Novo Nordisk is pushing the FDA to block compounders from making copies of its Ozempic and Wegovy, saying the weight-loss treatments are too complex to safely replicate.
Why it matters: It's the latest twist in the battle between pharma giants and compounders over the law that allows copies of patent-protected drugs amid shortages.
Federal price transparency rules are showing signs of stoking more hospital competition and making prices more reflective of the cost of care, a new review found.
Why it matters: There's still limited understanding of how the rules are affecting market dynamics, and experts acknowledge they haven't yet translated to lower across-the-board patient costs.
The push for more transparency in the health system is increasingly taking aim at "ghost networks" — the inaccurate health provider directories that critics say are keeping Americans from getting mental health care.
Why it matters: A lawsuit filed against Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield this week comes as Congress and the White House are stepping up efforts to require insurers to accurately account for which providers are in network.
A Florida mother is suing AI startup Character.AI after her son died by suicide following an emotional attachment to a chatbot, as reported by Mostly Human Media.
The big picture:AI companion app creators often claim that their bots are a cure for loneliness, but there's little evidence to back up this claim and the apps are still largely unregulated.
A group of 13 Philadelphia-area health systems is ending the inclusion of race in screening algorithms that help make clinical decisions for lung, kidney and OB-GYN care, saying they incorporate outdated assumptions about biological differences between races.
Why it matters: It's part of an intensifying push to root out systemic biases in clinical tools as AI models take on a bigger role in diagnosis and treatment.
After weathering the pandemic, purging their rolls and coping with inflationary pressures, state Medicaid offices see more upheaval on the horizon, including a presidential election that could bring enormous changes to the safety-net program.
The big picture: A KFF survey of state Medicaid directors released Wednesday paints a picture of a health program serving nearly 73 million Americans that's beset by budgetary shortfalls and higher demand for behavioral health and long-term care.
In the closing days of what he says is his last campaign, Donald Trump has launched a strategy combining splashy, attention-getting stunts with dark, apocalyptic messaging.
Why it matters: It's a scaled-up version of a familiar Trump routine — stay in the news, be provocative, deflect.
Why it matters: Harris has made protecting access to reproductive rights a central tenet of her bid for the White House — and her campaign continues to see the issue of abortion as one of its strongest issues in the final stretch.
