Health
COVID can cause mental illness and rewire our brains
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cThe number of OVID-19 cases is currently increasing in the United States at least 25 states we are seeing a significant increase in the number of infections. The virus levels in wastewater are ‘very high’ or ‘high’ in 46 states currently, according to CDC data. If the numbers continue, the country could experience one of the largest waves of COVID infections since 2020. Although hospitalizations and deaths are currently not at the same level as during previous peaks in 2020 and 2021, these numbers are also increasing. (Although death rates have fallen thanks to vaccines and better treatments, COVID remained one of the most common top ten causes of death in the United States last year).
But as two new studies published this past week show, severe COVID isn’t the only risk people with the disease face. New findings in JAMA Psychiatry find that levels of mental illness such as depression, anxiety and self-harm are increased after a COVID-19 diagnosis. Moreover, a new study published in Scientific reports found that patients who lost their sense of smell after a COVID infection was seen for a long time structural changes in their brains as well as a tendency for more impulsive behavior.
If you want to limit your risk of these mental side effects of COVID infections, an important strategy is to make sure you are aware of your vaccinations. The study in it JAMA Psychiatry found that patients who had been vaccinated before their COVID infection had done so fewer psychological problems. Other studies suggest that vaccination may help reduce the risk of smell loss, although it is not yet clear how much that risk is reduced. The CDC and the FDA recently approved and recommended updated vaccines to protect against the latest COVID variants, which should be available in the coming weeks.
The Biden administration is making a deal to lower the cost of expensive Medicare drugs
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After months of negotiations with pharmaceutical companies, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that it had reached an agreement on lower prices for ten different drugs covered by Medicare Part D, which will go into effect in 2026. The government says the deal will save the economy taxpayers about $6 billion a year and Medicare patients about $1.5 billion a year.
The drugs include diabetes drugs Januvia, Jardiance and Farxiga (the latter two are also used to treat heart failure), along with Fiasp insulin injections, heart failure drug Entresto and blood cancer drug Imbruvica. Also on the list are Stelara and Enbrel – which are used to treat autoimmune diseases such as arthritis and Crohn’s disease – along with the blood thinners Eliquis and Xarelto.
Read more here.
Pipeline and deal updates
Blood loss: The FDA has granted 510(k) clearance to Cresilon’s Traumagel, an algae-derived gel applied to traumatic wounds, such as a gunshot or stab, to reduce severe blood loss. (The company’s CEO, Joe Landolina, is a 2023 alumni Forbes 30 Healthcare List Under 30.) Related, the FDA also granted an emergency use authorization for Octapharma’s octaplasLG powder, for US military personnel during operations. The powder is used as a life-saving measure to treat bleeding or coagulopathy when plasma is not available for transfusion.
Diagnostics: PreciseDx, which is developing AI-powered diagnostics for cancer, has announced that it has increased its funding a $20.7 million Series B round led by Eventide Asset Management.
Lung cancer: The FDA has approved Johnson & Johnson’s non-chemotherapy treatment combination of Rybrevant and Lazcluze as the first-line treatment of patients with advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer.
Kidney disease: North Carolina-based Pathalys Pharma, which develops treatments for kidney disease, has closed a $105 million Series B round led by TCGX.
Treatment of burns: The FDA has approved Vericel Corporation’s NexoBrid treatment for the removal of dead tissue in children with burns.
Clinical studies: Walgreens has signed a $100 million partnership with the U.S. government to conduct clinical trials to support future emergency preparedness.
After surviving anorexia, this founder raised $110 million to treat the deadly disease online
Ethan Pines for Forbes
Kristina Saffran was first diagnosed with anorexia at the age of 10, spending the next few years undergoing several hospital programs only to return home and relapse into the same destructive behavior. Instead of giving up, Saffran’s parents eventually discovered a treatment. This was called family therapy, which allowed Saffran to stay at home, but it meant her parents had to be closely involved in her treatment, accompanying her at every meal, weighing her regularly and making weekly appointments with a therapist. “[It] It was the hardest year of my life,” says Saffran, now 32, “but it is definitely the year that made me better.”
Ten years after recovering from anorexia, Saffran started a company to make this type of therapy more accessible by providing a single online portal for families to treat and manage a child’s eating disorder. Equip also offers comprehensive services not always offered alongside in-person therapy, with the full care team consisting of a therapist, physician, dietitian, and peer and parent mentors.
Read more here.
Other healthcare news
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Sloth fever: what you need to know about the potentially dangerous oropouche virus after the first deaths
Mounjaro/Zepbound dramatically reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes, Eli Lilly report suggests
Uterus transplants can be an effective but expensive solution for uterine factor infertility
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What else we read
How US Farms Could Cause a Bird Flu Pandemic (The New York Times)
How can climate change harm human health? US studies face funding problems (science)
Testing AI in medicine is a mess. This is how it should be done (Nature)
