Health Care — Pfizer to expand domestic manufacturing of Paxlovid
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An errant sled dog who went missing three months ago — named Leon — has been found safe in Alaska about 150 miles away from where he ran off.
Today we’ll look at Pfizer’s announcement that it will spend $120 million to expand manufacturing of its COVID-19 antiviral treatment in Michigan. Plus, how the push for normalcy is winning out heading into the third summer of the coronavirus pandemic.
Welcome to Overnight Health Care, where we’re following the latest moves on policy and news affecting your health. For The Hill, we’re Peter Sullivan, Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi. Subscribe here.
Pfizer pledges $120M to boost COVID pill production
Pfizer announced Monday that it is investing $120 million to boost production of its COVID-19 treatment pills in the United States.
What they’re saying: The move will create more than 250 jobs at its plant in Kalamazoo, Mich., the company said, as it looks to increase production of Paxlovid.
The investment “will allow Pfizer to increase supply by an additional 4 million packs of Paxlovid, allowing us to meet global demand and help increase overall access,” said Pfizer spokeswoman Julia Cohen.
Increasing availability and use of Paxlovid has been a primary goal of the Biden administration. Health officials have acknowledged that in the early days after it was authorized in December, supply of the medication was limited and many doctors were reluctant to prescribe it for all but the highest-risk patients.
Paxlovid is seen as a key part of making COVID-19 more manageable, given that the treatment has been shown to reduce the risk of hospitalization or death by around 90 percent.
Push for normalcy wins out in COVID wars
As Americans start a third summer living amid the specter of the coronavirus, their attitude on the pandemic has shifted.
Even as infections rise to levels that are four to five times higher than the same point last year, the push for normalcy is winning out.
Times have changed: Experts say it’s not surprising; because of widespread vaccinations and treatments available, many people no longer see the virus as the threat it once was.
Now, almost all masks or vaccine requirements have been deliberately abandoned or overturned in court.
The U.S. is averaging about 100,000 new cases every day, but movie studios are releasing summer blockbusters to packed theaters, families are celebrating weddings, and bars and restaurants are full.
A new normal: Living with the threat of a COVID-19 infection has become the new normal for Americans who are ready to move on.
“People are tired of the changes that they’ve had to make to their lives related to COVID-19 and so eager to get back to normal,” said Mercedes Carnethon, epidemiologist at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Even as many in the country look to regain a sense of normalcy this summer, not everyone is on equal footing.
Millions of people are still vulnerable, particularly racial minorities and low-income populations who don’t have the luxury of working from home or avoiding public transportation.
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FIRST POSSIBLE MONKEYPOX CASE REPORTED IN DC
The first possible monkeypox case in Washington, D.C., has been identified in a resident who recently traveled to Europe.
What we know: DC Health said the resident was confirmed to be positive for orthopox, the family of viruses that monkeypox falls within, on Saturday.
Samples have been collected and sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for further testing and confirmation of monkeypox.
The infected resident is isolating, and close contacts are being identified and monitored. According to DC Health, no other cases have been identified as of Sunday, and the risk to the public remains low.
Across the country: Around 25 monkeypox cases have been identified in at least 11 states so far, according to the CDC, with no deaths reported.
The majority of U.S. cases have been found in men who have sex with men, though one case has been confirmed in a woman with a heterosexual sex life.
The gender and sexual orientation of the D.C. resident who tested positive were not shared.
WHITE HOUSE CRITICIZES LOUISIANA ABORTION BILL AS ‘RADICAL’
The White House on Monday forcefully criticized a bill moving through the Louisiana state legislature that would ban most abortions and impose criminal penalties on doctors who perform the procedure if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade.
What they’re saying: “The Louisiana legislature has taken the latest step in a growing attack against the fundamental freedoms of Americans,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement.
“The President is committed to protecting the constitutional rights of Americans afforded by Roe for nearly 50 years, and ensuring that women can make their own choices about their lives, bodies, and families,” she continued. “An overwhelming majority of the American people agree and reject these kinds of radical measures.”
Governor expected to sign: The Louisiana state Senate gave final approval to the bill on Sunday, sending to Gov. John Bel Edwards’s (D) desk. The Democratic governor, who opposes abortion, is expected to sign the bill into law.
It would ban abortion in most cases without exceptions for rape or incest and would close the abortion clinics in the state. It does allow for abortions if a pregnancy threatens the mother’s life. Doctors who perform abortions would also be subject to criminal penalties.
Biden announces fifth baby formula mission, shipment
President Biden on Monday announced a fifth mission to bring infant formula to the U.S. from overseas, with the most recent shipment arriving from Cologne, Germany.
The shipment of Nestlé infant formulas will be transported to Fort Worth, Texas on June 9. The products will be distributed through Nestlé/Gerber distribution channels, according to the White House, with additional deliveries expected to be announced in the coming days.
The delivery will include 110,000 pounds of Nestlé NAN SupremePro Stage 1 infant formula as well as roughly 1.6 million 8-ounce bottles. Previous deliveries of infant formula have been sourced from the U.K. and Australia.
Back home: Domestically, Abbott Nutrition’s infant formula facility in Sturgis, Mich., resumed operation on Saturday after it reached a consent agreement with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last month.
The company said it expects products to be on shelves later this month. But the opening won’t immediately lead to more formula on shelves, and the White House acknowledged as much in a memo Monday.
Citing data from the research firm IRI, the administration noted inventories were lower at the end of May compared to the beginning of the month, but sales were up by volume, meaning parents are buying formula as soon as it appears on shelves.
WHAT WE’RE READING
If Roe is overturned, the ripples could affect IVF and genetic testing of embryos, experts warn (Stat)
A Cancer Trial’s Unexpected Result: Remission in Every Patient (The New York Times)
The U.S. has wasted over 82 million Covid vaccine doses (NBC News)
STATE BY STATE
California aims to slash insulin prices and challenge Big Pharma. Can it succeed? (Los Angeles Times)
WA state hospitals ‘remarkably strained’ by COVID-19 community spread, officials say (The Bellingham Herald)
Mississippi’s medical marijuana application portal already has more than 1,800 users (Mississippi Today)
OP-EDS IN THE HILL
That’s it for today, thanks for reading. Check out The Hill’s Health Care page for the latest news and coverage. See you tomorrow.
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