- FTC to target patent abuses. (WSJ)
- Eylea (which costs more than $1,800 for a single dose) has been granted over 90 granted patents—including one for minor adjustments to its sterile packaging.
- Tomas Philipson: So called “patent abuses” are exaggerated.
- What the FDA gets wrong about drugs for rare diseases.
- Capretta: Americans spend more on healthcare than other countries because of “premium medicine”: procedures that offer minimal benefits at high cost.
- An argument for more regulation of direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs. Although very one-sided. Our biggest problem is that the chronically ill are under-consuming drugs, not over-consuming them.
Health Care Disruption Takes Another Hit
Walmart has made the unfortunate decision to shutter its health clinics, the big box retailer announced. The decision was apparently sudden. Only about a month ago Walmart announced plans to add 19 more stores in 2024. In all Walmart will close all 51 of its physician-staffed clinics. Walmart is also closing its telemedicine portals as well.
Thursday Links
- Biden’s new Title IX rules: how bad are they?
- The uneasy case for digital health.
- Why cannabis should not be a controlled substance.
- Will fasting cause you to live longer? It works for mice and monkeys.
- NEJM criticize itself for ignoring Nazi atrocities in the past.
- Most hospital patients are given drugs that are not FDA-approved for the prescribed use. Once a drug has been approved, the FDA has almost no control over how that drug is actually prescribed. (Recommended)
Wednesday Links
- Energy costs are 40% higher under Biden.
- The down side of the job market: 52% of college grads are working in jobs that don’t require the degrees they earned, a year after graduation.
- Scott Alexander responds to Robin Hanson on: Does health care matter?
- Robin responds to the response.
- Why is Walmart shutting down all of its Texas health clinics?
- More reasons to support the Wuhan lab theory.