The state of medicinal abortion, Omicron boosters and CDC’s plan for Monkeypox.
These are ever-changing times in the U.S. pharma industry, with an array of political changes, an evolving pandemic, and a new disease entering the healthcare ecosystem. In this edition of our newsletter, we will cover the top five topics trending in the pharmaceutical industry, from the accessibility of abortion pills after the overturn of Roe vs. Wade, an Omicron-specific COVID-19 booster, the vaccine for monkeypox, to Mark Cuban’s online pharmacy and even the cure for a broken heart. Stay tuned for the next edition!
Abortion pills and the state of medicinal abortion after Roe vs. Wade overturned
Medicinal abortion is a preferred option for many women opting for the termination of a pregnancy due to the method providing privacy, being less invasive than the surgical approach and also being affordable. Medicinal abortion became legal in 2000 with the FDA approving mifepristone. However, after the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs. Wade, the future of the abortion pill is uncertain. While the pill can be ordered via mail, some states curtail its use already. With some conservative states like Connecticut passing laws to stop individuals from even opting for abortions in other states, and liberal states like California offering financial aid to those coming from other states to access abortion, the status of abortion as a whole is currently unclear on a nationwide level.
This fall get your pumpkin spice lattes and Omicron boosters
Advisers of the FDA have recommended Omicron Covid-19 boosters for older adults and high-risk individuals to opt for a modified version of the COVID-19 booster for Omicron. Omicron is a highly contagious variant of the COVID-19 virus and the advisers hope to get ahead of the expected surge in infections due to the variant. Leaders in the COVID-19 vaccine arena; Pfizer and Moderna have produced Omicron-specific ‘bivalent’ boosters combining their original vaccines with a specific omicron specialist.
Plan for the U.S Monkeypox outbreak
Monkeypox has been slowly gaining traction in the U.S., with a large number of cases popping up. In order to curb the spread, the CDC has plans to acquire over $1.5 million of Bavarian Nordic’s Jynneos vaccine. The vaccine is recommended for people who have had sexual relations with those exposed, as the highest rate of transmission is through sexual contact. The CDC has also revealed its plans to set up an Emergency Operations Center in an effort to further contain the spread. Read more about this here https://lifescivoice.com/us-increasing-distribution-of-monkey-pox-vaccine/.
Billionaire Mark Cuban looking to shake up the pharmaceutical industry with low-cost online pharmacy
Mark Cuban, a billionaire investor, has opened up an online pharmacy providing generic versions of medicines at a low cost. He explained that by cutting out the middleman and not opting for high markups, the online pharmacy can help make medicine of all kinds both accessible and affordable to the population. These medicines are directly sourced from manufacturers and over 800 types are currently available, with plans to expand.
Hope for a broken heart?
Broken heart syndrome, or takotsubo cardiomyopathy, is a potentially devastating condition affecting the heart that may feel like a heart attack and be brought on by an individual after a traumatic event. No approved treatments currently exist for the condition and studies have recently started. However, scientists at the University of Aberdeen are conducting a trial to test the potential of a newly developed treatment for the condition. Up to 7% of heart attacks are attributed to the syndrome and more women are affected by it than men. If the trial is successful, this could be an important step forward in the recognition of a literal broken heart.
