Search for vaccines and antibody treatments for opioids accelerates
This concept has long fascinated scientists. It harnesses the power of antibodies to block the dangerous effects of substances such as heroin, cocaine, and nicotine. something that is broken or finished millions of American life.
Years of effort have failed to produce a viable vaccine or lab-made antibody treatment, but research is accelerating More than 100,000 Americans have died from overdoses, primarily from the synthetic opioid fentanyl, as the country faces an unprecedented drug crisis.
Backed by millions of dollars in federal funding, researchers envision vaccines and monoclonal antibody treatments as a complement to opioid treatments and overdose drugs, but promising treatments will not be available until It could take years.
The federal government recently awarded additional awards. $14.8 million The researchers worked on a monoclonal antibody that targets fentanyl, the nation’s deadliest street drug, by binding to fentanyl molecules before they can enter the brain and stop you from breathing. Smoking cessation therapyA North Carolina biotech company is touting its monoclonal antibodies as a way to both prevent overdoses and treat overdoses and opioid addiction.
- “It makes it spongy – it’s like Pac-Man,” he said Andrew C. BarrettChief Scientific Officer Cessation Therapeutics recently began Japan’s first government-approved human clinical trial. Injection of a monoclonal antibody targeting fentanyl.
long history of research
Monoclonal antibodies (proteins that are brewed from cells in giant vats under controlled conditions) have been used for decades to treat cancer and autoimmune diseases, even though the drugs are expensive. has brought about change.
Clinical trials underway for monoclonal antibody therapy against methamphetamine increasingly used Along with fentanyl. at the same time, food and drug administration-Approved clinical trials targeting vaccines continue Oxycodone, the prescription painkiller that has sparked this country’s opioid crisis. Researchers also heroin and fentanyl.
This effort reflects the urgency of the drug crisis, but that urgency collides with harsh realities. Similar efforts have been stymied for decades. Research costs a lot of money, but that doesn’t take into account the cost for companies to bring antibodies or vaccines to market. Additionally, the illegal drug landscape changes rapidly, so time is of the essence.
Moreover, skeptics argue that drug users would not consent or simply switch to other substances if they could afford the high cost of antibody treatments.
- “People have to say they want to get the shot, and they have to choose whether or not they want to keep going every time they get a shot or an IV.” Keith Humphries, stanford university Professor of psychiatry and former White House drug policy advisor. “Vaccines do not reduce cravings or withdrawal symptoms or provide an incentive for someone to return for more treatment.”
Ryan Marinoaddiction specialist and assistant professor. Case Western Reserve University School of Medicinenoted that the drug buprenorphine exists to reduce cravings for opioids, and that Vivitrol, a monthly non-opioid injection that binds to receptors in the brain, blocks the euphoria caused by opioids.
Marino argued that resources should be spent on expanding access to existing drugs and the overdose-reversing drug naloxone, rather than vaccines. “Putting money and resources into moonshots like that has failed time and time again. It’s a little disappointing to me,” he said.
You can read David’s full report here here.
#1 in Health 202: Democrats urge CMS to adopt stricter nursing home staffing rules
Nearly 100 House Democrats Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services strengthen proposed rule It would set minimum standards for nursing home staffing.
Letter anchored by Congressman. Lloyd Doggett (D-Tex.) and Jan Schakowsky (Illinois) will be sent to the agency this afternoon to join them. Over 25,000 comments A proposal has already been submitted. CMS is accepting public feedback on the staffing plan until the end of the year.
Looking more closely, If implemented as proposed, draft regulations It would require each of the nation’s 15,000 nursing homes to provide at least three hours of direct care to residents each day. It also requires certified nurses to work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
- Lawmakers are asking CMS to increase the in-person care requirement to 4.2 hours per patient per day. They also want the agency to implement time-stamped staffing data reporting requirements to ensure nursing homes comply with 24/7 registered nurse on-site requirements and other changes. .
Overall picture: The Biden administration’s long-awaited plan since it was announced in September facing the heat There are also comments from patient advocates who want a stronger system and industry groups who say such mandatory staffing is unfeasible and too costly due to labor shortages.
CMS said the draft rule strikes the right balance Ensuring residents receive quality care that is paid for by governments and families, and improving the working conditions of the overburdened workers who provide care on the front lines of nursing homes. It’s between improving.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the National Diet Building…
Tap of the day: senate I plan to vote About the motion to activate cloture president bidencandidate for Monica Bertagnoli be appointed as the next director of National Institutes of Health.
Bertagnoli will need to win a simple majority to win the nomination to overcome procedural hurdles.of Senate Support Committee Biden’s nomination progressed to 15-6 vote Last month, several Republican senators endorsed her, suggesting Bertagnoli may have bipartisan support on the floor.
Oral arguments begin in battle over parental permission for contraception
Tap of the day: A panel consisting of three judges United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit Oral argument will be heard When contraceptive rights and parental rights conflict, Mary Ann Pazanowski report of bloomberg news.
The problem is that Ministry of Health and Human Services‘ 2021 rules It is unconstitutional to prohibit family planning programs receiving Title X funding from informing parents of their children’s wishes for contraceptive and related services.
Key context: texas judge Matthew J. Kaksmarik put aside the rules In December, the court found that the confidentiality provisions violated state law and violated parents’ rights under the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause to direct custody, control, and care of their children.
- HHS is asking the committee to reverse Kaczmalik’s decision.is being discussed in Its charm The ruling ignores decades of policy and precedent.
📅Welcome back! Both the Senate and the House of Representatives are in session.
Tap of the day: senate I plan to vote Regarding the motion seeking closure of Bertagnolli’s nomination to lead the nation’s health research agency.
on tuesday: Millions of Americans will go to the polls at the end of the year.we have eyes Governor showdown in kentucky and mississippi, fight for control of Virginia general meeting, Supreme Court Justice Election in pennsylvania and voting questions abortion and marijuana in Ohio.
On Capitol Hill, Senate Judiciary Subcommittee Examine you Social media and the teen mental health crisis.
on wednesday: of senate finance committee mark up A wide range of health packages.be Senate HELP Subcommittee I will review Policy options for artificial intelligence in healthcare.of Senate Indian Affairs Committee Examine you Fentanyl in Indigenous communities.of senate appropriations committee Consider president bidenadditional funding request Ministry of Health and Human Services and homeland security.
Beyond the National Diet Building, House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee mark up Some medical expenses.
At The Post, Renee Wegshindirector of Advanced Research Project Health Agencyand Eric Topol,Executive vice-president scripps research, let’s talk I spoke with colleagues about how technology and innovation are reshaping cancer care.
And during the election campaign, Republican presidential candidates go up on stage Third Republican primary debate in Miami.
- Pharmaceutical companies agreed increase production stimulants like adderall To curb ongoing shortages in the United States, drug enforcement agency It was announced Friday along with a series of policy changes aimed at preventing future shortages.
- Emily’s List, a powerful political action committee supporting Democratic women who support abortion rightsadded the Speaker of the House of Representatives mike johnson (R-La.) Add to list Top targets to defeat The 2024 election will be fought over anti-abortion records.
- Thousands of women across the country facing a long-term miscarriage process Potential medical complications Because of the influx of state laws restricting access to mifepristone, the main abortion drug commonly prescribed off-label to treat miscarriages; caitlin dewey report of washington post.
Will Ohio voters support abortion rights? The same goes for other red and swing states. (Written by Hannah Knowles and Adrian Blanco)
Drowning in patient emails, doctors start charging for replies (by Fran Klitz | The Washington Post)
thank you for reading! see you tomorrow.
