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What We’re Reading: Listeria Outbreak; COVID-19 Death Decline; Eli Lilly Pays in Drug Patent Trial
A listeria outbreak has been linked to deli meats and cheeses; the World Health Organization announced that there has been a 90% drop in recent deaths in COVID-19 globally compared with 9 months ago; Eli Lilly was ordered to pay $176.5 million in a US migraine drug patent trial.
CDC Warns of Listeria Outbreak
An outbreak of listeria has been linked to meats and cheese sold at the deli counter, according to the CDC. The CDC reported that deli meat in multiple states had been linked to the outbreak. Listeria can be easily spread in food on deli counters, deli slicers, surfaces, and hands and can survive and grow in cold temperatures. The CDC said that a single food could not be identified as the source of the outbreak due to how easily listeria can spread. People at the highest risk of severe listeria are people aged 65 years and older, pregnant people, and those with a weakened immune system.
WHO Reports 90% Drop in COVID-19 Deaths
The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that there was a 90% decrease in COVID-19 deaths from February globally, according to The Associated Press. In the previous week, a total of 9400 deaths due to COVID-19 were reported compared with the 75,000 weekly deaths in February. Testing and sequencing rates remain low globally and vaccination gaps between rich and poor countries are wide, which continues to be the reason for global COVID-19 deaths. The United Nations health agency also announced that newly registered COVID-19 cases came in at more than 2.1 million for the week, which is down 15% from the previous week.
Eli Lilly Pays in Drug Patent Trial
Eli Lilly & Co will have to pay $176.5 million to Teva Pharmaceuticals International GmbH after a trial determined that its migraine drug galcanezumab infringed on 3 Teva patients, according to Reuters. The jury found that Lilly’s migraine drug violated its rights in the patents and that Lilly infringed the patents willfully. Both drugs in question treat migraines by using antibodies to inhibit headache-causing peptides. A spokesperson for Lilly said that the decision will not affect the ability to offer galcanezumab to patients. The spokesperson for Lilly also said that the company is confident that they will “ultimately prevail” in the case.
Opportunities and Obstacles Associated With the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program
October 3rd 2025This study describes the current opportunities and obstacles associated with Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program implementation from the novel perspective of program suppliers across the US.
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AI in Health Care: Balancing Governance, Innovation, and Trust
September 2nd 2025In this conversation with Reuben Daniel, associate vice president of artificial intelligence at UPMC Health Plan, we dive into how UPMC Health Plan builds trust with providers and members, discuss challenges of scaling AI effectively, and hear about concrete examples of AI's positive impact.
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Infertility Coverage Boosts ART Use and Pregnancy Success: Richard A. Brook, MS, MBA
August 26th 2025In this episode, Richard A. Brook, MS, MBA, discusses his study showing that infertility treatment coverage increases assisted reproductive technology (ART) use and improves pregnancy outcomes.
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