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[1/2] Rob Olan (C), employee of the healthcare investment fund Deerfield Management, departs Federal Court in Manhattan in New York, U.S., May 24, 2017. FollowNEW YORK, Aug 1 (Reuters) - A long-running federal insider trading case based on leaks about planned changes to Medicare reimbursement rates will likely end with no convictions, after the remaining defendants agreed to enter deferred prosecution agreements. In the healthcare case, the Manhattan appeals court said the leaked CMS information did not support fraud and theft charges against Huber, Olan and Blaszczak, though prosecutors could retry them on one or two counts each. In their deferred prosecution agreements, Huber and Olan acknowledged trading on and Blaszczak acknowledged passing advance information about a proposed CMS rule change. The case is U.S. v. Blaszczak et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No.

Persons: Rob Olan, Lucas Jackson, Theodore Huber, Robert Olan, David Blaszczak, Prosecutors, Huber, Olan, George Washington, Chris Christie's, Christopher Worrall, Blaszczak, District Judge Lewis Kaplan, Blaszczak's, David Patton, Barry Berke, Dani James, Damian Williams, Jonathan Stempel, Conor Humphries, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Deerfield Management, REUTERS, Aetna Inc, Centers, Medicare, Services, Democratic, New, New Jersey Republican, District, Court, Southern District of, Thomson Locations: Manhattan, New York, U.S, Deerfield, New Jersey, Southern District, Southern District of New York

☆ These are JPMorgan's favorite stocks for August
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-01 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

JPMorgan Chase's favorite stocks list heading into August include two new picks — both of which are auto retail companies. The focus list is a compilation of the firm's best ideas across three investment strategies: growth, value and short ideas. CarGurus was named to the list as a growth idea. However, he said the company's stock price has recently "narrowed the gap" with premium competitors. The analyst's $121 price target is 17% above where shares closed Monday.

Persons: CarGurus, Raj Gupta, Gupta, Carvana, Jeremy Tonet, Tonet, It's Organizations: JPMorgan, CMS Energy, Caterpillar, HP Locations: Entergy

☆ How Sam Altman's $850 million SPAC could help turn nuclear power into a mainstream energy source
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( Tasmin Lockwood | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

OpenAI's Sam Altman is taking nuclear startup Oklo public through a SPAC expected to close in 2024. The Oklo SPAC deal will mark a watershed moment for the energy source, industry experts told Insider. The public debut of Oklo, a nuclear startup chaired by Sam Altman, could be a watershed moment for the power source, industry experts say. Fission versus fusionThere are two types of nuclear power: fission and fusion. All existing nuclear energy is created via fission, which makes up around 10% of the world's electricity supply, per the International Energy Agency.

Persons: OpenAI's Sam Altman, Altman, Sam Altman, Matthew Honeyben, Douglas Hansen, Luke, we've, " Hansen, Victoria McIvor, SPAC, McIvor Organizations: CMS, CNBC, Planet Capital, International Energy Agency, Energy, Microsoft Locations: Ukraine, France, Germany, SPAC

July 18 (Reuters) - Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) sued the U.S. government on Tuesday, becoming the latest drugmaker seeking to block a program that gives the Medicare government health insurance plan the power to negotiate lower drug prices. The pharmaceutical industry says the drug price negotiation program under President Joe Biden's signature Inflation Reduction Act law will curtail profits and compel drugmakers to curb development of groundbreaking new treatments. The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in September is expected to select the first 10 drugs to target for negotiations with settled prices set to take effect in 2026. The law is on our side," a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement. It broadly follows the other related lawsuits, arguing that the program is unconstitutional and amounts to "confiscation of constitutionally protected property."

Persons: Johnson, Joe Biden's, drugmakers, Biden, Janssen, Bhanvi, Michael Erman, Krishna Chandra Eluri, Susan Heavey Organizations: Johnson, U.S, drugmakers Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck & Co, U.S . Chamber of Commerce, Pharmaceutical Research, Manufacturers of America, Commerce, U.S . Centers, Medicare, Medicaid Services, U.S . Department of Health, Human Services, District of, Thomson Locations: U.S, District of New Jersey, Bengaluru, New Jersey

☆ Medicare proposes removing limit on PET scans used to help diagnose Alzheimer's disease
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Right now, the program for seniors will only cover one PET scan per lifetime for patients participating in clinical trials. The Medicare proposal would allow regional organizations, called Medicare Administrative Contractors, to decide whether to cover the diagnostic tool. It is still unclear when the decision on PET scans will be finalized. PET scans are a crucial diagnostic tool that detect an amyloid protein on the brain that is associated with Alzheimer's disease. People on Medicare generally pay 20% of the cost of a PET scan after meeting their deductible.

Persons: Jay Reinstein, Chiquita Brooks, LaSure Organizations: Georgetown University Hospital, Contractors, Centers, Medicare, Services Locations: Washington , DC, U.S

☆ Morgan Stanley upgrades this medical device maker, says Street is underestimating its core product
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Wall Street is underestimating the opportunity for a cardiovascular medical device company's core product to penetrate the market, according to Morgan Stanley. Analyst Patrick Wood upgraded shares of Shockwave Medical to overweight from in-line, saying the Street is misjudging the potential catalysts that could improve the sales outlook for its coronary IVL catheter used before stent implantation, and that consensus expectations look "too low." Given this setup, Wood lifted his price target to $335 a share, reflecting 28% upside from Friday's close. SWAV YTD mountain Share performance in 2023 Potential catalysts for Shockwave shares include an investor day, a favorable environment for medical technology and an extended timeline before it faces new competition, Wood said. "We think recent coronary reimbursement improvements from CMS mean the market is underestimating the penetration opportunity over the coming 2-3 years," Wood wrote.

Persons: Morgan Stanley, Patrick Wood, Wood, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: Shockwave, Centers, Medicare, Medicaid

☆ Two health-care stocks are in the headlines. How the news impacts our investments
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Kevin Stankiewicz | In Kevinstankiewicz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Here's a deeper look at the headlines and their implications for our investment theses in these two health-care companies. The Club's take: The first-of-their-kind FDA and CMS actions came in generally as anticipated, and represent incremental positives for Eli Lilly. That's why some of the decline seen Friday in Eli Lilly shares – down over 2%, to around $453 each – could simply represent a sell-the-news situation. Eli Lilly has said donanemab could be approved by the FDA late this year or in early 2024. Our expectations around donanemab sales also are measured, and the drug is not the primary driver of our multiyear optimism for Eli Lilly.

Persons: Eli Lilly, Eli Lilly's donanemab, Leqembi —, Biogen, —, Lilly's, That's, Donanemab, Lilly, donanemab, that's, Lisa Gill, UnitedHealth, Humana, Gill, What's, We'll, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim Organizations: Club, Drug Administration, Medicare, Medicaid Services, FDA, GE Healthcare, Humana, JPMorgan, CNBC Locations: Massachusetts

☆ Top 10 things to watch in the stock market Friday including a jobs shocker
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( Jeff Marks | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Paramount (PARA) downgraded to underperform from peer perform (sell from hold), with a $14 price target by Wolfe Research. Wells Fargo reiterates Club name Disney (DIS) as a Signature Pick with a $147 price target but cuts its earnings-per-share (EPS) estimates. Morgan Stanley raises its price target on Ford (F) to $16 from $14 and General Motors to $41 from $38 on higher earnings estimates. Ferrari (RACE) remains Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas' Top Pick as he raises his RACE price target to $340 from $310. MoffettNathanson raises its price target on card companies: Mastercard (MA) to $490 from $460 and Visa (V) to $320 from $290.

Persons: Nonfarm, Bond, Leqembi, fave Eli Lilly, donanemab, Eli Lilly, Baird, downgrades Wells, Wolfe, Morgan Stanley, Wells, JPMorgan downgrades, Elon Musk's, Mark Zuckerberg's, Ferrari, Adam Jonas, Jim Cramer's, Jim Cramer, Jim Organizations: FDA, Medicare, Medicaid Services, fave, Costco, Food, U.S, Wolfe Research, downgrades, JPMorgan, WFC, Humana, Dow, Meta, Paramount, Disney, Ford, Motors, Mastercard, Jim Cramer's Charitable, CNBC Locations: United States, downgrades Wells Fargo

CNN —The US Food and Drug Administration is expected to decide on Thursday whether to grant traditional approval to the Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi, the first medicine proven to slow the course of the memory-robbing disease. Leqembi, from drugmakers Eisai and Biogen, received accelerated approval in January based on evidence that it clears amyloid plaque buildups in the brain that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease. But because of an earlier coverage decision by CMS, which provides insurance coverage for many elderly patients with Alzheimer’s through Medicare, the drug hasn’t been widely used. People with more advanced forms of the disease may not benefit from the drug, he said, and may face increased safety risks. Broad Medicare coverage of Leqembi and similar types of medications to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease would probably have a big impact on the program’s spending.

Persons: drugmakers, hasn’t, “, ’ ”, Joe Montminy, Lawrence Honig, “ It’s, ”, Honig, it’s, Leqembi, ” Honig, Georges Naasan, Sue Rottura, ” Drugmaker Eisai, “ You’re, Ivan Cheung, Eisai, ” Montminy, Dr, Sanjay Gupta Organizations: CNN, Food and Drug Administration, Medicare, Services, CMS, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Alzheimer’s, Behavioral, CNN Health, Kaiser Family Foundation Locations: Mount, Florida

Trial data showed that the treatment slows progression of the brain-wasting disease by 27% for patients in the earliest stages of Alzheimer's. The FDA placed its strongest "boxed" safety warning on Leqembi's label, flagging the risk of potentially dangerous brain swelling for Alzheimer's drugs in the same class. Leqembi is an antibody designed to remove sticky deposits of a protein called amyloid beta from the brains of Alzheimer's patients. Biogen and Eisai stock has risen since FDA granted accelerated approval to Alzheimer's drug Leqembi earlier this yearLeqembi's new label explains the need to monitor patients for potentially dangerous brain swelling and bleeding associated with amyloid-lowering antibodies. The first FDA-approved disease-modifying Alzheimer's drug, Aduhelm, was also developed by partners Eisai and Biogen, but Medicare coverage restrictions have severely limited its use.

Persons: Leqembi, drugmakers, Ivan Cheung, Chiquita Brooks, LaSure, Babak Tousi, Tousi, Biogen, Dr, Erik Musiek, Eli Lilly, Co's, Cheung, Joanne Pike, Eisai, Leqembi's, Deena Beasley, Julie Steenhuysen, Bill Berkrot, Matthew Lewis Organizations: U.S . Food, Drug Administration, FDA, Medicare, Medicaid Services, Cleveland Clinic, Washington University, Barnes, Jewish, Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer's Association, Thomson Locations: ANGELES, U.S, Los Angeles, Chicago

☆ FDA approves Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi, paving way for broader Medicare coverage
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Leqembi is the first Alzheimer's antibody treatment to receive full FDA approval. The antibody, administered twice monthly through intravenous infusion, targets a protein called amyloid that is associated with Alzheimer's disease. Medicare coverage is a crucial step to help older Americans with early Alzheimer's disease pay for the treatment. Costs may vary depending on whether the patient has supplemental Medicare coverage or other secondary insurance, according to the agency. Philipson and his colleagues at the University of Chicago estimated that delaying Medicare coverage of Alzheimer's antibody treatments by one year would result in $6.8 billion in increased spending.

Persons: Joanna Pike, Leqembi, Pike, David Knopman, Knopman, Anna Eshoo of, Nanette Barragan, There's, Tomas Philipson, Bush, Philipson, Sen, Bernie Sanders, Xavier Becerra, Sanders, Eisai Organizations: Drug Administration, Medicare, FDA, Alzheimer's Association, Mayo Clinic, Services, Health, University of Chicago, Senate Health, Human Services, Clinical Locations: U.S, Minnesota, Anna Eshoo of California

☆ Third quarter is a key time for extreme weather events. Here's what to expect for exposed stocks
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Alex Harring | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The third quarter is a key time for extreme weather events. An El Niño weather pattern is widely expected for 2023. "Following three years of La Niña, climate scientists expect 2023 to have El Niño conditions with near-100% certainty given current signals," Karp said in a note to clients last month. Insurers are also among the stocks to typically move in relation to extreme weather events. This year should be a fairly typical one for hurricanes, as El Niño is typically linked to a less severe season.

Persons: Nature, —, Sophie Karp, La, Karp, El, bode, Morgan Stanley, Andrei Stadnik, Stadnik, Matthew Carletti doesn't, hasn't, Jefferies, Yaron Kinar, Brown, Arthur J, Gallagher, Aon, Niño, Generac, Aaron Jagdfeld, Bob Huang, bullish, — CNBC's Michael Bloom Organizations: National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Energy, DTE Energy, WEC Energy, CNBC Pro's, WEC, Xcel Energy, Portland General Electric, Edison International, CenterPoint, Southern Company, Duke Energy, Nextera Energy, El, Insurance Australia Group, Suncorp, Arch Capital, Everest Re, Bloomberg, Arch Locations: El, Canada, U.S, Gulf, Pacific Northwest, California, Michigan, Avista, Portland, American, Mexico, CenterPoint Energy, Bermuda, Texas

June 30 (Reuters) - The U.S. government on Friday revised its guidance for its Medicare drug price negotiation process, allowing drug companies to publicly discuss the talks, but did not make major changes likely to convince drugmakers to end their suits seeking to halt the program. In September, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will select 10 of the Medicare program's costliest prescription medicines and negotiate price cuts to go into effect for 2026. That guidance precluded drug makers from talking about the negotiations and required them to eventually destroy data received from CMS. Industry group the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) made an additional claim that the price negotiation program violates the U.S. Constitution's Eight Amendment, which protects against excessive fines. The Biden administration's drug pricing reform aims to save $25 billion annually by 2031 through price negotiations for the drugs most costly to Medicare.

Persons: drugmakers, Joe Biden, Chiquita Brooks, LaSure, Bristol Myers, Merck, PhRMA, Tahir Amin, Amin, Michael Erman, Mark Potter, Nick Zieminski Organizations: U.S, U.S . Centers, Medicare, Medicaid Services, Merck & Co, Bristol Myers Squibb, U.S . Chamber of Commerce, CMS, Merck, Bristol, Industry, Pharmaceutical Research, Manufacturers of America, Reuters, Initiative for Medicines, Biden, Thomson Locations: U.S

☆ England & Wales Cricket Board apologises over racism and sexism
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 26 (Reuters) - (This June 26 story has been refiled to fix the spelling of 'apologises' in the headline)The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Monday apologised "unreservedly" to those who faced discrimination in the game after the Independent Commission for Equity in Cricket (ICEC) released a report finding evidence of racism across the sport. The report found the cricket boards had failed to prevent "structural and institutional racism, sexism and class-based discrimination", and the ECB acknowledged the need for change. "Cricket should be a game for everyone, and we know that this has not always been the case. Powerful conclusions within the report also highlight that for too long women and Black people were neglected. Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; additional reporting by Angelica Medina Editing by Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Richard Thompson, Thompson, Clare Connor, Zahida Manzoor, Pete Ackerley, Ebony Rainford, Brent, Ron Kalifa, Richard Gould, Caroline Dinenage, Pearl Josephine Nazare, Angelica Medina, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Wales Cricket Board, Independent Commission, Equity, Cricket, ECB, Media, Sport, Thomson Locations: England, Bengaluru

☆ Medicare offers details on reimbursement for new Alzheimer's drugs
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Julie Steenhuysen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

CHICAGO, June 22 (Reuters) - The U.S. Medicare health plan on Thursday offered details of plans to collect patient data as a condition for reimbursement for Eisai Co Ltd (4523.T) and Biogen Inc's (BIIB.O) new Alzheimer's drug Leqembi, should it win traditional U.S. approval as expected by July 6. If it wins traditional FDA approval, Leqembi would be the first disease-modifying drug ever to achieve the regulatory milestone. Current treatments only treat symptoms but do not change the course of the disease, which affects 6 million Americans, according to the Alzheimer's Association. On that basis, CMS said it would only pay for Leqembi if patients were enrolled in a clinical trial. The CMS data requirements apply to all Alzheimer's treatments that reduce beta amyloid from the brain, including Eli Lilly and Co's donanemab, which recently reported positive results from its late-stage trial.

Persons: Biogen, Eisai's Leqembi, Leqembi, Eli Lilly, Co's, “, Robert Egge, Julie Steenhuysen, Daniel Wallis Organizations: U.S, Eisai Co, Centers, Medicare, Medicaid Services, CMS, Alzheimer's Association, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, FDA, Alzheimer’s Association, Thomson Locations: U.S

☆ Dr. Mandy Cohen: Biden chooses the next CDC director
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Betsy Klein | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

And as Cohen takes on what’s become an increasingly politicized role at the CDC, Biden heralded her capacity to work across the aisle. I look forward to working with Dr. Cohen as she leads our nation’s finest scientists and public health experts with integrity and transparency,” the president said. Cohen will hit the ground running as leader of the world’s finest public health organization saving lives every day. Walensky announced her departure from her government role last month in the days before the Covid-19 public health emergency lifted. As she prepares to step into the role, Cohen inherits an agency wracked with challenges and low morale.

Persons: Joe Biden, Mandy Cohen, Rochelle Walensky, Dr, Cohen, ” Biden, what’s, Biden, Jeff Zients, Zients, “ Dr, ” Cohen, Walensky, –, Obama, ”, Andy Slavitt, “ She’s, Slavitt, Republican Sen, Richard Burr of, she’s, … I’ve, Mandy, ” Burr, Burr, “, ” Slavitt, Roy Cooper, Cohen “, Trump, Cooper, she’ll Organizations: CNN, US Centers for Disease Control, White House, CDC, North, North Carolina’s Department of Health, Human Services, Trump, Biden, Centers, Medicare, Medicaid Services, Yale School of Medicine, Harvard, of Public Health, The Washington Post, Center for Strategic, Studies, America’s Health Security, Republican, White, Democratic North Carolina Gov, Center for Health Sector Management, Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business Locations: North Carolina’s, Chan, “, North Carolina, Richard Burr of North Carolina, North Carolinians

June 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Friday sued the federal government, challenging a new law that for the first time gives Medicare the power to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies. In a complaint filed in federal court in Dayton, Ohio, the chamber said the pricing program violated drugmakers' due process rights under the U.S. Constitution by giving the government "unfettered discretion" to dictate maximum prices. Other drugmakers have also objected to the pricing program, which is part of last year's Inflation Reduction Act. The chamber also warned that allowing the pricing program would set a bad precedent. The case is Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce et al v Becerra et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio, No.

Persons: Biden, Karine Jean, Pierre, Neil Bradley, Becerra, Jonathan Stempel, Bill Berkrot Organizations: U.S . Chamber, Commerce, U.S, U.S . Department of Health, Human Services, Medicare, Medicaid Services, Merck & Co, CMS, Merck, Dayton Area, Court, Southern District of, Thomson Locations: Dayton , Ohio, Washington ,, Dayton, U.S, Southern District, Southern District of Ohio, New York

☆ Using video games as medical treatments seemed promising, but a stunning failure raises questions about the future of digital therapeutics
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

With digital therapeutics' trailblazers in jeopardy, experts think more failures are on the horizon. Covering digital therapeutics hasn't been easyInsurers, the ultimate gatekeepers in healthcare, have been slow to warm to the idea of reimbursing prescription digital therapeutics. Plus, most digital therapeutics don't integrate with electronic-health-records systems, making it difficult for clinicians to track their patients' progress. Senators reintroduced a bill in March that would guarantee Medicare reimbursement for prescription digital therapeutics. Want to tell us about your experience with digital therapeutics?

Persons: Pear, It's, Akili, Jeffrey Abraham, Rick Bartels, Bartels, Corey McCann, Matt Stoudt, Stoudt, Matthew Stoudt, keener, we'll, that's, Abraham, Rebecca Torrence Organizations: Morning, Pear Therapeutics, Food and Drug Administration, FDA, Digital Therapeutics, Pear, Centers, Medicare, Services, Senators, CMS

☆ Merck sues US government to halt Medicare drug price negotiation
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Michael Erman | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

NEW YORK, June 6 (Reuters) - Merck & Co (MRK.N) sued the U.S. government on Tuesday, seeking to halt the Medicare drug price negotiation program contained in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which it argues is violates the Fifth and First Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. The Biden administration's drug pricing reform aims to save $25 billion annually by 2031 through price negotiations for Medicare. Merck called the talks with CMS coercive and forces drugmakers to participate in "political Kabuki theater" by pretending negotiations are voluntary. The first ever Medicare drug price reduction process is due to begin in September when CMS identifies its 10 most costly drugs. Merck's top selling drug, cancer immunotherapy Keytruda, could be subject to negotiations as soon as 2028.

Persons: drugmakers, Merck, Ameet, Robin Feldman, Wells, Mohit Bansal, Xavier Becerra, Chiquita Brooks, Michael Erman, Patrick Wingrove, Edwina Gibbs, Nick Zieminski Organizations: YORK, Merck & Co, U.S, U.S . Constitution, Biden, Medicare, District of Columbia, Merck, Reuters, CMS, Harvard Medical School, UC College of the, Supreme, U.S . Department of Health & Human Services, Centers, Medicaid Services, LaSure, HHS, Thomson Locations: U.S ., U.S, San Francisco

☆ Lawmakers worry Medicare Alzheimer's plan won't ensure access to new treatments
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-06 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Rep. Nanette Barragan (D-CA) speaks alongside US Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg after a tour of the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach during a press conference at the Port of Long Beach on January 11, 2022 in Long Beach, California. Two Democratic lawmakers are calling on Medicare to provide more information on how the program will make good on its promise to cover Alzheimer's treatments for seniors. Medicare has promised to cover Alzheimer's antibody treatments on the same day the medications receive full approval by the Food and Drug Administration. The federal health program will cover the treatments through Part B of the program for seniors. Eshoo and Barragan told Brooks-LaSure that they are worried the registry could present a barrier to care.

Persons: Nanette Barragan, Pete Buttigieg, Anna Eshoo, Chiquita Brooks, LaSure, Eshoo, Barragan, Brooks Organizations: US Department of Transportation, Port, Democratic, Health, Medicare, Medicaid Services, Food and Drug Administration, FDA Locations: Los Angeles, Long, Port of Long Beach, Long Beach , California

☆ Village garbage man helped unearth ancient bronze statues in Tuscany
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Alvise Armellini | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

About two dozen bronze statues from the third century BC to the first century AD, extracted from the ruins of an ancient spa, will go on display in Rome's Quirinale Palace from June 22, after months of restoration. When the discovery was announced in November, experts called it the biggest collection of ancient bronze statues ever found in Italy and hailed it as a breakthrough that would "rewrite history". The statues were found in 2021 and 2022 in the hilltop village of San Casciano dei Bagni, still home to popular thermal baths, where archaeologists had long suspected ancient ruins could be discovered. Digging started in 2019 on a small plot of land next to the village's Renaissance-era public baths, but weeks of excavations revealed "only traces of some walls", San Casciano Mayor Agnese Carletti said. Then former bin man and amateur local historian Stefano Petrini had "a flash" of intuition, remembering that years earlier he had seen bits of ancient Roman columns on a wall on the other side of the public baths.

Persons: dei, Casciano Mayor Agnese Carletti, Stefano Petrini, San, Petrini, Emanuele Mariotti, Maria Giuseppina Valeri, Laura Rivaroli, Roman, San Casciano dei, Ada Salvi, Salvi, Mariotti, Marcius Grabillo, Janet Lawrence Organizations: Casciano Mayor, Culture Ministry, Grosseto, Arezzo, Thomson Locations: Rome, Italy, Tuscany, Quirinale, San, Casciano, San Casciano's, San Casciano, Tuscan, Siena

☆ Medicare will require data on patient use for approved Alzheimer's drugs
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Julie Steenhuysen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Leqembi received accelerated approval from the FDA in January, based on limited evidence suggesting it would slow cognitive decline in early Alzheimer's patients. A panel of FDA advisers will discuss whether Leqembi should receive traditional approval next week, and a decision could come by early July. Medicare, the government health plan for Americans 65 and over, currently pays for Leqembi only if patients are enrolled in a clinical trial. Such "coverage with evidence development" requirements are rare and historically used by Medicare to evaluate medical devices rather than drugs. To receive Medicare coverage, people will need to be diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or early dementia caused by Alzheimer's and have a qualified physician participating in a registry.

Persons: Biogen, Leqembi, Eisai, Eli Lilly, Co's, Eli Lilly's, Alzheimer's, Sue Peschin, Manas Mishra, Leroy D'souza, Bill Berkrot Organizations: U.S, Eisai Co, FDA, Medicare, Centers, Medicaid Services, CMS, Alzheimer’s Association, Alliance for Aging Research, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Medicare is prohibited from paying for weight-loss drugs. These are the 3 potential ways to change that.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

There are three routes lawmakers and regulators could use to add coverage for weight-loss drugs. Older Americans hoping to get their hands on powerful weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy may find it impossible to access them. Should Medicare cover weight loss medication, it could also unlock access for people who have private coverage. "A decision by Medicare to cover weight-loss drugs would put pressure on employers and other private insurers to cover weight-loss drugs too," said Tricia Neuman, a senior vice president at KFF who co-authored a recent brief on the subject. There are three potential strategies that could be used to expand Medicare coverage to weight-loss drugs.

Here's the latest:ELECTRIC VEHICLE FRICTIONBiden's domestic policy is embodied in working to electrify roadways across the United States. Getting more electric vehicles on the roads is central to his climate change agenda, ensuring the vehicles are "Made in America" is part of his commitment to restore manufacturing jobs. But the IRA's consumer tax credits are tightly linked to the cars' and batteries being made in the U.S., roiling allies in Europe and Asia whose companies sell into U.S. markets. Instead, Japanese and U.S. officials struck a trade deal on electric vehicle battery minerals that expands eligibility for the $7,500 per vehicle EV tax credits in the IRA. NEW RACE FOR SUBSIDIESThe promise of corporate tax credits has renewed interest in investing in the U.S., and Europe has responded with subsidies of their own.

The Biden Administration’s signature drug pricing reform, part of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), aims to save $25 billion through price negotiations by 2031 for Americans who pay more for medicines than any other country. The first ever Medicare drug price reduction process begins in September, when the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services(CMS) identifies its 10 most costly drugs. Reuters has seen responses to CMS from five of the world's top drugmakers raising legal concerns with the law and the agency's proposed roadmap. Former CMS head Andy Slavitt, who now works at a venture capital company focused on healthcare, said the Medicare agency would have consulted lawyers. One said the Medicare roadmap, which did not go through a formal process with proposed and final rules, could be challenged in court for being unlawful as well.

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