Greg, Jen, and PBM steering in the news

It’s no surprise (is it?) that PBMs and insurance companies are still steering patients even though it’s effectively illegal* in Georgia.

GPhA’s Greg Reybold and board member/pharmacy owner Jennifer Shannon were featured on a WSB-TV investigation talking about the problems with steering — for patients and pharmacies.

* Greg would throw a fit if we just said “illegal” — the law has some nuance, and we really don’t want to get a lawyer angry.

Strongly worded press conferences

As the Covid pandemic’s third wave continues to wreak havoc across the country, states are … well, they’re not actually requiring people to do much, but they’re strongly encouraging everyone to act safely and stay at home.

“It’s not safe to go out, it’s not safe to have others over,” said Wisconsin’s governor. “Please, cancel the happy hours, dinner parties, sleepovers, and playdates at your home.”

The U.S. passed the 10 million mark for infections, with one million in Texas alone. Meanwhile, Utah and North Dakota are at the point of having to ration hospital beds. Oklahoma’s ICUs are at 93 percent capacity.

In Georgia, more than 8,264 people have died from Covid-19 — including 41 just on November 10.

CDC: Masks also protect you

Until now, the purpose of masks was to protect others in case you were infected. Now the CDC has confirmed that wearing a mask also offers protection for the wearer.

Sleep apnea news

A study out of Australia’s Monash University found that “obstructive sleep apnea has been linked to an increased risk of dementia” by increasing the amount of amyloids in the brain.

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Sleep apnea correlates strongly with floppy eyelid syndrome.

“Any time you see someone with floppy eyelid, it should be your first documentation in their chart as well as a discussion with the patient to make sure they have an evaluation for obstructive sleep apnea.”

We’ll see your 90% and raise you 2%

Russia claims its Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine is 92 percent effective, — even better than BioNTech/Pfizer’s vaccine (a mere 90 percent effective). The country will begin vaccinating people in the next few weeks.

As with Pfizer’s vaccine, full data from the tests hasn’t been released yet.

[O]nly the top-line data is available, and medical experts are waiting anxiously for a full look at the data sets, to see for example if the vaccines are able to reduce the rate of severe COVID-19, prevent asymptomatic infection with SARS-CoV-2, and cut viral transmission rates.

The pessimist: “You can’t trust dem Russkies.” The optimist: “Two vaccines that effective? It looks like the virus has a real vulnerability we can exploit.”

Breaking the blood-brain barrier x2

Quebecois researchers have found a way to use nanoparticles to deliver drugs across the blood-brain barrier — well, in zebrafish, anyway. But still, it’s kind of a big deal, because if it works on humans, the technique could allow smaller doses of medication (and fewer side effects) when treating neurodegenerative diseases.

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University of Michigan chemical engineers have developed “a new synthetic protein nanoparticle” that can also slip through the blood-brain barrier — in mice, anyway. They hope to use to for brain cancer treatment.

“Hidden” Covid gene

Seems we never stop learning what a nasty little bugger SARS-CoV-2 is. The latest: Apparently it’s got at least one “hidden” gene (more accurately “overlapping gene”) that does … well, something. Researchers aren’t sure what, other than elicit an antibody response.

One thing’s for sure. In a virus that only has about 15 known genes, the discovery of another one – let alone an overlapping gene – is a significant development. Just how significant, scientists will now try to find out.

How’s it hidden? It overlaps other genes, so it’s easy to miss. Kind of like this:

ANDREWINDUSTRY

You might see “Andrew” and “Industry” but miss “Rewind,” which overlaps those two. It’s the same with SARS-CoV-2, but with A-C-G-T instead.

Huang joins UGA

Shout out to GPhA member (and convention social-media star) William Huang, who has joined the staff at UGA’s College of Pharmacy where he’ll be teaching clinical and administrative pharmacy.

And the latest common drug that might treat Covid-19 is…

Melatonin. “The hormone, which regulates the body’s circadian rhythm and sleep-wake cycle, was associated with a 30% reduced likelihood of testing positive for COVID-19.”

But — say it with me, folks — “additional studies are needed, the researchers said.”

Danes spare minks after all

Those shifty Danes have shifted again — deciding now not to cull the country’s 17 million minks out of fear of a coronavirus mutation (as we wrote about earlier this month). “Massive doubts over whether this cull is properly scientifically based [have] come to light now.”