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Youth Suicide Attempts by Poisoning Rose 30% in U.S. During COVID
Rates of suspected suicide attempts by poisoning among U.S. children and teenagers surged 30% from pre-pandemic levels, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The study, which analyzed data from poison control centers, showed that among ages 10 to 19 the biggest spike came from preteens, with a 73% increase in 2021 from 2019. About 40% of incidents involved common over-the-counter medications, such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen and diphenhydramine. Branded versions of those drugs are Tylenol, Advil and Benadryl, respectively.
The pandemic had widespread effects on mental health, causing anxiety and depression rates to rise worldwide. Young people, particularly women, were at a higher risk for suicide and self-harm. In the U.S., nearly a third of teen girls said they seriously considered suicide in 2021, and 57% reported feeling sad or hopeless.
The report, released on Thursday, reported 114,700 suspected suicide attempts by self-poisoning in 2021, compared to 88,500 in 2019. The data through September of last year showed incidents remained elevated from before the pandemic.
U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Halts 40,000 Johnson & Johnson Talc and Cancer Lawsuits
A federal bankruptcy judge on Thursday halted roughly 40,000 lawsuits that allege Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder and other talc products caused cancer.
The decision is part of J&J’s second attempt to settle thousands of talc cases in bankruptcy proceedings. J&J in 2021 spun off its subsidiary, LTL Management, to carry its talc-related liabilities and file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protections.
Judge Michael Kaplan during a hearing Thursday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Trenton, New Jersey, put a temporary hold on the suits that will last through mid-June. J&J won’t have to go to trial over any other talc claims during the pause, but new lawsuits can still be filed against the company.
The pause will give J&J time to reach a permanent settlement with plaintiffs in the talc cases. The company recently proposed an $8.9 billion settlement for current and future talc-related claims and said it expects to bring that plan to bankruptcy court in mid-May.
Kids Under 6 Were Increasingly Treated for Illicit Substance Ingestion After COVID’s Start, Study Says
The outbreak of COVID-19 presented many dangers for children, and a new study suggests increased illicit substance ingestions were among them.
In the first month of the pandemic in 2020, a 25% increase in overall ingestions occurred among children under 6 years old in the United States, according to the study published Friday in JAMA Network Open. Those numbers grew by 1.8% more per month than they did before the pandemic, the study said.
“The immediate and sustained increase in opioids ingestions occurred during the largest ever rise in adult overdose deaths, largely driven by synthetic opioids,” said lead study author Dr. Brittany Raffa, a clinical instructor in pediatrics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a National Research Service Award primary care research fellow.
The study looked at data from 7,659 children under age 6 who were treated for ingestion of amphetamines, benzodiazepines, cannabis, cocaine, ethanol and opioids across 46 children’s hospitals, the study said.
The Biden Administration Vowed to Be a Leading Voice on Opioid Settlements But Has Gone Quiet
Early in President Joe Biden’s tenure, his administration promised to play a key role in ensuring opioid settlement funds went toward tackling the nation’s addiction crisis.
But today, as billions of dollars actually start to flow and state and local leaders make crucial decisions on how to spend the more than $50 billion windfall to tackle this entrenched public health crisis, the federal government has gone mostly quiet.
No federal employee holds the title of opioid crisis accountability coordinator. The Office of National Drug Control Policy has not released public statements about the settlements in over a year. And the settlement funds are mentioned just twice in a 150-page national strategy to reduce drug trafficking and overdose deaths.
The federal government is not legally obligated to engage in the discussion. After all, states filed the lawsuits against companies that made, sold, or distributed opioid painkillers, including Johnson & Johnson, McKesson, and Walmart.
Ivenix Infusion System Recall Issued Over Risk of Leaks, Serious Injuries and Death
Federal health officials have issued a recall for more than 1,500 pediatric infusion pumps, which may be prone to electrical failures that can cause the pumps to shut off unexpectedly during potentially life-saving treatments.
To date, the manufacturer has become aware of at least 14 complaints related to this issue. While no deaths have been reported at this time, officials are warning any delay or interruption of infusions to children could result in serious injury or death.
The recalled Fresenius Ivenix Infusion Systems are large-volume pumps used in hospitals to administer precise amounts of fluids through the veins, spine or underneath the skin of pediatric patients, including neonates, infants, children and adolescents.
FDA officials have classified the Fresenius Ivenix recall as a Class I recall, indicating there is a high probability that use of the product will result in severe health issues or death.
WHO Launches mRNA Vaccine Hub in Cape Town
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday officially launched its mRNA vaccine technology hub in Cape Town, a facility established during the COVID-19 pandemic to help poorer countries struggling to gain access to life-saving medication.
In 2021, the WHO picked South African biotech firm Afrigen Biologics and local vaccine-maker Biovac for a proof-of-concept pilot project to give poor and middle-income countries the know-how and licenses to make COVID vaccines, in what South African President Cyril Ramaphosa then called a historic step.
Afrigen Biologics has used the publicly available sequence of Moderna Inc.’s (MRNA.O) mRNA COVID vaccine to make its own version of the shot — AfriVac 2121 — at lab scale and is now scaling up production.
The vaccine candidate, which will be tested on humans in early 2024, is the first to be made based on a widely used vaccine without the assistance and approval of the developer. It is also the first mRNA vaccine designed, developed and produced at lab scale on the African continent.
Senate Legislation Would Cap Insulin at $35 per Month for People With Private Insurance
Bipartisan Senate legislation introduced this week would cap the price of insulin at $35 per month for people with private insurance.
The bill, drafted by Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, comes two months after President Joe Biden called on Congress during his State of the Union address to extend the insulin price cap to the millions of people living with diabetes who have private insurance.
The legislation would require private insurance plans starting in January 2024 to cap the price patients pay at no more than $35 per month and waive deductibles for at least one of each insulin type and dosage form.
Tepezza Hearing Injury Could Have Been Avoided With Better Warnings, Lawsuit Claims
In a product liability lawsuit filed last week, an Arizona woman indicates she has been left with a permanent hearing injury from Tepezza, alleging that side effects of the thyroid eye disease infusions could have been avoided if the drug makers had adequately warned users about the risk and the importance of monitoring for hearing loss during treatments.
Donna Baldwin filed the complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona on April 10, indicating that Horizon Therapeutics USA, Inc. knew or should have known that Tepezza causes harmful hearing loss when used as prescribed and intended.
Although Tepezza was originally intended as a niche treatment, with only a limited market, during the second year the drug was on the market in the United States sales doubled to $1.66 billion, and critics have expressed concern that Tepezza was aggressively marketed without adequately disclosing all of the potential risks.
A growing number of former users are now coming forward to report that they suffered a Tepezza hearing injury, including ringing in the ears or tinnitus, as well as irreversible hearing loss, which often persists long after the last use of the medication.
Over-the-Counter Narcan to Cost Less Than $50 for a Two-Pack, Company Says
When Narcan finally becomes available over the counter later this year, the price may put the lifesaving antidote out of reach for many people, experts say. Emergent BioSolutions said Thursday that it plans to price the opioid overdose reversal medication at less than $50 for two doses.
The Food and Drug Administration approved Narcan, or naloxone, for over-the-counter use last month, a move experts hailed as one that’s expected to increase access to the crucial medication. The approval means the rescue drug could be sold in places such as convenience stores, grocery stores and vending machines, in addition to drugstores.
The below-$50 price tag for Narcan announced by Emergent BioSolutions is less than the current list price for the medication, which is around $130 for a two-dose box, according to GoodRx, a group that tracks prescription drug prices.
Even so, it may be too much.
Exclusive: Lilly Expects U.S. Medicare to Reverse Course, Fully Cover Alzheimer’s Drugs
Eli Lilly and Co (LLY.N) expects the U.S. Medicare health plan to back down from strict coverage limits on new Alzheimer’s drugs as more evidence emerges in coming weeks showing that clearing amyloid brain plaques can help patients, a company executive told Reuters.
Lilly plans to release results from a trial of its experimental amyloid-targeting drug donanemab before the end of June. More study data on Leqembi, a rival drug from partners Eisai Co Ltd (4523.T) and Biogen Inc (BIIB.O), is also expected in the coming months.
Leqembi received accelerated approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration earlier this year, and a decision on full approval is due by July. Leqembi costs $26,500 per year.
