Axios

Bayer agreed to pay $40 million to settle claims over its alleged use of kickbacks and false statements related to three prescription drugs, the Department of Justice announced Friday.

The big picture: The lawsuits were brought against Bayer under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private citizens to bring suit — on behalf of the government — against entities suspected of defrauding the government.

Genetic testing company Illumina on Thursday prevailed over the Federal Trade Commission in an administrative court trial over its $7.1 billion acquisition of Grail, a Menlo Park, Calif.-based developer of liquid biopsies for early cancer detection. Illumina had founded Grail, but spun it off in 2017.

Why it matters: This is a stinging loss for the FTC, particularly given that the case was heard by its in-house court, and a huge win for Illumina's decision to complete the merger in spite of ongoing litigation.

One of the more shocking elements from life expectancy data released earlier this week by the CDC was just how much some racial and ethnic groups saw their expected life span shorten.

Driving the news: American Indians and Alaska Natives saw their life expectancy fall six and a half years in the first two years of the pandemic to just over 65 years.

The Department of Veterans Affairs said Friday it plans to provide abortions in cases of rape, incest and when birth may present a danger to a woman's health — "regardless of state restrictions."

The big picture: The VA said the change was necessary after dozens of states banned the procedure earlier this summer once the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade.

The federal government on Friday suspended its program for ordering free at-home COVID tests "because Congress hasn’t provided additional funding to replenish the nation’s stockpile of tests."

Why it matters: The Biden administration is suspending new orders to preserve "limited supply" to ensure there are tests available in the fall when it's possible "we might face a new rise in infections and more acute need," a senior administration official said in a statement to Axios.

A federal database intended to disclose nursing home ownership has spotty and incomplete information that can obscure whether a private equity firm controls a facility, a new report from Public Citizen finds.

Why it matters: A surge of private equity investment in the sector has coincided with worse health outcomes, studies show. And the pandemic put a spotlight on the quality of care after more than 200,000 long-term care facility residents and staff succumbed to COVID-19.

Paxlovid, once hailed as a "game-changer" for its ability to treat COVID-19 infections at home, is becoming one of the pandemic's biggest enigmas.

The intrigue: There's growing concern about the link between Pfizer's antiviral pill and COVID rebound, in which patients test positive or have symptoms days after a course of the drug is completed. President Biden, First Lady Jill Biden and NIAID Director Anthony Fauci have each relapsed.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention late Thursday recommended reformulated Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 boosters that target the Omicron strain for people age 12 and up.

Why it matters: The recommendation came after an outside panel of vaccine advisors earlier Thursday endorsed the boosters in a 13-1 vote and marked the last regulatory hurdle before the updated shots can go into Americans’ arms.

Consuming a lot of ultra-processed foods can lead to a number of adverse health effects as well as early death, according to two large-scale studies published in BMJ medical journal Wednesday.

Driving the news: The studies, conducted in the U.S. and Italy, concluded that increased ultra-processed food consumption is associated with higher risk of cardiovascular diseases and overall mortality, along with higher colorectal cancer deaths in men.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) signed an executive order Wednesday setting aside $10 million to develop a new reproductive health care clinic near the state's Texas border.

Why it matters: The new clinic will expand access in the state to the "full spectrum of reproductive health care" and help it prepare for a potential increase in people seeking abortions from other states that have restricted or banned access to the procedure in the wake of the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade.

San Francisco-based biotech Vaxart, an underdog in the COVID response that's developing a vaccine that would be delivered in a pill, is reporting promising Phase 2 clinical trial data today, the company told Axios exclusively.

Why it matters: The two-dose vaccine candidate was "safe and well-tolerated" and produced immune responses against the wild strain of the virus, as well as subsequent strains including Omicron, officials said.

The first updated COVID-19 boosters are days away from going into the arms of Americans. But the expedited way in which they're being rolled out, and unknowns on how well they'll work, have left many people leery and full of questions.

Why it matters: Experts generally agree COVID vaccinations were in need of an update to target strains like Omicron that now account for the majority of U.S. cases. And the evidence suggests the reformulated Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna shots should protect those at greatest risk from hospitalization and death.

Pandemic-era reforms allowed more Medicare beneficiaries to use telehealth to obtain opioid-use disorder drugs, stay in treatment and avoid overdoses, a new JAMA Psychiatry study found.

Why it matters: The vast majority of people who need treatment for a substance-use disorder don't get it, and the researchers fear the addiction crisis could worsen if COVID-19 allowances on telehealth and prescribing aren't made permanent.