About the public’s health
FDA authorizes use of new two-minute test kit for coronavirus: “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has authorized the emergency use of Bodysphere Inc’s test that can detect the coronavirus in nearly two minutes, the privately held company said on Tuesday.” The speed will rival Abbott’s rapid test.
FDA Creates Coronavirus Treatment Acceleration Program: “The FDA launched the Coronavirus Treatment Acceleration Program (CTAP), an emergency program for potential COVID-19 therapies…
The agency is currently monitoring 10 therapies in active trials and 15 others in planning stages.”
Industry Voices—Another enemy emerges in the COVID-19 fight: Antibiotic-resistant bugs: The headline speaks for itself.
BAT joins race to develop Covid-19 vaccine: “Cigarette maker’s biotech unit tests potential antigen in genetically engineered tobacco plants.” How ironic!
Coronavirus death rate is lower than previously reported, study says, but it's still deadlier than seasonal flu: “The research, published in the medical journal The Lancet Infectious Diseases, estimated that about 0.66% of those infected with the virus will die.
That coronavirus death rate, which is lower than earlier estimates, takes into account potentially milder cases that often go undiagnosed -- but it's still far higher than the 0.1% of people who are killed by the flu.”
About healthcare technology
Grail's cancer blood test tracks down over 50 types of early-stage disease in study: “Grail published new data showing that its cancer-screening blood test is now able to spot more than 50 types of the disease across all stages of their growth…The results were published in the Annals of Oncology.”
Comparison of the Effectiveness of Single-Component and Multicomponent Interventions for Reducing Radiation Doses in Patients Undergoing Computed Tomography: Long title, but the gist is that radiation doses from CT scans can be significantly reduced without affecting radiologists’ satisfaction with the quality of the scans.
About pharma
FDA Wants All Ranitidine Products Off the Market: “All ranitidine products should be pulled from shelves immediately, the FDA said Wednesday, including brand-name Zantac as well as generic versions of the prescription and over-the-counter antacid.
Notably, this was not because of direct evidence of N-Nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), a probable human carcinogen, being present in particularly high concentrations in the drug itself.”
India likely to soon ease some drug export curbs after U.S. pressure - sources: “India will likely relax some export restrictions on pharmaceutical products soon due to intense pressure from the United States which is worried about drug shortages as the number of coronavirus cases surge, two Indian government officials told Reuters.
India, which supplies more than a quarter of the world’s generic drugs, last month restricted exports of 26 pharmaceutical ingredients and the medicines made from them. The move was seen as an attempt to secure supplies for its domestic population after the outbreak played havoc with the industry’s supply chain globally.”
About healthcare insurance
Trump rejects Obamacare special enrollment period amid pandemic: “The Trump administration has decided against reopening Obamacare enrollment to uninsured Americans during the coronavirus pandemic, defying calls from health insurers and Democrats to create a special sign-up window amid the health crisis.”