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What We’re Reading: FDA Approves OTC Naloxone; Obesity Drugs Might Be “Essential” by WHO; WHO Revamps COVID-19 Vaccine Recs
The FDA approves over-the-counter (OTC) naloxone that will be available in late summer; the World Health Organization (WHO) might consider obesity drugs “essential” in upcoming review; the WHO updates COVID-19 vaccine recommendations.
Over the Counter Naloxone Approved by FDA
Naloxone (Narcan), a prescription nasal spray that reverses opioid overdoses, can now be sold over the counter, said the FDA on Wednesday. The New York Times reported that public health officials and treatment experts have been waiting for this outcome and that more availability will decrease the country’s frighteningly high drug fatality rates. The drug will be available by late summer and could be for sale in big-box chains, vending machines, supermarkets, and more locations.
WHO Will Consider Obesity Drug Additions to “Essential” Medicines List
Drugs that fight obesity could be included on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) “essential medicines list,” for the first time, a tool that is used to guide government purchasing decisions in low and middle-income countries, according to Reuters . An advisory panel to the WHO will review new requests for included drugs in April, with an updated essential medicines list expected in September. The request covers the active ingredient liraglutide in Novo Nordisk’s obesity drug (brand name Saxenda) that will soon come off patent and allow for cheaper or generic versions. However, some public health experts warn against widespread introduction of such medicines as a solution for a complex condition not yet well understood.
WHO Revamps COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
The WHO has altered its COVID-19 vaccination recommendations that suggest health children and adolescents might not need a shot, but older, high-risk groups should get a booster between 6 and 12 months after their last injection, reported CNN. The goal was to focus on vaccinating those at the greatest risk of severe disease and death from COVID-19, while considering the current high level of worldwide population immunity because of widespread vaccination and infection. The organization said that vaccines after the first 2 shots and booster were no longer routinely recommended for people at “medium risk” because of marginal benefits.
Urticaria Diagnosis Challenged by Overlapping Pruritic Skin Conditions
April 23rd 2025Urticaria is complicated to diagnose by its symptomatic overlap with other skin conditions and the frequent misclassification in literature of distinct pathologies like vasculitic urticaria and bullous pemphigus.
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New Research Challenges Assumptions About Hospital-Physician Integration, Medicare Patient Mix
April 22nd 2025On this episode of Managed Care Cast, Brady Post, PhD, lead author of a study published in the April 2025 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care®, challenges the claim that hospital-employed physicians serve a more complex patient mix.
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Personalized Care Key as Tirzepatide Use Expands Rapidly
April 15th 2025Using commercial insurance claims data and the US launch of tirzepatide as their dividing point, John Ostrominski, MD, Harvard Medical School, and his team studied trends in the use of both glucose-lowering and weight-lowering medications, comparing outcomes between adults with and without type 2 diabetes.
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ACOs’ Focus on Rooting Out Fraud Aligns With CMS Vision Under Oz
April 23rd 2025Accountable care organizations (ACOs) are increasingly playing the role of data sleuths as they identify and report trends of anomalous billing in hopes of salvaging their shared savings. This mission dovetails with that of CMS, which under the new administration plans to prioritize rooting out fraud, waste, and abuse.
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