- Center on Health Equity & Access
- Clinical
- Health Care Cost
- Health Care Delivery
- Insurance
- Policy
- Technology
- Value-Based Care
What We're Reading: CRISPR Coronavirus Tests; New PDUFA Date for BMS CAR T Therapy; Teams Design Cheap Ventilators
Investigators hope that an experimental test could detect the novel coronavirus at a much lower cost than current tests; the FDA has extended the action date for a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy application from Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS); engineering teams devise inexpensive ventilators for emergency use.
Experimental Prototype Uses CRISPR Technology to Test for Coronavirus
A team of researchers has produced an experimental prototype of a test to diagnose the novel coronavirus that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) using CRISPR gene-editing technology, according to The New York Times. Other groups have published results of experiments with CRISPR-based coronavirus tests, but the new method uses a simpler process that reduces the cost to about $6 per test. However, experts cautioned that the tests are merely a proof of concept and the findings have not undergone peer review, making it unclear how the test would fare in real-world conditions.
FDA Extends Action Date for BMS’ CAR T-Cell Therapy by 3 Months
After Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) submitted additional information to supplement its biologics license application for lisocabtagene maraleucel (liso-cel), the FDA has extended the Prescription Drug User Fee Act date by 3 months to November 16, 2020. The extension was announced in a release from BMS in which the company noted that it remains committed to bringing the therapy to patients. Lisocabtagene maraleucel is a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy for the treatment of relapsed/refractory large B-cell lymphoma in adults who have tried at least 2 prior therapies.
Teams Devise Low-Cost Ventilators, Aiming to Boost Global Supply
Engineering departments at universities nationwide are teaming up to design low-cost emergency ventilators after the COVID-19 pandemic has uncovered shortages in the supply chain, Forbes reports. For instance, a team led by C. Nataraj, PhD, an engineering professor at Villanova University, has produced a prototype of a ventilator that could be manufactured by local businesses for less than $1000. Although manufacturing will not be ramped up in time to help with the first wave of COVID-19 in the United States, the devices emerging from these efforts could help hospitals if there is a second wave or could be sent to low-income countries with an already low supplies of ventilators.
Stuck in Prior Auth Purgatory: The Hidden Costs of Health Care Delays
June 19th 2025Delays, denials, and endless paperwork—prior authorization isn’t just a headache for providers; it’s a barrier for patients who need timely care, explains Colin Banas, MD, MHA, chief medical officer with DrFirst.
Listen
Report Reveals Mounting Burdens of Drug Shortages on US Health System
June 27th 2025Vizient's 2024 survey reveals a sharp rise in drug shortages across US health care, with pediatric care hit especially hard and labor costs soaring—but the true impact may go far beyond limited medication access, threatening to disrupt the very foundations of how health systems operate.
Read More
