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Scoop: Trump, RFK Jr. Dine With Pfizer and Lilly Execs
President-elect Trump hosted the chief executives of Pfizer, Eli Lilly and PhRMA Wednesday night at Mar-a-Lago, where they discussed how the public and private sectors can collaborate on finding cures for cancer, among other topics, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The patio dinner is a potential indication that Trump’s administration will see the pharmaceutical industry as a partner — not just an adversary — for parts of its “Make America Healthy Again” agenda. There’s been much speculation about how Trump’s team will deal with the industry, given Trump’s tough talk during the campaign and his pick of vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services secretary.
Last month, drugmakers’ share prices dropped after Trump announced the nomination of Kennedy, who was at Wednesday’s dinner along with Dr. Mehmet Oz, Trump’s pick to run the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, Lilly CEO David Ricks were at the dinner. Steve Ubl, CEO of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) represented the industry at the table. Trump’s incoming chief of staff, Susie Wiles, also attended.
CSL Seqirus Inks Bird Flu Vaccine Supply Pact With UK After Similar Deals in US, Europe
On the heels of similar deals in the U.S. and the EU, the U.K. is filling up its coffers with doses of bird flu immunizations from Australia’s CSL Seqirus. To prepare for a potential future pandemic, the U.K. has inked an accord with CSL Seqirus to acquire more than 5 million doses of the company’s H5 influenza shot, the British government said in a release Tuesday.
The shipment will help with a potential disease outbreak — should the virus spread to humans — as drugmakers work to develop a bespoke vaccine for bird flu, the U.K. government explained. The doses in question will be manufactured by CSL Seqirus’ U.K. branch.
Sierra Leone Begins Nationwide Rollout of Ebola Vaccine a Decade After Deadly Outbreak
Authorities in Sierra Leone on Thursday started a nationwide rollout of the single-dose Ebola vaccine, the first such campaign in West Africa where a deadly outbreak 10 years ago resulted in the death of thousands.
The 2014 Ebola outbreak — the deadliest in history — was primarily in West Africa but affected Sierra Leone the most, with nearly 4,000 deaths out of the more than 11,000 recorded globally. The country also lost 7% of its healthcare workforce to the outbreak.
Authorities in Sierra Leone on Thursday started a nationwide rollout of the single-dose Ebola vaccine, the first such campaign in West Africa where a deadly outbreak 10 years ago resulted in the death of thousands.
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Preparing for the Worst: Health Care Can Check Readiness for Bird Flu Spread
Health care facilities are encouraged to prepare now for a possible bird flu outbreak, adopting measures to protect patients, staff, and the public, according to a commentary by infectious disease experts published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology.
While the risk from bird flu to humans is currently low, hospitals can ensure they are ready by closely monitoring local and national cases of bird flu and screening patients with flu-like symptoms for contact with farm animals, especially in rural areas where bird flu has been found. Infectious disease doctors also recommend that hospitals establish strict isolation practices, prioritize protective equipment for staff, plan for potential vaccination sites, and ensure clear communication with both health care teams and the community.
Ozempic Alone Won’t Solve Obesity Crisis, Say Experts
Weight-loss drugs may help people with obesity, but they won’t by themselves solve the American obesity crisis, three experts told Newsweek. Last week the White House announced the expansion of Medicare and Medicaid coverage to make weight-loss drugs accessible for more Americans with obesity.
These drugs are glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor analogs, which mimic the fullness hormone GLP-1 to help people with type 2 diabetes or obesity better manage their appetite, blood sugars and weight. As a relatively new category of medicine, these drugs — such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and more — have been the subject of considerable attention for helping people with obesity lose up to 15% of their body weight in a relatively short period of time.
