A federal appeals court this week ruled that sales of a widely used abortion drug can continue with some restrictions, setting the stage for the next Supreme Court battle over abortion access in the US.

The US Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit struck down part of a lower court’s ruling that put a hold on the federal government’s approval of mifepristone, a drug that the FDA signed off on in 2000. But the three-judge panel upheld restrictions on how the drug—also known as Mifeprex—can be used and prescribed as the case works its way through the courts.

“Mifeprex will remain available under the safety restrictions that were in effect prior to 2016. Generic mifepristone will also remain available under those same restrictions,” the judges wrote in a 93-page opinion released late Wednesday.

The FDA in 2016 loosened restrictions on who can prescribe the drug and how long into a pregnancy it can be used. In 2021, the agency said it would not enforce in-person dispensing requirements due to the Covid-19 pandemic, allowing it to be prescribed remotely and sent via mail.

Keep reading here.—SY

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Pharmaceutical distributor Cardinal Health raised its 2024 profit expectations following strong demand for generic and specialty drugs such as GLP-1 medications, the company announced in its Q4 2023 earnings call on Tuesday.

The Ohio-based company reported that its pharmaceutical segment profit increased 12% to $504 million in Q4 2023, up from $451 million during the same period last year. “Positive generics program performance” drove the increase, CFO Aaron Alt said during the call. Cardinal, whose fiscal year ends June 30, expects revenue from its pharmaceutical division to grow by 10%–12% in FY 2024, he added.

“Fiscal ’23 was an inflection point for Cardinal Health with improved performance, strong execution, and notable progress against both our short- and long-term plans,” CEO Jason Hollar said.

GLP-1 drugs such as Novo Nordisk-manufactured Ozempic and Wegovy were developed to treat diabetes, but have skyrocketed in popularity as a weight management tool. These medications can stimulate insulin production, which can help lower blood sugar levels and help Type-2 diabetes patients, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Keep reading here.—KW

Do you work in healthcare or have information about the industry that we should know? Email Kristine at [email protected]. For confidential conversations, ask Kristine for her number on Signal.

On Fridays, we schedule our rounds with Healthcare Brew readers. Want to be featured in an upcoming edition? Click here to introduce yourself.

This week’s Making Rounds spotlights Stephen Axelrod, president of Medication Solutions, which helps older patients with medication adherence through an in-home medication dispensing device called TabSafe. The automated medication dispenser, which Axelrod said has approximately 1,000 customers across the country, helps older adults and their families keep track of medication adherence.

Axelrod discussed how the device works as well as his long career in healthcare, from working in emergency rooms to his current position.

How does TabSafe work?

I make a medication dispensing device about the size of a can of coffee. It’s for your grandmother. It holds a lot of different pills, reminds you to take them, and drops them from all the different cartridges into a cup at the bottom—and all the user needs to do is press the button and it dispenses the medications. But for the family members, it’s all web-enabled so you can watch your family member take their meds without calling and reminding, and you know immediately if they’ve missed anything.

Keep reading here.—KW

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Today’s top healthcare reads.

Stat: Children under the age of eight in China may have their screen time limited to 40 minutes. (the New York Times)

Quote: “For patients who have not yet been seen and would be added to a general waiting list, it is daunting to think that it’s going to be a year or more before you’re going to be seen by somebody.”—Angela Kade Goepferd, medical director of Children’s Minnesota’s gender health program, on long waits for transgender healthcare amid state bans (AP)

Read: Hospitals in North Carolina are the latest to use lawsuits as a tactic for collecting unpaid medical bills, despite health systems typically not offering enough financial assistance to low-income patients. (KFF Health News)

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