Category: fda

Trump Touted Abbott’s Quick COVID-19 Test. HHS Document Shows Only 5,500 Are On Way For Entire U.S.

States urgently need millions of tests, and the game changer they’ve been waiting on falls well short of what is needed, according to government documents obtained by KHN.

Online Coronavirus Tests Are Just The Latest Iffy Products Marketed To Anxious Consumers

Americans are worried about the novel coronavirus, so they are turning to the internet for solutions to stem their fears. Buyer, beware. It could be dangerous.

What Takes So Long? A Behind-The-Scenes Look At The Steps Involved In COVID-19 Testing

A common complaint about the testing process is the long turnaround time for results.

As Coronavirus Testing Gears Up, Specialized Swabs Running Out

Nationwide, testing for coronavirus is ramping up. But the supply of specialty swabs needed to collect potential coronavirus specimens can’t keep up with demand, creating a bottleneck in testing capabilities. So two top manufacturers are working with U.S. and Italian governments to increase production.

How Intrepid Lab Sleuths Ramped Up Tests As Coronavirus Closed In

Drs. Keith Jerome and Alex Greninger fast-tracked a test for the deadly new coronavirus weeks before it began spreading in the U.S. Their work has been key to detecting community transmission and ramping up the nation’s testing capacity.

Call For FDA To Withdraw Preterm Birth Drug Divides Doctors and Insurers

A study ordered by the Food and Drug Administration failed to prove that Makena, the only drug approved to prevent premature birth, is effective. While a panel of experts has recommended withdrawing the drug’s approval, many doctors are wary.

Team Trump Says Administration’s Action On Health Care ‘Is Working.’ Is It?

The impact of the Trump administration’s health policies is not as clear-cut as the president’s reelection campaign suggests.

KHN’s ‘What The Health?’: Democrats Roll Dice On SCOTUS And The ACA

A group of Democratic state attorneys general are betting the Supreme Court will take up the case and overturn a federal appeals court ruling in time for the 2020 elections. In other high-court news, most Republicans in Congress are asking the justices to use a Louisiana law to overturn the landmark abortion-rights ruling, Roe v. Wade. Joanne Kenen of Politico, Stephanie Armour of The Wall Street Journal and Paige Winfield Cunningham of The Washington Post join KHN’s Julie Rovner to discuss this and more. Rovner also interviews NPR’s Richard Harris, who wrote the latest KHN-NPR “Bill of the Month” feature.

A Reality Check On Artificial Intelligence: Are Health Care Claims Overblown?

As happens when the tech industry gets involved, hype surrounds the claims that artificial intelligence will help patients and even replace some doctors.

Reports Of Patients’ Deaths Linked To Heart Devices Lurk Below Radar

Because of a little-known federal exemption program, death data about heart devices sits in inaccessible FDA files that can take up to two years for the public to see under open-records laws.