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HEALTH CARE
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The world's only twice-a-year shot to prevent HIV could stop transmission — if people can get it
A vial of lenacapavir, an injectable HIV prevention drug, at the Desmond Tutu Health Foundation's Masiphumelele Research Site, in Cape Town, South Africa, which was one of the sites for Gilead's lenacapavir drug trial.
Nardus Engelbrecht/Associated Press
The United States has approved the world's only twice-a-year shot to prevent HIV, the first step in an anticipated global rollout that could protect millions — although it's unclear how many in the United States and abroad will get access to the powerful new option. While a vaccine to prevent HIV still is needed, some experts say the shot made by Gilead Sciences — a drug called lenacapavir — could be the next best thing. It nearly eliminated new infections in two groundbreaking studies of people at high risk, better than daily preventive pills they can forget to take. Condoms help guard against HIV infection if used properly but what's called PrEP — regularly using preventive medicines such as the daily pills or a different shot given every two months — is increasingly important. Lenacapavir's six-month protection makes it the longest-lasting type, an option that could attract people wary of more frequent doctor visits or stigma from daily pills. — ASSOCIATED PRESS
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DEALS
Nippon Steel completes its acquisition of US Steel
A view of the United States Steel Mon Valley Works Clairton Plant, in Clairton, Pa.
Ted Shaffrey/Associated Press
Nippon Steel has completed its acquisition of US Steel, the companies said Wednesday, more than a year after it was first announced. Soon after Nippon announced its plans to acquire US Steel in December 2023, the company, based in Pennsylvania, a swing state in the presidential election, became part of a game of political football. The powerful United Steelworkers union pushed back against the deal, and President Biden blocked it over national security concerns. Last month, President Donald Trump, who had opposed the deal while he was on the campaign trail, said he had approved a transaction that granted the White House a golden share in the company, giving it extraordinary control over the new company as part of a national security agreement. Trump and the companies have frequently referred to the deal as a partnership over the past several weeks, fueling mystery on Wall Street and in Washington over its nature. — NEW YORK TIMES
SOCIAL MEDIA
Trump will sign an order extending deadline for TikTok's Chinese owner to sell app
The TikTok app page on a smartphone in New York on Jan. 15.
Gabby Jones/Bloomberg
President Trump will sign an executive order this week to extend a deadline for TikTok's Chinese owner to divest the popular video sharing app, the White House announced Tuesday. Trump had signed an order in early April to keep TikTok running for an additional 75 days after a potential deal to sell the app to American owners was put on ice. 'As he has said many times, President Trump does not want TikTok to go dark,' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. 'This extension will last 90 days, which the Administration will spend working to ensure this deal is closed so that the American people can continue to use TikTok with the assurance that their data is safe and secure.' It will be the third time Trump has extended the deadline. — ASSOCIATED PRESS
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LEGAL
Purdue Pharma's $7 billion opioid settlement could advance soon after states back it
OxyContin pills arranged for a photo at a pharmacy in Montpelier, Vt.
Toby Talbot/Associated Press
OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma's latest plan to settle thousands of lawsuits over the toll of opioids could soon move forward after every US state involved agreed to it. A judge on Wednesday said he planned to issue a ruling on Friday on a plan for local governments and individual victims to vote on it. Government entities, emergency room doctors, insurers, families of children born into withdrawal from the powerful prescription painkiller, individual victims and their families, and others would have until Sept. 30 to vote on whether to accept the deal, which calls for members of the Sackler family who own the company to pay up to $7 billion over 15 years. The settlement is a way to avoid trials with claims from states alone that total more than $2 trillion in damages. Thousands of local governments and other groups have also sued Purdue. If approved, the settlement would be among the largest in a wave of lawsuits over the past decade as governments and others sought to hold drugmakers, wholesalers, and pharmacies accountable for the opioid epidemic that started rising in the years after OxyContin hit the market in 1996. The other settlements together are worth about $50 billion, and most of the money is to be used to combat the crisis. — ASSOCIATED PRESS
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TECH
WhatsApp denies Iran's claim that it is spying for Israel
A WhatsApp icon is displayed on an iPhone.
Martin Meissner/Associated Press
Iran's state broadcaster Tuesday urged people to remove WhatsApp from their phones, claiming that the messaging app was collecting user information and sending it to Israel as the two countries trade military strikes. 'WhatsApp and Instagram are collecting information about individuals and are providing the Zionist enemy with their last known location and communications, tagged with the names of individuals,' the Iranian state television network said, referring to Israel. It did not provide evidence for its claims. WhatsApp, in a statement Tuesday, said the allegations were false. 'We're concerned these false reports will be an excuse for our services to be blocked at a time when people need them the most,' the statement said. 'All of the messages you send to family and friends on WhatsApp are end-to-end encrypted, meaning no one except the sender and recipient has access to those messages, not even WhatsApp.' — NEW YORK TIMES
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
Amazon CEO Jassy says AI will reduce its corporate workforce in the next few years
Andy Jassy, chief executive officer of Amazon.com Inc., at an event in New York on Feb. 26.
Michael Nagle/Bloomberg
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy anticipates generative artificial intelligence will reduce its corporate workforce in the next few years as the online giant begins to increase its usage of the technology. 'We will need fewer people doing some of the jobs that are being done today, and more people doing other types of jobs,' Jassy said in a message to employees. 'It's hard to know exactly where this nets out over time, but in the next few years, we expect that this will reduce our total corporate workforce as we get efficiency gains from using AI extensively across the company.' — ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUTOMOTIVE
Honda recalls more than 259,000 cars across the US due to brake pedal issue
The Honda logo.
Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press
Honda is recalling more than 259,000 of its cars across the United States due to a problem that can cause the brake pedal to shift out of position, potentially interfering with a driver's ability to stop or slow down. According to documents published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the recall covers certain Honda Pilots between model years 2023 and 2025 — as well cars under the automaker's luxury Acura brand: 2021-2025 Acura TLX and 2023-2025 Acura MDX vehicles. As a remedy, Honda says authorized dealers will inspect the vehicles covered by this recall and replace the brake pedal assembly if necessary, free of charge. Per the NHTSA's report, the company estimates 1 percent of these vehicles have this issue. — ASSOCIATED PRESS
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AVIATION
Families of 737 crash victims urge rejection of Boeing deal
Family members of victims of the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX 8 crash held a sign as President and CEO of Boeing Kelly Ortberg testified before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on April 2 in Washington, D.C.
Win McNamee/Getty
Family members of people killed in two fatal crashes of Boeing Co.'s 737 Max jets urged a federal judge to reject a proposed deal the company reached with US prosecutors that would allow the planemaker to avoid a criminal charge. Lawyers for 15 families argued Boeing should stand trial for criminal conspiracy as the government had originally planned, to hold the company more accountable for the deaths of 346 people, according to a court filing Wednesday. The US Justice Department in May asked US District Judge Reed O'Connor in Fort Worth to dismiss the case as part of a proposed settlement reached with Boeing. Under the deal, the planemaker agreed to pay more than $1.1 billion in fees and fines, while taking steps to strengthen internal quality and safety measures. In return, the company will avoid criminal prosecution. — BLOOMBERG NEWS
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Washington Post
37 minutes ago
- Washington Post
States sue Trump administration over access to care for transgender youths
A coalition of more than a dozen states sued the Trump administration on Friday over health care for transgender young people, claiming the White House has 'relentlessly, cruelly, and unlawfully targeted transgender individuals' since President Donald Trump took office. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Massachusetts, seeks to have part of one executive order issued in January declared unconstitutional. The order targets gender-affirming care provided to people under the age of 19, such as puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgical procedures, which it refers to as 'mutilation.' The lawsuit also asks the court to declare unlawful the Justice Department's targeting of providers of gender-affirming care. The section of the order that is being challenged directs the Justice Department to use laws such as the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, those against female genital mutilation, and child custody legislation to carry out the administration's aims. 'It is the policy of the United States that it will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called 'transition' of a child from one sex to another,' Trump's order says, calling the treatments 'a stain on our Nation's history.' The states of Massachusetts, California, New York, Connecticut, Illinois, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Rhode Island and Wisconsin, as well as the District of Columbia and Josh Shapiro in his capacity as Pennsylvania governor, filed suit. The lawsuit, filed against Trump, the Justice Department and Attorney General Pam Bondi, argues that the executive order conflicts with states' remit to regulate and police medicine and violates the 10th Amendment, which protects states' powers, and is in conflict with many state antidiscrimination laws. Nearly every major medical association endorses the availability of gender-affirming care for transgender young people, citing reductions in depression, substance abuse and suicide attempts. 'Empirical evidence has demonstrated that trans and nonbinary gender identities are normal variations of human identity and expression,' the American Medical Association has said. But the issue, and others related to transgender people, has animated conservatives. Trump has said he wants the 'official policy of the United States' to be that there are only two genders and has referred to being transgender as a 'falsehood.' The administration has moved to ban transgender service members from the military, relocate incarcerated transgender women into men's prisons and bar transgender people from using restrooms that align with their gender identity in federal buildings, among a slew of anti-trans measures, many of which have been challenged in court. After the January order, the lawsuit says, the Justice Department began 'intimidating providers into ceasing care through threats of civil and criminal prosecution.' 'These threats have no basis in law,' the complaint says. 'No federal law prohibits, much less criminalizes, the provision or receipt of gender-affirming care for transgender adolescents.' Puberty blockers temporarily inhibit sex hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone, and other hormone therapies introduce them to the body. Gender-affirming surgeries, such as breast reductions for transgender men, are rarely performed on minors. White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in an email that 'everyday Americans resoundingly support' the administration's actions. 'The President has the lawful authority to protect America's vulnerable children through executive action, and the Administration looks forward to ultimate victory on this issue,' she added. In June, the Supreme Court upheld a ban on gender-affirming care for minors in Tennessee.
Forbes
2 hours ago
- Forbes
Novel Access Model For Sickle Cell Disease Gene Therapy Could Be Template
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced in July that 33 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico will join a new voluntary program intended to improve patient access to and lower costs for gene therapies targeting sickle cell disease. This was a Biden administration initiative, which the Trump administration decided to continue to implement. It ties payment for two novel gene therapies to positive clinical outcomes. This could make such treatments that cost millions be more widely accessible for patients. And if successful, it may serve as a template for future cell and gene therapy agreements. Medicaid, the joint federal and state program that provides health coverage to low-income individuals, is the main insurer for SCD patients. The Biden administration announced last year that the manufacturers of Lyfgenia and Casgevy had entered into agreements with CMS to participate in the Cell and Gene Therapy Access Model, which allows CMS to negotiate outcomes-based agreements on behalf of state Medicaid programs for cell and gene therapies, beginning with sickle cell disease treatments. Essentially this means that CMS will reimburse based on whether certain agreed-upon clinical thresholds are reached in patients. According to CMS, the participating states in the newly established access initiative represent about 84% of Medicaid beneficiaries with SCD. The program could contribute towards a sizable expansion of access to potentially transformative care in the form of two extraordinarily expensive gene therapies. The launch prices for Casgevy (exagamglogene autotemcel) and Lyfgenia (lovotibeglogene autotemcel) were $2.2 million and $3.1 million, respectively. SCD is a group of congenital red blood cell disorders, named sickle cell for their crescent shape. The condition affects millions of people worldwide. In the United States, approximately 100,000 individuals are living with the disease, which predominantly impacts people of sub-Saharan African descent. The disease alters the structure of hemoglobin, the molecule in red blood cells that delivers oxygen to organs and tissue throughout the body. As a consequence, this causes severe pain, anemia, organ damage and infections. Individuals with the disease have a shorter life expectancy, by more than 20 years on average. The most common sickle cell disorder type is sickle cell anemia. Besides pain medications to relieve symptoms as well as antibiotics to treat infections, hydroxyurea—a bone marrow suppressive agent that decreases red blood cell production—can be used to reduce the frequency of painful episodes. It has been in use since the 1980s. The Food and Drug Administration has approved several new therapeutics in the past ten years, but none are as promising as Lyfgenia and Casgevy. These two novel therapies can decrease or potentially eliminate pain crises in patients. Gene therapies such as Lyfgenia and Casgevy are administered in an inpatient hospital setting but are considered covered outpatient drugs because they're directly reimbursed and subject to standard, federally mandated Medicaid rebates. Manufacturers of the two treatments must also provide states with supplemental rebates (post-hoc discounts off of the list price) reflecting model-negotiated terms. In turn, states are obligated to implement an agreed-upon access policy for patients. According to CMS, there is also optional federal support of up to $9.55 million per state available to help with implementation of the arrangements, outreach and data tracking. In the cell and gene therapy space, science has generally outpaced commercialization. Access to very costly treatments is a challenge. Whether in the public or commercial sector, payers must find novel ways of paying for cell and gene therapies while generating evidence with respect to their real-world effectiveness and safety. Questions insurers must find answers to include: What are the health outcomes for patients in real-world settings? Do treatments fulfill the promise of a one-time cure for certain serious illnesses or disorders? Are there particular safety concerns that appear in real-world settings? Are side effects manageable? Coordinating evidence gathering as well as contracts across state Medicaid agencies is likely to yield a more efficient process while improving access for a substantial majority of SCD sufferers nationwide. It's not just SCD gene therapies that confront a formidable set of barriers to access. All cell and gene therapy manufacturers face a challenging environment. The regulatory hurdles are enormous to begin with, but manufacturing challenges following approval are considerable, too. Furthermore, patient preparation, side effect and adverse event profiles can be intolerable. This can deter patients from signing up to initiate treatment. On top of all of this, payers concerned about the high per unit costs often impose coverage restrictions, as the Tufts Center for the Evaluation of Value and Risk in Health describes. Nonetheless, gene therapies in particular hold the promise of delivering groundbreaking improvements in health outcomes across multiple disease areas. Therefore, overcoming obstacles to optimal patient access is crucial. If successful, the SCD model being experimented with could serve as a blueprint for other cell and gene therapies that have faced considerable barriers with respect to patient access.
Tom's Guide
4 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
Does acupressure help you sleep better? I asked two experts — this is what they said
In a time where we're bombarded with social media trends for sleep like April Theory and the 'sleepy girl mocktail,' it can be easy to forget that there are some methods you can use to help with your slumber that have been around for thousands of years. Like acupressure, a non-invasive, ancient traditional Chinese medicine practice that involves the use of pressure on the face and body at certain points, some of which are used to help with sleep. Research has shown that acupressure can help with sleep, from reducing insomnia, to improving sleep quality in hospital patients and even contributing to better sleep in menopausal women. Here, we'll explore this research and the potential benefits of acupressure for sleep, as well as speaking to experts in the field to find out about what acupressure is, and how you can even practice it in the comfort of your own home. "Acupressure is a non-invasive traditional Chinese medicine technique that uses pressure on the face and body at specific points known as acupoints," says registered acupuncturist Lily Lai, who has a PhD in Chinese Medicine in Primary Care and offers acupressure at her UK clinic. "Pressure is applied in a variety of ways – most commonly finger pressure is used as well as tools," she adds. Doctor of Oriental Medicine (DOM), Dr. Haley Parker, who is a licensed acupuncturist and the Director of Clinical Operations at VUIM Clinic (Virginia University of Integrative Medicine), explains that in acupressure, gentle sustained pressure is applied to "specific points along the body's meridians — energy channels that correspond to organs and systems." Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. "It's based on the same principles as acupuncture, but instead of using needles, you use fingers, palms, elbows, or tools to stimulate the points," Dr. Parker explains. "The idea is to restore the smooth flow of Qi (vital energy) and blood through the body to promote healing, reduce tension, and support balance between the body and mind," she says. "From a Western perspective, acupressure may stimulate the nervous system, influence endorphin release, reduce cortisol, and activate the parasympathetic 'rest and digest' response," the doctor continues. According to The American Institute of Alternative Medicine, the practice is "based on the belief that applying firm pressure in specific acupoints stimulates the nervous system and brain to release endorphins and neurotransmitters to ease... pain." Acupressure falls under what the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK describes as 'complimentary and alternative medicine' (CAM) and they do advise that "if you think you may have a health condition, first see your GP. Do not visit a CAM practitioner instead of seeing your GP." As the NHS points out, it is important to review the evidence when considering a complimentary or alternative medicine. When it comes to acupressure there is "a growing body of evidence supporting [its] effectiveness for sleep," says Dr. Parker. As well as the research cited below, a review of studies into the effect of acupressure on hospital inpatients showed that it improved factors such as sleep quality, total sleep time, sleep efficiency and sleep onset latency compared to control groups. Researchers concluded that it is an "effective intervention to improve sleep quality and sleep parameters in inpatients." Among the studies she highlighted, Dr. Parker pointed to a review of studies and a specific study which both showed that acupressure improved sleep quality in older people. As we've explored above, this traditional Chinese medicine practice involves applying pressure to certain points. Dr. Parker says it can support sleep "by calming the nervous system, easing physical tension, and regulating the underlying organ systems that influence rest." She notes that the best combination of acupressure points for sleep depends on what the individual is experiencing and that a personal point prescription would then be selected to "to support the patient and the present symptoms, like insomnia and restlessness." However, she shares the following common points and how they work from a traditional Chinese medicine perspective: Anxiety can mean that worries, racing thoughts and restlessness make it particularly hard to fall asleep. Lai says that one of the common causes of sleeplessness is stress and anxiety, and points to a systematic review and meta-analysis of research which showed acupressure can significantly reduce anxiety. Acupressure can significantly reduce anxiety "Studies suggest that acupressure and acupuncture work in similar ways by encouraging the body to release neurotransmitters such as endorphins and serotonin," says Dr. Parker. "both of which are mood elevators and play a major role in sleepregulation via the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis," she explains. "Acupressure may also be increasing parasympathetic nervous activity, the rest-and-digest part of our nervous system which takes the body away from being in the sympathetic nervous system state, the fight-or-flight response," Lai adds. She says that these calming, anxiety-reducing effects of acupressure can help sleep by improving both sleep latency, and sleep duration. Those who have experienced either short-term (several days or weeks) or chronic insomnia (lasting three months or more), know that it doesn't just interfere with your sleep. It can also cause issues including irritability, fatigue and problems with focus the next day. But research shows that acupressure may be a tool you can include to combat it. One study compared the effect of acupressure on those with insomnia, with 200 participants divided into a group who were taught self-administered acupressure, and a group who were given sleep hygiene education. They found that those who had learned acupressure had improved Insomnia Severity Index scores after both four weeks and eight weeks, compared to the other group. Auricular acupressure, which focuses on pressure points on the ear, has been shown in a number of studies to help with insomnia. One review of studies looking at how effective auricular acupressure is as a treatment for insomnia concluded that, "the effects of auricular acupressure on insomnia are comparable to those of estazolam," which is a medication used short-term for treating insomnia. And while Dr. Parker noted above that acupressure be used to help with sleep issues like insomnia, she also explains that, "lack of sleep/insomnia is often a symptom of an underlying imbalance." "There are also lifestyle factors and habits that should be addressed to support a restful nights sleep (examples include limiting screen time before bed, limit caffeine after 3pm in the afternoon, eliminate noises and lights in the bedroom, try to go to bed at a regular time each night etc)," she explains. "Sleep problems can also be associated with hormonal changes and studies have demonstrated that acupressure can be effective for improving sleep in these patient populations," says Lai. A huge number of women experiencing menopause have issues with their sleep. In fact, 2023 research noted that across the world, sleep and menopause effects the lives of about a third of women. Lai suggests that acupressure may be one way to help tackle this, explaining that, "acupressure has shown in recent trials to significantly improve sleep quality in menopausal women." A trial published in the Iranian Journal of Medical Sciences, found that "acupressure alone can improve sleep quality at a rate of 22% in menopausal women by massage on the effective points," and concluded that it "can be used as a complementary treatment to relieve sleep disorders in menopausal women." In addition, Lai says that "Studies have indicated that acupressure impacts hormone-related sleep problems through decreasing levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) as well as through increasing levels of oestradiol." "These in turn improve sleep quality related to hormonal conditions, but also in other symptoms such as hot flushes and fatigue," she explains. If you're interested in exploring acupressure and want some simple options that you can try out from the ease of your home, Dr. Parker suggests the following. Acupressure mats like the Shakti mat and Pranamat have become popular options to try at home, and both promise to help improve your sleep after just 20 minutes use. Pranamat even cites stats from Dr. Marek Dvořák's sleep tracker, which show that after using the Pranamat 20 minutes before sleep, his REM sleep increased by 2%, deep sleep increased by 7% and light sleep was reduced by 10%. Lai also shares the one piece of advice given to every patient in her practice experiencing sleep issues: "Utilise acupressure wristbands to stimulate Nei Guan (Pericardium 6). Whilst this acupoint is widely known for nausea and vomiting, it is also used frequently in traditional acupuncture for sleeplessness as well as for stress and anxiety," she says. This pressure point is found between the two tendons ont he inner aspect of the forearm, three finger widths below the wrist crease. It's important to consult your doctor if you are experiencing pain or a medical condition, however, Lai and Dr. Parker agree that acupressure is, in general, very safe for most people. "Basic self-acupressure can be safely carried out in specific circumstances such as with acupressure wristbands for nausea and vomiting," Lai says. But she notes that, "for face, body or ear acupuncture and for more complex conditions, this is safest and most effective when carried out by a TCM practitioner who is registered with an appropriate acupuncture professional body." "If you are actively under the care of a doctor or consultant for a medical condition, you should always seek their advice prior to using acupressure," she explains. It's important that certain patient groups such as children, pregnant women and the elderly should check with their doctor before using acupressure for their health concerns.
