New drugs in primary care; ‘sham insurance;’ detecting CTE – Morning Medical Update

New drug approvals

We’re well into 2024, but there’s still much to learn from 2023, including these 13 drugs approved for use in primary care. Catch up now because you know your patients will follow the commercials’ advice to “ask your doctor if (insert drug name here) is right for you.”

Feds net $195M judgment

The Federal Trade Commission obtained a $195 million judgment and permanent ban on telemarketing and sales of health care products. The feds say Simple Health Plans LLC and CEO Steven J. Dorfman duped consumers into paying for comprehensive health coverage that was anything but.

Detecting CTE

For years physicians, players and fans have wondered just how badly boxers and football players suffer long-term effects from chronic traumatic encephalopathy due to repeated blows to the head. It has been diagnosed after death, but now researchers say they took “a clear step forward toward diagnosing CTE in life,” according to this study and accompanying news release.