Hello, everyone, and how are you today? We are doing just fine, thank you, as we gaze at birds on the nearby telephone wire and the official mascot curls up for a much-needed nap. Meanwhile, we are perusing our ever-growing to-do list and firing up the trusty coffee kettle to brew yet another cup of stimulation. As always, you are invited to join us. Now, though, the time has come to get cracking. We hope you have a simply smashing day that is both productive and meaningful. And of course, do stay in touch. We appreciate your tips and insights. …
In a highly significant move, a panel of independent experts voted unanimously that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration should approve the first over-the-counter birth control pill, a recommendation that holds the potential to transform the way contraception is delivered in the U.S., STAT reports. After nearly two days of deliberations, the FDA advisory panel voted 17-to-0 after weighing a gamut of data and analyses to assess whether the pill — which was first approved as a prescription medicine decades ago — would be safe, effective and, importantly, easy for women of all ages to use appropriately. The FDA is expected to make a final decision this summer.
A U.S. Senate hearing on high insulin costs billed as a blockbuster showdown with drugmakers and middlemen turned out to be a familiar case of political theater that appeared to satisfy no one, STAT observes. The nation’s three biggest insulin makers, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Sanofi, and a trio of pharmacy benefit managers — Express Scripts, OptumRx and CVS Health — testified in a three-hour hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee. The hearing sets up a debate by the same committee Thursday over a package of bills aimed at PBM reform. However, it provided little clarity on how to contain costs that have been rising for years.
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