Mask Review Clarified; CDC Debunks Ladapo’s Vax Claim; Using AI to Deny Care

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The takeaway of a recent Cochrane review that masks don’t work is an “inaccurate and misleading interpretation,” the editor-in-chief of the Cochrane Library said in a statement.

A bill to declassify information on the origins of COVID passed the House and is headed to President Biden’s desk. (Politico)

And the World Health Organization’s director-general said that finding COVID’s origin is a “moral imperative.” (Reuters)

Blood thinner apixiban (Eliquis), along with palbociclib (Ibrance) for breast cancer and the leukemia treatment ibrutinib (Imbruvica) are likely to be among the top-selling drugs targeted for price negotiation by federal regulators in 2026. (Reuters)

And the cost of Medicare covering pricey new obesity medications such as semaglutide (Wegovy) could be financially devastating, health economists warned in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The Texas judge with the power to reverse FDA approval of the abortion drug mifepristone (Mifeprex) quietly scheduled a hearing for Wednesday. (Washington Post)

Meanwhile, three women in Texas are being sued for “wrongful death” by a man who says they helped his ex-wife access abortion medication to terminate her pregnancy. (Texas Tribune)

Among COVID experts interviewed by The Washington Post, some now say life has returned to normal. “We all have moments where we forget COVID exists,” said one of the experts.

The FDA and CDC sent a letter to Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, MD, PhD, debunking claims by the Florida Department of Health that risk of heart attack and stroke are higher in people vaccinated against COVID-19. (AP)

A man in Mississippi has been sentenced to 2 years for threats to CDC officials. (AP)

Shorter primary care visits were associated with inappropriate antibiotic prescribing, a study found. (JAMA Health Forum)

More employers are switching to Medicare Advantage plans over traditional Medicare for their retired employees. (New York Times)

And a STAT investigation found that some Medicare Advantage plans are turning to artificial intelligence to deny care.

Emergency use authorizations won’t necessarily end when the COVID public health emergency ends, the FDA said.

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