McKinsey Opened a Door in Its Firewall Between Pharma Clients and Regulators

The firm let consultants advise both drugmakers and their government overseers, internal records show. “Who we know and what we know” was part of their pitch.

#azar-alex-m-ii, #conflicts-of-interest, #drugs-pharmaceuticals, #food-and-drug-administration, #mckinseyco, #opioids-and-opiates, #purdue-pharma, #regulation-and-deregulation-of-industry

Frustrations Boil at Pace of Vaccinations at Long-Term Care Facilities

The Trump administration raised hopes of a speedy process for nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Patience is wearing thin.

#azar-alex-m-ii, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #cvs-caremark-corporation, #health-and-human-services-department, #nursing-homes, #retirement-communities-and-assisted-living, #vaccination-and-immunization, #walgreen-co

U.S. and Pfizer Seal Deal for 100 Million More Vaccine Doses

The company agreed to deliver the additional doses of its coronavirus vaccine by the end of July, helping address a looming shortage.

#azar-alex-m-ii, #biontech-se, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #coronavirus-aid-relief-and-economic-security-act-2020, #defense-production-act, #drugs-pharmaceuticals, #johnsonjohnson, #moderna-inc, #novavax-inc, #pfizer-inc, #sanofi-sa, #trump-donald-j, #vaccination-and-immunization

Why Covid Antibody Drugs Go Unused as Need Soars

While such treatments are promising, their use has been slowed by testing lags, overwhelmed hospitals and a perception the therapies are only for well-connected people.

#antibodies, #azar-alex-m-ii, #carson-benjamin-s, #christie-christopher-j, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #cvs-caremark-corporation, #drugs-pharmaceuticals, #eli-lilly-and-company, #health-and-human-services-department, #hospitals, #regeneron-pharmaceuticals-inc, #trump-donald-j, #your-feed-healthcare

Pfizer Nears Deal to Provide More Vaccine Doses

The company could provide at least tens of millions of additional doses of a coronavirus vaccine under an agreement that would give it better access to the supplies it needs to expand manufacturing.

#astrazeneca-plc, #azar-alex-m-ii, #biontech-se, #bourla-albert, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #defense-production-act, #drugs-pharmaceuticals, #johnsonjohnson, #moderna-inc, #novavax-inc, #perna-gustave-f, #pfizer-inc, #presidential-election-of-2020, #sanofi-sa, #trump-donald-j, #vaccination-and-immunization

Trump Administration Plans a Rushed Effort to Encourage Americans to Be Vaccinated

A large-scale public education campaign, delayed by false starts and investigations, will get off the ground just as the coronavirus vaccine becomes available to high-risk Americans.

#azar-alex-m-ii, #caputo-michael-r, #celebrities, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #coronavirus-risks-and-safety-concerns, #fauci-anthony-s, #health-and-human-services-department, #online-advertising, #polls-and-public-opinion, #trump-donald-j, #united-states-politics-and-government, #vaccination-and-immunization, #weber-mark

Trump Officials Push Ambitious Vaccine Timeline as California Locks Down

As cases surge and hospital beds fill up, federal officials said a vaccine could be distributed to as many as 24 million people by mid-January.

#azar-alex-m-ii, #biden-joseph-r-jr, #california, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #great-britain, #medicine-and-health, #moderna-inc, #pfizer-inc, #public-private-sector-cooperation, #shutdowns-institutional, #slaoui-moncef-m, #trump-donald-j, #united-states-politics-and-government, #vaccination-and-immunization

Trump Gave W.H.O. a List of Demands. Hours Later, He Walked Away.

When President Trump quit the health organization, he left a list of seven demands on the table. Here they are.

#andrew-bremberg, #azar-alex-m-ii, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #geneva-switzerland, #health-and-human-services-department, #presidential-election-of-2020, #tedros-adhanom-ghebreyesus, #trump-donald-j, #united-states-international-relations, #united-states-politics-and-government, #world-health-organization

Small Social Gatherings Aren’t Driving the Virus Surge (So Far)

Yes, the coronavirus can be spread over cocktails and dinners. But these get-togethers do not account for the huge rise in cases seen now, the data show.

#azar-alex-m-ii, #bars-and-nightclubs, #colleges-and-universities, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #disease-rates, #lamont-ned, #meatpacking-plants-and-slaughterhouses, #medicine-and-health, #nursing-homes, #parties-social, #prisons-and-prisoners, #restaurants, #scott-phil-1958, #united-states, #walz-tim, #weddings-and-engagements, #your-feed-science

A Final Try by Trump to Cut Drug Prices May Stumble in Court

A new rule would base the price Medicare pays for certain drugs on the lowest price paid among similar countries. But a rushed process means legal challenges are likely.

#azar-alex-m-ii, #drugs-pharmaceuticals, #prices-fares-fees-and-rates, #regulation-and-deregulation-of-industry, #trump-donald-j

Trump Promised Seniors Drug Discount Cards. They May Be Illegal.

A proposal announced by President Trump last month was to send older Americans $200 discount cards to offset prescription costs. It’s not going to happen before the election, and maybe not ever.

#azar-alex-m-ii, #centers-for-medicare-and-medicaid-services, #drugs-pharmaceuticals, #elderly, #ethics-and-official-misconduct, #hatch-act-1939, #health-and-human-services-department, #medicare, #presidential-election-of-2020, #trump-donald-j, #united-states-politics-and-government, #verma-seema

As the Virus Surges, Stark Differences Over What Is Around the Corner

President Trump’s health secretary voiced optimism on Sunday that vaccines and treatments would soon save the day, but governors and experts issued bleak warnings about the public letting down its guard.

#azar-alex-m-ii, #burgum-douglas, #clinical-trials, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #disease-rates, #governors-us, #pritzker-j-b, #states-us, #vaccination-and-immunization

White House Blocks New Coronavirus Vaccine Guidelines

The F.D.A. proposed stricter guidelines for emergency approval of a coronavirus vaccine, but the White House chief of staff objected to provisions that would push approval past Election Day.

#azar-alex-m-ii, #clinical-trials, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #food-and-drug-administration, #hahn-stephen-m-1960, #meadows-mark-r-1959, #office-of-management-and-budget-us, #regulation-and-deregulation-of-industry, #trump-donald-j, #united-states-politics-and-government, #vaccination-and-immunization, #your-feed-healthcare

Trump Pressed for a Plasma Treatment. Officials Worry, Is a Vaccine Next?

New details of how the president has demanded faster action from health agencies help explain the intensifying concern that he could demand pre-Election Day approval of a vaccine.

#azar-alex-m-ii, #birx-deborah-l, #blood, #clinical-trials, #collins-francis-s, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #drugs-pharmaceuticals, #food-and-drug-administration, #hahn-stephen-m-1960, #health-and-human-services-department, #kushner-jared, #marks-peter, #mayo-clinic, #meadows-mark-r-1959, #national-institutes-of-health, #presidential-election-of-2020, #republican-national-convention, #trump-donald-j, #united-states-politics-and-government, #vaccination-and-immunization

Emily Miller and Another P.R. Expert Ousted At F.D.A. After Blood Plasma Fiasco

The agency’s chief spokeswoman, Emily Miller, was removed from her position just 11 days into the job. And the contract was terminated of a consultant who had advised the F.D.A. chief to correct misleading claims about plasma’s benefits.

#apco-worldwide, #appointments-and-executive-changes, #azar-alex-m-ii, #blood, #convalescent-plasma, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #drugs-pharmaceuticals, #food-and-drug-administration, #hahn-stephen-m-1960, #health-and-human-services-department, #miller-emily-j, #pines-wayne-l, #trump-donald-j, #vaccination-and-immunization

F.D.A. ‘Grossly Misrepresented’ Blood Plasma Data, Scientists Say

Many experts — including a scientist who worked on the Mayo Clinic study — were bewildered about where a key statistic came from.

#azar-alex-m-ii, #clinical-trials, #convalescent-plasma, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #drugs-pharmaceuticals, #hahn-stephen-m-1960, #marks-peter, #trump-donald-j, #united-states-politics-and-government

Billions in Hospital Virus Aid Rested on Compliance With Private Vendor

The Department of Health and Human Services told hospitals in April that reporting to the vendor, TeleTracking Technologies, was a “prerequisite to payment.”

#azar-alex-m-ii, #birx-deborah-l, #budgets-and-budgeting, #centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #coronavirus-aid-relief-and-economic-security-act-2020, #disease-rates, #electronic-health-records, #h-h-s-protect, #health-and-human-services-department, #hospitals, #teletracking-technologies-inc, #trump-donald-j, #united-states-politics-and-government

Trump Ethics Panel Urges Rejection of Fetal Tissue Research

A new advisory board, appointed by the Trump administration, recommended that the health secretary reject funding for virtually every fetal tissue research project it considered.

#abortion, #azar-alex-m-ii, #conservatism-us-politics, #fetal-tissue, #health-and-human-services-department, #national-institutes-of-health, #research, #trump-donald-j, #united-states-politics-and-government

U.S. Tries to Bolster Taiwan’s Status, Short of Recognizing Sovereignty

President Trump prefers a robust relationship with authoritarian China to one with democratic Taiwan. But other American officials aim to strengthen U.S.-Taiwan ties.

#arms-trade, #azar-alex-m-ii, #bolton-john-r, #china, #chinese-nationalist-party-taiwan, #communist-party-of-china, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #defense-and-military-forces, #international-trade-and-world-market, #taiwan, #trump-donald-j, #tsai-ing-wen, #united-states-defense-and-military-forces, #united-states-international-relations, #united-states-politics-and-government, #xi-jinping

Health Experts Warn About Perils of New Virus Data Collection System

An administration shift is putting a burden on hospitals and undercutting the integrity of data on the pandemic, current and former members of a federal advisory panel said.

#american-hospital-assn, #azar-alex-m-ii, #centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #government-contracts-and-procurement, #health-and-human-services-department, #hospitals, #kadlec-robert-p, #osterholm-michael-t, #trump-donald-j

Vote for Trump’s Worst!

The competition among his cabineteers is fierce.

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U.S. Health Secretary to Visit Taiwan, in a Move Likely to Anger Beijing

The trip by Alex M. Azar II, a rare high-level U.S. visit, is being billed as an opportunity to highlight Taiwan’s success in battling the coronavirus pandemic.

#azar-alex-m-ii, #china, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #health-and-human-services-department, #taiwan, #trump-donald-j, #united-states, #united-states-international-relations, #xi-jinping

Scientists Worry About Political Influence Over Coronavirus Vaccine Project

Operation Warp Speed has moved along at a rapid clip. But some people involved in the approval process fear pressure to deliver an October surprise for President Trump.

#appointments-and-executive-changes, #azar-alex-m-ii, #birx-deborah-l, #clinical-trials, #conflicts-of-interest, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #drugs-pharmaceuticals, #fauci-anthony-s, #food-and-drug-administration, #hahn-stephen-m-1960, #health-and-human-services-department, #kushner-jared, #medicine-and-health, #moderna-inc, #polls-and-public-opinion, #presidential-election-of-2020, #public-private-sector-cooperation, #regulation-and-deregulation-of-industry, #slaoui-moncef-m, #trump-donald-j, #united-states-politics-and-government, #vaccination-and-immunization

Trump Narrows Search for Coronavirus Vaccine to Five Firms

The White House is eager to project progress, but the public-private partnership it has created still faces scientific hurdles, internal tensions and questions from Congress.

#astrazeneca-plc, #azar-alex-m-ii, #clinical-trials, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #coronavirus-aid-relief-and-economic-security-act-2020, #drugs-pharmaceuticals, #health-and-human-services-department, #johnsonjohnson, #marks-peter, #merckcompany-inc, #moderna-inc, #oxford-university, #perna-gustave-f, #pfizer-inc, #public-private-sector-cooperation, #slaoui-moncef-m, #trump-donald-j, #vaccination-and-immunization

The Wonderful World of Trump Worsts

Just don’t call him Tweety.

#azar-alex-m-ii, #desantis-ron, #devos-elizabeth-1958, #education-k-12, #pompeo-mike, #trump-donald-j, #united-states-politics-and-government

Prominent Scientists Denounce End to Coronavirus Grant

A group of 77 Nobel laureates wants the U.S. government to review a grant cancellation for research in China directly related to preventing pandemics.

#azar-alex-m-ii, #collins-francis-s, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #daszak-peter, #ecohealth-alliance, #national-institutes-of-health, #trump-donald-j, #varmus-harold-e, #wuhan-china, #your-feed-science

‘Lives Were Lost’ as Warnings Went Unheeded, Whistle-Blower Tells House

Dr. Rick Bright testified that he made early appeals that the Trump administration prepare for the coronavirus. President Trump and his health secretary snapped back.

#azar-alex-m-ii, #bright-rick-a, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #hydroxychloroquine-drug, #trump-donald-j, #united-states-politics-and-government, #whistle-blowers

Administration to Phase Out Coronavirus Task Force

The group had provided President Trump a backdrop for his daily briefings while working to coordinate the government response to the pandemic.

#azar-alex-m-ii, #birx-deborah-l, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #fauci-anthony-s, #kushner-jared, #mnuchin-steven-t, #pence-mike, #quarantines, #trump-donald-j, #united-states-economy, #united-states-politics-and-government

Trump Seeks Push to Speed Coronavirus Vaccine, Despite Safety Concerns

The president wants a coronavirus vaccine widely available by the end of the year, even though his public health experts say it will take at least a year to 18 months.

#azar-alex-m-ii, #biomedical-advanced-research-and-development-authority, #clinical-trials, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #emergent-biosolutions-inc, #epidemics, #fauci-anthony-s, #food-and-drug-administration, #health-and-human-services-department, #johnsonjohnson, #moderna-inc, #presidential-election-of-2020, #trump-donald-j, #united-states-politics-and-government, #vaccination-and-immunization

Coronavirus Has Trump Health Secretary in Trouble

Alex M. Azar II has long been seen as a difficult personality in President Trump’s cabinet, but the pandemic has exacerbated personal clashes, putting him on thin ice.

#appointments-and-executive-changes, #azar-alex-m-ii, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #grogan-joe, #health-and-human-services-department, #medicine-and-health, #trump-donald-j, #united-states-politics-and-government, #verma-seema

How Trump and His Team Covered Up the Coronavirus in Five Days

The president and senior officials manipulated Americans and played down the severity of the pandemic.

#azar-alex-m-ii, #centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #epidemics, #esper-mark-t, #kudlow-lawrence-a, #national-center-for-immunization-and-respiratory-diseases, #navarro-peter, #trump-donald-j, #united-states

Coronavirus and the Price of Trump’s Delusions

A cult of personality is no match for a pandemic.

#accidents-and-safety, #azar-alex-m-ii, #bright-rick-a, #chernobyl-ukraine, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #deaths-fatalities, #drugs-pharmaceuticals, #hydroxychloroquine-drug, #midnight-in-chernobyl-the-story-of-the-worlds-greatest-nuclear-disaster-book, #news-and-news-media, #nuclear-energy, #quarantines, #redfield-robert-r, #rumors-and-misinformation, #trump-donald-j, #united-states-politics-and-government, #ussr-former-soviet-union

Loyal Trump Backer Is Now a Face of the Administration’s Virus Response

The loyalty of the longtime Trump adviser Michael Caputo helped him secure a post as the top public affairs official at the Health and Human Services Department during the pandemic.

#appointments-and-executive-changes, #azar-alex-m-ii, #caputo-michael-r, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #health-and-human-services-department, #presidential-election-of-2016, #russian-interference-in-2016-us-elections-and-ties-to-trump-associates, #scavino-dan-jr-1976, #stone-roger-j-jr, #trump-donald-j, #united-states-politics-and-government

He Could Have Seen What Was Coming: Behind Trump’s Failure on the Virus

An examination reveals the president was warned about the potential for a pandemic but that internal divisions, lack of planning and his faith in his own instincts led to a halting response.

#azar-alex-m-ii, #birx-deborah-l, #centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention, #china, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #fauci-anthony-s, #health-and-human-services-department, #mnuchin-steven-t, #national-center-for-immunization-and-respiratory-diseases, #national-security-council, #navarro-peter, #obrien-robert-c-1952, #pence-mike, #pottinger-matthew, #presidential-election-of-2020, #quarantines, #redfield-robert-r, #shutdowns-institutional, #travel-warnings, #trump-donald-j, #united-states-economy, #united-states-international-relations, #united-states-politics-and-government

The Lost Month: How a Failure to Test Blinded the U.S. to Covid-19

Aggressive screening might have helped contain the coronavirus in the United States. But technical flaws, regulatory hurdles and lapses in leadership let it spread undetected for weeks.

#azar-alex-m-ii, #biofire-defense-llc, #centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention, #china, #chinese-centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #fauci-anthony-s, #food-and-drug-administration, #giroir-brett-p, #hahn-stephen-m-1960, #health-and-human-services-department, #medicine-and-health, #national-center-for-immunization-and-respiratory-diseases, #pence-mike, #qiagen-nv, #quarantines, #redfield-robert, #regulation-and-deregulation-of-industry, #sars-severe-acute-respiratory-syndrome, #tests-medical, #united-states, #united-states-politics-and-government, #white-house-building-washington-dc, #world-health-organization

Inside Trump Administration, Debate Raged Over What to Tell Public

The administration’s response to the coronavirus has repeatedly matched public health experts against a hesitant White House, where worry of panic dominates.

#azar-alex-m-ii, #centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #epidemics, #fauci-anthony-s, #trump-donald-j, #united-states-politics-and-government

With Test Kits in Short Supply, Health Officials Sound Alarms

Despite efforts by President Trump and others to reassure the public that tests are getting disseminated quickly, several states, doctors and patients complained that access was limited.

#azar-alex-m-ii, #centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #epidemics, #food-and-drug-administration, #laboratories-and-scientific-equipment, #medicine-and-health, #pence-mike, #redfield-robert-r, #tests-medical, #trump-donald-j, #your-feed-healthcare

Trump Makes Room for Experts, but Still Takes a Leading Role on Coronavirus

Appearing before cameras sometimes multiple times a day to talk about the outbreak, the president has offered rosy assessments and unproven or even false assertions.

#azar-alex-m-ii, #centers-for-disease-control-and-prevention, #coronavirus-2019-ncov, #fauci-anthony-s, #federal-reserve-system, #national-institutes-of-health, #pence-mike, #presidential-election-of-2020, #trump-donald-j, #united-states-economy, #united-states-politics-and-government, #vaccination-and-immunization