Podcast: The Flu, the Shot, the Future

Podcast Summary: The CDC recommends that almost everyone get the flu vaccine. While the inhaled version is currently not recommended, due to ineffectiveness in the past three seasons, the injection method is still only about 63% effective. The probability of contracting the illness might seem high; however, the CDC estimates that the vaccine prevented over seven million flu cases during the 2013/2014 season. For those who contract the illness, questions have arisen regarding the use of Tylenol to reduce fever and how it may impede on the body’s own immune response. While a study in New Zealand indicates that there is no difference in flu duration, concerns regarding the study’s size and compounding factors (including the use of Tamiflu) make the results inconclusive. Further, the effectiveness of Tamiflu is also under fire; an examination of published studies indicating duration and severity reduction revealed improper methodology and consistent bias. Actual review of the data presented to the FDA shows a much lower level of effectiveness than previously thought. As some work to develop effective treatment options, other researchers have identified portions of every flu virus, regardless of seasonal evolution, that remain unchanged. There is hope that if they can develop a vaccine to target these parts of the virus, annual administration with limited effectiveness will no longer be necessary; lifetime immunity similar to that for measles and mumps could be achieved with a single injection.

You can hear the podcast from 2 Docs Talk here.

Podcast: Aetna Letter Sparks Controversy

Summary: After announcing an exit from the majority of the healthcare exchanges in which it currently operates, Aetna is receiving criticism over a letter it had previously sent to the Department of Justice (DOJ). In it, Aetna’s CEO stated that if the merger between his organization and Humana was blocked, the company would have to leave the exchange business. Aetna claims to have left due to financial concerns and profitability issues with the program setup, but some wonder if the letter was meant as a veiled threat. Experts point out that if the latter is true, the attempt was misguided – the DOJ typically does not consider political pressures when examining anti-trust cases and is attempting to block the merger regardless of the letter’s intent.

Hear the full podcast from Marketplace here.

'Cross Protection' Occurs Between Bacterial Strains

Scientists recently discovered a mutually beneficial relationship occurring between bacterial strains: cross protection. In a new study, researchers grew two types of E. coli, each resistant to a different antibiotic, in the same test tube. The environment also contained the two antibiotics to which the strains were resistant. Instead of being eliminated, both bacteria deactivated “their” antibiotic, providing protection for the other strain. While not occurring in this study, experts suspect that, over time, this stable environment could lead to the exchange of resistance genes – making both strains of bacteria resistant to both antibiotics.

Listen to Scientific American's podcast about it here.

GlaxoSmithKline CEO On Why Drugs Cost So Much

Sir Andrew Witty, the CEO of Britain’s GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), the sixth largest pharmaceutical company in the world, discusses the current period of ‘extreme challenge’ in the industry and acknowledges the disconnect between the global push for affordable healthcare and the current cost of needed medications. Specifically, he points to the U.S.’s lack of transparency requirements as a major driver for the issues that our country is facing today – an inability to determine the actual price of a drug makes it impossible to determine a realistic cost-benefit analysis for the system. Ultimately, he suggests, the system needs to balance cost, value and innovation to ensure shareholders remain invested and patients have access to the drugs they need.

Hear the podcast on it here.

New 'Scarier' Zika Warnings in the U.S.

The CDC recently released a broader range of Zika-related complications beyond microcephaly, including stillbirth, placenta damage, prematurity, etc., as well as potential links to additional non-pregnancy conditions. In this comprehensive discussion about the existing and anticipated impact of the virus, experts explain the developing understanding of transmission, effects and prevention. Although there is evidence that the disease is not in the continental US (beyond those that traveled to infected countries), experts estimate the range of the carrier mosquito to include parts of at least 30 states – with an additional potential carrier type extending as far north as Minnesota. Combined with the difficult of containment, due to the uniqueness of the mosquito (including breeding, biting habits, etc.), experts suspect that an outbreak in the United States would be the “public health version of [Hurricane] Katrina.”

Listen to the podcast about it from On Point with Tom Ashbrook.