article from The Atlantic is a very clear explanation of the biology of coronaviruses and what makes COVID-19 especially deadly.
Fair Allocation of Scarce Medical Resources in the Time of Covid-19: Although this article was written to provide guidance for the current pandemic, the principles are much older. It can serve as an excellent template for future public health catastrophes when resources are scarce.
Aerosol and Surface Stability of SARS-CoV-2 as Compared with SARS-CoV-1: This research found that the coronavirus could last up to: three hours in aerosols (after sneezing or coughing), four hours on copper, 24 hours on cardboard, and two to three days on plastic and stainless steel. These findings stress the need for sanitizing surfaces, frequent hand washing and covering mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing.
New drug target found for COVID-19: “Scientists from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine have mapped the atomic structure of two critical proteins in a complex, nsp10/16. These proteins modify the genetic material of the virus to make it look more like the host (human) cell RNA.
This allows the virus to hide from the cells, giving it time to multiply. If a drug can be developed to inhibit nsp10/nsp16, the immune system should be able to detect the virus and eradicate it faster.”
FDA Issues Statement Regarding NSAID Use and COVID-19: “ According to the agency, there is not enough scientific evidence to link the use of NSAIDs to worsening symptoms of COVID-19.”
FDA clamps down on at-home coronavirus testing, citing fake products and bad actors: “In a statement Friday, FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn and acting Associate Commissioner for Regulatory Affairs Judith McMeekin said the agency has not yet authorized any COVID-19 product for home testing.”
Virus Drug Touted by Trump, Musk Can Kill With Just Two Gram Dose: “China, where the deadly pathogen first emerged in December, recommended the decades-old malaria drug chloroquine to treat infected patients in guidelines issued in February after seeing encouraging results in clinical trials. But within days, it cautioned doctors and health officials about the drug’s lethal side effects and rolled back its usage.”
Exclusive: U.S. axed CDC expert job in China months before virus outbreak:”Several months before the coronavirus pandemic began, the Trump administration eliminated a key American public health position in Beijing intended to help detect disease outbreaks in China…the American expert, Dr. Linda Quick, was a trainer of Chinese field epidemiologists who were deployed to the epicenter of outbreaks to help track, investigate and contain diseases.”
About health insurance
How 10 years of the ACA have shaped the insurance business—and what’s next: The 10th anniversary of the ACA’s passage is easy to miss amongst the deluge of coronavirus information. This article provides a nice summary of what various stakeholders say about this milestone.
White House mulling reopening of ObamaCare enrollment: reports: “Multiple states that operate their own health insurance marketplaces have reopened enrollment, which would allow state residents without health insurance to purchase coverage during the outbreak. However, most states use the marketplace run by the federal government..” How ironic, given Republican actions over the past several years to repeal or cripple the ACA.
About pharma
Insulin Makers Support CMS Plan for $35 Copays: “The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) unveiled a model program that will cap Medicare Part D out-of-pocket insulin costs for seniors at $35 per month, and all three manufacturers for the U.S. market — Eli Lilly, Sanofi and Novo Nordisk — said they will take part.
The agency predicts that beneficiaries who enroll in plans included in the program will save an average of $446 in yearly out-of-pocket costs on insulin — more than 66 percent of their average insulin costs currently covered by insurance.”
The top 15 biopharma licensing deals of 2019: The 15 largest licensing deals in 2019 totaled $41.1 billion. The article details each of these top 15 deals.