Friday, September 22, 2023 – KFF Health News

The Boston Globe:
Food and drug administration Advisory Panel Rejects Drug-Machine Blend To Take care of Kind 2 Diabetic issues

A panel of health-related advisers on Thursday unanimously dashed a Cambridge biotech’s hopes that US regulators would rethink a two times-turned down implantable device developed for grown ups with uncontrolled blood sugar stemming from Sort 2 diabetes. In a 19- vote, the panel concluded the device’s positive aspects were being outweighed by its security pitfalls, like the opportunity for kidney and coronary heart difficulties. The vote essentially upheld the Foods and Drug Administration’s earlier rejections, even though some associates identified as for new medical experiments to tackle safety and dosing fears. (Weisman, 9/21)

Stat:
Intarcia’s Gadget-Drug Diabetic issues Therapy Shut Down By Food and drug administration Panel

An advisory panel to the Food items and Drug Administration unanimously voted in opposition to a diabetes implant from Intarcia Therapeutics — a previous biotech unicorn that faltered soon after the Fda turned down reported implant not after, but two times. (Lawrence, 9/21)

In other drug improvement news —

Stat:
Drug For Rare Kidney Disorder Narrowly Misses Mark In Medical Trial

Travere Therapeutics claimed Thursday that a analyze intended to confirm the gain of its freshly accredited drug for a exceptional kidney disorder narrowly failed. (Mast, 9/21)

Reuters:
AstraZeneca And Daiichi’s Breast Most cancers Drug Satisfies Objective In Research

AstraZeneca (AZN.L) said on Friday its experimental precision drug had slowed the development of a common kind of breast cancer in a late-stage demo, a raise for the corporation following its shares fell in July on final results from a separate demo of the similar drug for lung cancer. The drug, datopotamab deruxtecan, which AstraZeneca is jointly building with Japan’s Daiichi Sankyo (4568.T), is becoming intently watched by analysts and traders in portion because of to the guarantee of the class of medications to which it belongs, regarded as antibody drug conjugates (ADC). (Fick, 9/22)

On other well being marketplace developments —

Boston World:
Thermo Fisher Plant For Manufacturing Gene Therapies To Grow

Thermo Fisher Scientific’s giant plant to manufacture gene therapies for drug companies is scarcely a year aged, but executives at the maker of scientific applications are currently talking about growing. Standing within a cavernous unfinished segment of the plant, Paul Fitzgerald, vice president and general manager of the web page, informed a group of biotech executives, journalists, and other guests that he’s keen to rework it into laboratories. So significantly, the organization is only applying about 290,000 of the plant’s extra than 400,000 sq. feet. (Saltzman, 9/21)

The Wall Street Journal:
Contamination Is Discovered At Novo Nordisk Plant In U.S. 

Novo Nordisk uncovered germs in batches of the primary ingredient for a diabetes tablet that is a cousin to well known diabetes and bodyweight-reduction drugs and was made at a North Carolina plant earlier this yr, according to a federal inspection report reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. (Loftus, 9/21)

Boston World:
Dana-Farber Break up With Brigham Adds Uncertainty For Cancer People

When Sarah, a mom of two, was diagnosed with breast most cancers in 2021 at the age of 43, she very carefully regarded where to go for treatment. She experienced been referred by her medical professional to Beth Israel Deaconess Health care Middle, the place she gained a mammogram and the cancer diagnosis. But Sarah, who requested that her previous name not be applied, eventually chose the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, wanting a place that was recognised for cancer remedy. (Bartlett, 9/21)

On staffing matters —

Modern day Healthcare:
Kaiser Permanente Strike: Union Prepares For Opportunity Strike

Kaiser Permanente and a union representing 85,000 personnel are getting ready for a possible strike Oct. 1 as the two sides remain much apart on contract proposals. An overpowering bulk of the more than 77,000 members of the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions who solid ballots authorized a strike if the wellbeing program and union don’t get to an agreement all through what are remaining termed remaining bargaining sessions this 7 days. (Devereaux, 9/21)

Stat:
Why Are Kaiser Permanente Team Taking into consideration A Strike?

This week, the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions is negotiating a new national deal with the wellbeing treatment large. Extra than 75,000 Kaiser Permanente wellness care workers throughout the state have voted to authorize a strike if Thursday and Friday’s bargaining classes do not finish in an suitable deal. (Trang, 9/21)

The Boston World:
Resident Union Accuses Mass General Brigham Of Unfair Labor Moves

The union for health care people and fellows at Mass Normal Brigham has submitted unfair labor apply charges in opposition to the state’s major wellbeing system with the National Labor Relations Board, information clearly show. … “Changes to trainee benefits, which included a $10,000 stipend for citizens and scientific fellows, have been declared in March prior to each the petition for unionization and subsequent vote,” Mass Normal Brigham claimed in a assertion. (Andersen, 9/21)

Also —

Modern day Health care:
UnitedHealth Group To Trim Medicare Benefit Strategies In 2024

UnitedHealth Group ideas to trim its Medicare Advantage offerings upcoming calendar year, the enterprise informed vendors in a observe dispersed Thursday. UnitedHealthcare is the foremost Medicare Gain insurer with a 29% market share, in accordance to data analyzed by KFF, and expects membership to mature by far more than 900,000 this yr. (Tepper, 9/21)

Crain’s Chicago Business enterprise:
Consequence Health’s Rishi Shah Invested About $6M Fighting Fraud Charges

Outcome Overall health co-founder Rishi Shah put in a lot more than $6 million on protection attorneys to battle federal fraud rates, but he wanted to commit significantly extra. That’s why he justifies a new trial, he states in a new court docket submitting. It is a curious, convoluted argument that underscores how significantly the millionaire startup founder is likely to hang onto his cash and his independence for as very long as he can. (Pletz, 9/21)

Reuters:
Walgreens Strike With Lawsuit Soon after Fda Warning In excess of Eyedrops

Walgreens was hit with a proposed class motion in Florida federal court docket in excess of promises it mislabeled eyedrops for managing pink eye and misled customers into believing the item was safe and sound and powerful. The lawsuit, filed Wednesday, follows warning letters that the Food and drug administration sent to Illinois-based mostly Walgreens and a number of other firms very last week about marketing and promoting eye care items that the company mentioned posed a risk to consumers. The Fda has not authorised the goods at issue. (Novak Jones, 9/22)

Modern Healthcare:
Walgreens Claims A lot more Co-Branded VillageMD Workplaces

Walgreens reaffirmed its determination to turning into a fully built-in health care organization on Wednesday, exhibiting off its hottest Village Medical at Walgreens principal treatment place in suburban Chicago. Walgreens moved aggressively into health care solutions below former CEO Roz Brewer, who stepped down before this thirty day period as the firm’s U.S. health care products and services segment has struggled to achieve traction. A look for is underway for a lasting CEO. (Eastabrook, 9/21)

Fortune:
Best 100 Hospitals 2023: Fortune/PINC AI

Fifty-one of the winning hospitals appeared on very last year’s listing. As is the case every single year, hospitals do not apply for the 100 Major Hospitals award, and winners do not pay out to marketplace this honor. This year’s analyze, which was based mostly on publicly offered Medicare info from 2021, confirmed tiny improve from 2020 for the market on most measures. The one exception for hospitals in the study was earnings margin, which amplified substantially because of to COVID-19 relief dollars hospitals acquired that calendar year. People pandemic money are absent, of system, boosting the stakes for hospitals to be at the top of their video game. (9/21)