Latest news with #NedLamont
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Connecticut leaders announce increased funding for Community Health Centers
HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — Connecticut leaders, including Gov. Ned Lamont (D), held a news conference Wednesday morning to announce an increase in financial support for Connecticut's Community Health Centers. Gunshot victim walks into New Haven hospital, police investigating The nonprofit, community-based facilities provide primary and preventative care to everyone, regardless of income or insurance status. Gov. Lamont said that service is crucial right now. 'I think it represents the very best in health care in our country,' Gov. Lamont said. 'Something we ought to try to replicate.' The state's Community Health Centers serve approximately 440,000 people each year. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Arkansas one of several states weighing fluoride ban
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont this week signed legislation requiring the state to keep fluoride at existing levels. But Florida and Utah have banned adding fluoride to drinking water, and other states may follow, as the decades-old practice of adding it to public drinking is facing renewed attacks, including from the federal government. Arkansas state Sen. Bryan King, a cattle and poultry farmer in Fayetteville, told CBS News he has "concerns" about adding fluoride to water. Since 2011, when the state mandated most public drinking water to include fluoride, King has thrown his anti-fluoride voice behind a handful of bills seeking to repeal that mandate. Fluoride is a natural mineral. It strengthens teeth and fights dental decay. It's been added to the U.S.'s public drinking supply since the 1940s. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rated fluoride as one of the top ten public health achievements of the 20th century. And according to the American Dental Association, "70 years of research, thousands of studies and the experience of more than 210 million Americans tell us that water fluoridation is effective in preventing cavities and is safe for children and adults." "If that's the case, they need to individually go out to each water district and sell it to the people there, and let them make their own water decisions," King said. At least 19 states have considered legislation to remove, ban or make fluoride optional in public drinking water this year. One of fluoride's most prominent critics is Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. In the latest skirmish over science, fluoride opponents argue that at high levels, it can lead to kidney and liver damage and lower IQs in children. The National Institutes of Health's toxicology program in 2024 determined "with moderate confidence" that there is a link between high levels of fluoride exposure and lower IQs in children. That conclusion was based on studies involving fluoride levels of about twice the recommended limit for drinking water. The American Academy of Pediatrics has questioned the validity of the NIH's report, noting it had "important limitations," including the high fluoride levels, and that other reviews have come to different conclusions about fluoride's risks and benefits. The EPA in 2011 lowered the recommended limit for fluoride in water to cut down on fluorosis — when spots appear on kids' teeth — and in the wake of a 2006 report from the National Academy of Sciences that found a lifetime of overconsumption of fluoride can lead to weakened, brittle bones and teeth. At Arkansas' Fort Smith water system, Lance McAvoy, who oversees the system, told CBS News it's monitored 24/7. "We actually take samples every 15 minutes to verify the online equipment," McAvoy said, adding there had never been an instance of significantly higher fluoride levels to date. Dentists such as Kenton Ross, who also serves as president of Arkansas' dental association, say the science supporting fluoride is indisputable. "You're gonna see a 25% reduction in tooth decay," Ross said of adding fluoride to drinking water. "We have over 75 years of research over community fluoridation." For dentists, losing fluoride could mean losing the battle against tooth decay. "It's gonna affect the children the worst because if they don't get it, we can't put it in later in life," Ross said. Trump pushes senators to make $9.4 trillion in spending cuts Child rescued after getting stuck in claw machine Fight over fluoride in water continues, despite warnings from dentists
CBS News
4 days ago
- Health
- CBS News
Arkansas one of several states weighing fluoride ban
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont this week signed legislation requiring the state to keep fluoride at existing levels. But Florida and Utah have banned adding fluoride to drinking water, and other states may follow, as the decades-old practice of adding it to public drinking is facing renewed attacks, including from the federal government. Arkansas state Sen. Bryan King, a cattle and poultry farmer in Fayetteville, told CBS News he has "concerns" about adding fluoride to water. Since 2011, when the state mandated most public drinking water to include fluoride, King has thrown his anti-fluoride voice behind a handful of bills seeking to repeal that mandate. Fluoride is a natural mineral. It strengthens teeth and fights dental decay. It's been added to the U.S.'s public drinking supply since the 1940s. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rated fluoride as one of the top ten public health achievements of the 20th century. And according to the American Dental Association, "70 years of research, thousands of studies and the experience of more than 210 million Americans tell us that water fluoridation is effective in preventing cavities and is safe for children and adults." "If that's the case, they need to individually go out to each water district and sell it to the people there, and let them make their own water decisions," King said. At least 19 states have considered legislation to remove, ban or make fluoride optional in public drinking water this year. One of fluoride's most prominent critics is Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. In the latest skirmish over science, fluoride opponents argue that at high levels, it can lead to kidney and liver damage and lower IQs in children. The National Institutes of Health's toxicology program in 2024 determined "with moderate confidence" that there is a link between high levels of fluoride exposure and lower IQs in children. That conclusion was based on studies involving fluoride levels of about twice the recommended limit for drinking water. The American Academy of Pediatrics has questioned the validity of the NIH's report, noting it had "important limitations," including the high fluoride levels, and that other reviews have come to different conclusions about fluoride's risks and benefits. The EPA in 2011 lowered the recommended limit for fluoride in water to cut down on fluorosis — when spots appear on kids' teeth — and in the wake of a 2006 report from the National Academy of Sciences that found a lifetime of overconsumption of fluoride can lead to weakened, brittle bones and teeth. At Arkansas' Fort Smith water system, Lance McAvoy, who oversees the system, told CBS News it's monitored 24/7. "We actually take samples every 15 minutes to verify the online equipment," McAvoy said, adding there had never been an instance of significantly higher fluoride levels to date. Dentists such as Kenton Ross, who also serves as president of Arkansas' dental association, say the science supporting fluoride is indisputable. "You're gonna see a 25% reduction in tooth decay," Ross said of adding fluoride to drinking water. "We have over 75 years of research over community fluoridation." For dentists, losing fluoride could mean losing the battle against tooth decay. "It's gonna affect the children the worst because if they don't get it, we can't put it in later in life," Ross Tin and Sara Moniuszko contributed to this report.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Connecticut wants to make generic GLP-1s. Will RFK Jr. lend a hand?
Connecticut passed a new law last week in an effort to lower its spending on weight-loss drugs for its state insurance program — HUSKY Health, which includes Medicaid and CHIP enrollees — and it could help other states do the same if it succeeds. The bill, signed by Gov. Ned Lamont on July 8, focuses on efforts to control drug prices but has a section dedicated to generic GLP-1 drugs, similar to Novo Nordisk's (NVO) Ozempic and Wegovy and Eli Lilly's (LLY) Mounjaro and Zepbound. Combined, the four drugs have been ballooning the state's spending — contributing costs of $140 million in fiscal year 2024 — a problem plaguing many states. Some states have chosen to restrict or limit who can be prescribed the drugs, while others have stopped covering them altogether. Connecticut expanded coverage in 2023. The new law calls for the Commissioner of Social Services to petition the US Health and Human Services Department (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to exercise the federal government's right to own the patents of GLP-1s and contract with generic manufacturers to produce a version of the drugs in exchange for royalties that Connecticut says it will pay. "The commissioner may enter into a consortium with officials in other states in contracting with such manufacturer for such drugs," according to the state's new law. State Sen. Matt Lesser, who introduced the bill, told Yahoo Finance that other states, both red and blue, have already expressed interest. He said the state has 30 days to submit the petition. "The governor and Sec. Kennedy have known each other for a very long time. So I don't know what conversations they may or may not have had. But, I think we're also having some early conversations," Lesser said of the state's social services commission. HHS did not reply to a request for comment from Yahoo Finance. The power to claim ownership of the patent comes from a section in the US Patent Code, 28 US 1498, which is described by experts as similar to eminent domain. If RFK Jr. accepts Connecticut's request, the drugmakers would be compensated based on a benchmark closer to production costs, not to market rates, according to Robin Feldman, a professor of law and director of the Center for Innovation at the University of California, San Francisco. "So recent cases are royalties of 10% or 7.5%," Feldman told Yahoo Finance. Lamont, meanwhile, signaled caution when signing the bill last week. "While well-intentioned, this provision may present an overreach of Section 1498, which was intended to provide a remedy for patent holders for when the federal government uses patented inventions for its own purposes," he said. "The administration will work collaboratively with the industry, healthcare professionals, and advocates to ensure that provision is implemented as appropriate under federal law." The strategy faces some uncertainty, but it could be coming at just the right time, according to some experts. Connecticut's effort comes as prices have begun to ease in the wake of increased supply from drugmakers Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. Both are offering vials at cheaper prices than injectables in direct-to-consumer avenues to counter the massive compounding market. Former Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Jørgensen previously told Yahoo Finance that the compounding market is "approximately as big as our own business." Compounders were initially allowed to provide the copycats without FDA approval when the drugs were in short supply. The FDA has since ended the shortages, but some compounders continue to produce the cheaper copycats, claiming they have protections for "personalized medicine." That debate is making its way through the court system and is currently in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Lesser said Connecticut considered compounding but wasn't comfortable with the lack of FDA approval for the products. In addition to lower prices, Novo Nordisk's drugs are facing the end of their exclusivity period, which is regulated by the FDA. This is separate from the patents protected by the US Patent Office. While the patents expire in 2031, the FDA exclusivity has already partially expired for semaglutide in recent years On top of all that, generic competition is already on the horizon in Canada, which means a manufacturer is currently setting up production and getting approval from a comparable regulatory body to the FDA, according to Rachel Sachs, a professor of innovation policy and patent law at Washington University in St. Louis. That could also be useful if states decide to import from Canada — and would be quicker than the FDA process to contract with a US-based facility. "So this is a sort of sweet spot for those products, where it would be a particularly impactful time for the (patent) law to be used," Sachs said. The law Connecticut wants HHS to invoke has been used in the past. In 2017, Louisiana invoked the same law to try to get Hepatitis C drugs at a lower cost. At the time, more than 35,000 Medicaid enrollees using the drugs were costing the state $764 million. The drugmaker, Gilead Sciences (GILD), ultimately struck a deal with Louisiana to implement an "innovative payment model," which capped the state's costs. And post-9/11, when there was an anthrax scare, the US government invoked the law to stockpile Bayer's (BAYRY) drug Cipro. Bayer ultimately agreed to lower its price. Recently, North Carolina tried a different strategy by leveraging its relationships with Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, which had manufacturing operations in the state last year. It was unsuccessful and had to cut coverage for state employees while keeping coverage for Medicaid beneficiaries. The state petitioned HHS and then-Secretary Xavier Becerra to negotiate lower prices on its behalf but stopped short of invoking the patent law, though some advocacy groups suggested it at the time. It's why experts and advocates are closely watching how RFK Jr. responds to this petition. But so far, the Trump administration has made no progress in its efforts to curb costs, according to Amy Kapczynski, a professor at Yale Law School and expert on intellectual property rights. "The Trump Administration has been weak in addressing drug pricing as a problem, undermining some of the gains of the recent Biden bill to lower drug prices for Medicare," she told Yahoo Finance. "They may not want to do this, and argue that they can't — but really, I see it as a question of political will." UCSF's Feldman echoed a similar sentiment, adding that the situation could end well for the drugmakers too. "There should be a deal to be made that provides very handsome returns for the companies who have brought (these drugs) to society, but in a way that's sustainable and doesn't break the bank," she said. — Anjalee Khemlani is the senior health reporter at Yahoo Finance, covering all things pharma, insurance, provider services, digital health, PBMs, and health policy and politics. That includes GLP-1s, of course. Follow Anjalee as AnjKhem on social media platforms X, LinkedIn, and Bluesky @AnjKhem. Click here for in-depth analysis of the latest health industry news and events impacting stock prices
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Connecticut wants to make generic GLP-1s. Will RFK Jr. lend a hand?
Connecticut passed a new law last week in an effort to lower its spending on weight-loss drugs for its state insurance program — HUSKY Health, which includes Medicaid and CHIP enrollees — and it could help other states do the same if it succeeds. The bill, signed by Gov. Ned Lamont on July 8, focuses on efforts to control drug prices but has a section dedicated to generic GLP-1 drugs, similar to Novo Nordisk's (NVO) Ozempic and Wegovy and Eli Lilly's (LLY) Mounjaro and Zepbound. Combined, the four drugs have been ballooning the state's spending — contributing costs of $140 million in fiscal year 2024 — a problem plaguing many states. Some states have chosen to restrict or limit who can be prescribed the drugs, while others have stopped covering them altogether. Connecticut expanded coverage in 2023. The new law calls for the Commissioner of Social Services to petition the US Health and Human Services Department (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to exercise the federal government's right to own the patents of GLP-1s and contract with generic manufacturers to produce a version of the drugs in exchange for royalties that Connecticut says it will pay. "The commissioner may enter into a consortium with officials in other states in contracting with such manufacturer for such drugs," according to the state's new law. State Sen. Matt Lesser, who introduced the bill, told Yahoo Finance that other states, both red and blue, have already expressed interest. He said the state has 30 days to submit the petition. "The governor and Sec. Kennedy have known each other for a very long time. So I don't know what conversations they may or may not have had. But, I think we're also having some early conversations," Lesser said of the state's social services commission. HHS did not reply to a request for comment from Yahoo Finance. The power to claim ownership of the patent comes from a section in the US Patent Code, 28 US 1498, which is described by experts as similar to eminent domain. If RFK Jr. accepts Connecticut's request, the drugmakers would be compensated based on a benchmark closer to production costs, not to market rates, according to Robin Feldman, a professor of law and director of the Center for Innovation at the University of California, San Francisco. "So recent cases are royalties of 10% or 7.5%," Feldman told Yahoo Finance. Lamont, meanwhile, signaled caution when signing the bill last week. "While well-intentioned, this provision may present an overreach of Section 1498, which was intended to provide a remedy for patent holders for when the federal government uses patented inventions for its own purposes," he said. "The administration will work collaboratively with the industry, healthcare professionals, and advocates to ensure that provision is implemented as appropriate under federal law." The strategy faces some uncertainty, but it could be coming at just the right time, according to some experts. Connecticut's effort comes as prices have begun to ease in the wake of increased supply from drugmakers Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. Both are offering vials at cheaper prices than injectables in direct-to-consumer avenues to counter the massive compounding market. Former Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Jørgensen previously told Yahoo Finance that the compounding market is "approximately as big as our own business." Compounders were initially allowed to provide the copycats without FDA approval when the drugs were in short supply. The FDA has since ended the shortages, but some compounders continue to produce the cheaper copycats, claiming they have protections for "personalized medicine." That debate is making its way through the court system and is currently in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Lesser said Connecticut considered compounding but wasn't comfortable with the lack of FDA approval for the products. In addition to lower prices, Novo Nordisk's drugs are facing the end of their exclusivity period, which is regulated by the FDA. This is separate from the patents protected by the US Patent Office. While the patents expire in 2031, the FDA exclusivity has already partially expired for semaglutide in recent years On top of all that, generic competition is already on the horizon in Canada, which means a manufacturer is currently setting up production and getting approval from a comparable regulatory body to the FDA, according to Rachel Sachs, a professor of innovation policy and patent law at Washington University in St. Louis. That could also be useful if states decide to import from Canada — and would be quicker than the FDA process to contract with a US-based facility. "So this is a sort of sweet spot for those products, where it would be a particularly impactful time for the (patent) law to be used," Sachs said. The law Connecticut wants HHS to invoke has been used in the past. In 2017, Louisiana invoked the same law to try to get Hepatitis C drugs at a lower cost. At the time, more than 35,000 Medicaid enrollees using the drugs were costing the state $764 million. The drugmaker, Gilead Sciences (GILD), ultimately struck a deal with Louisiana to implement an "innovative payment model," which capped the state's costs. And post-9/11, when there was an anthrax scare, the US government invoked the law to stockpile Bayer's (BAYRY) drug Cipro. Bayer ultimately agreed to lower its price. Recently, North Carolina tried a different strategy by leveraging its relationships with Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, which had manufacturing operations in the state last year. It was unsuccessful and had to cut coverage for state employees while keeping coverage for Medicaid beneficiaries. The state petitioned HHS and then-Secretary Xavier Becerra to negotiate lower prices on its behalf but stopped short of invoking the patent law, though some advocacy groups suggested it at the time. It's why experts and advocates are closely watching how RFK Jr. responds to this petition. But so far, the Trump administration has made no progress in its efforts to curb costs, according to Amy Kapczynski, a professor at Yale Law School and expert on intellectual property rights. "The Trump Administration has been weak in addressing drug pricing as a problem, undermining some of the gains of the recent Biden bill to lower drug prices for Medicare," she told Yahoo Finance. "They may not want to do this, and argue that they can't — but really, I see it as a question of political will." UCSF's Feldman echoed a similar sentiment, adding that the situation could end well for the drugmakers too. "There should be a deal to be made that provides very handsome returns for the companies who have brought (these drugs) to society, but in a way that's sustainable and doesn't break the bank," she said. — Anjalee Khemlani is the senior health reporter at Yahoo Finance, covering all things pharma, insurance, provider services, digital health, PBMs, and health policy and politics. That includes GLP-1s, of course. Follow Anjalee as AnjKhem on social media platforms X, LinkedIn, and Bluesky @AnjKhem. Click here for in-depth analysis of the latest health industry news and events impacting stock prices Sign in to access your portfolio
