Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Gilead Wins Closely Watched Case Involving HIV Drug Side Effects
California's 鈥媓ighest court on Monday ruled in favor of Gilead Sciences in a closely watched case addressing whether 鈥宮anufacturers of drugs that are considered safe must try developing drugs that could be safer. In a 6-1 decision, the California Supreme Court ordered the dismissal of negligence claims against Gilead by an estimated 24,000 patients using an HIV drug it produced, over its decision more than 20 鈥媦ears ago to stop developing an alternative drug that had fewer side effects. ... The 鈥媍ase was closely followed in the pharmaceutical industry, addressing whether drugmakers should sacrifice profit on successful products by being required 鈥媡o spend money to develop and quickly commercialize alternative products, sometimes called a "duty to innovate." (Stempel, 8/3)
The red van hands out food, water, clothes, first aid and free HIV tests. Locals recognize it across the Twin Cities: the van, nicknamed 鈥淭hrivey,鈥 visits St. Paul on Mondays, drives up and down south Minneapolis on Wednesdays and Thursdays, then heads to north Minneapolis on Fridays. Tuesdays are restock days. (Rummler, 8/3)
No women taking long-acting cabotegravir (Apretude) for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) developed an HIV infection despite short delays before some maintenance injections, according to a U.S. study of routine clinical care. There were no cases of incident HIV over a median follow-up of 13 months among 315 women who started cabotegravir in 2021-2024 as part of the OPERA longitudinal cohort. (Rudd, 8/3)
Also 鈥
A Russian missile struck a warehouse near Kyiv two weeks ago, destroying 62 million items used to prevent H.I.V. in Ukraine, leaving aid groups working urgently to replenish the supplies. The attack was part of a broader campaign of Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, including power plants, shopping centers and hospitals, which military analysts say is intended to make civilian life unbearable and inflict a psychological toll on the population. (Mandavilli and M茅heut, 8/3)
Dr. Julio Montaner has spent decades in the fight against HIV but says he feels years of progress slipping away. 鈥淚 am very worried about what's coming our way,鈥 said Montaner, executive director and physician-in-chief at the BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS in Vancouver, the largest HIV/AIDS research and treatment facility in Canada. New modelling data from the Public Health Agency of Canada shows there was a 22.8 per cent increase in new HIV infections between 2022 and 2024.聽In 2024, an estimated 2,517 new infections occurred compared with the 2,050 infections recorded two years earlier. (Reid, 8/1)
Trials show lenacapavir can all but eliminate the risk of HIV infection. Yet in the countries where it was tested, most people can't afford it. (Sebouai, 7/31)