The promise of the first new Alzheimer’s drug in nearly 2 decades

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While we wait to hear more about the results of the presidential election, here’s the latest in healthcare news.

Today: Good news for Biogen’s experimental Alzheimer’s drug, why massive health insurers like UnitedHealth Group are surging, and the US surpasses 103,000 daily COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day count since the pandemic began.

Biogen just gained $16 billion in market value, as investors increasingly expect approval of the first Alzheimer’s drug in over 15 years. Here’s what comes next.

• What could be the first disease-modifying Alzheimer’s drug got a step closer to US approval on Wednesday.
• The US Food and Drug Administration released crucial documents Wednesday summarizing the evidence for and against Biogen’s experimental treatment called aducanumab. 
• The FDA documents stated Biogen has “provided substantial evidence of effectiveness to support approval.”
• The agency is aiming to make a decision on aducanumab by March 7, 2021 at the latest. 

Read the full story from Andrew Dunn here>>

Massive healthcare companies like UnitedHealth Group and Anthem are soaring in the wake of an undecided election — and it's because an overhaul of health insurance is looking less likely

• Health insurance stocks like Cigna and UnitedHealth Group soared on Wednesday morning, even though the 2020 presidential election remains undecided.
• Analysts said it's clear from the election results so far that big healthcare policy changes are unlikely over the next four years.
• The "Blue Wave" failed to materialize, which one analyst said is an "excellent" results for health insurers.

Read the full story from Shelby Livingston here>>

The US surpassed 103,000 new daily COVID-19 cases, the highest single-day count in the entire pandemic. And the deadliest wave is yet to come.

• The US reportedly surpassed 103,000 COVID-19 new daily infections on Wednesday, the COVID-19 Tracking Project reported. 
• Experts have warned the US is entering the "deadliest" wave of the pandemic as cold weather sets in and people begin hunkering down indoors.
• Close to 9.5 million Americans have already been infected with COVID-19 and over 233,650 have died. 

Read the full story from Sarah Al-Arshani here>>

More stories we're reading:

• Oregon voted to legalize the sale of psychedelic mushrooms (Business Insider)
• Gilead is suing health clinics in Florida for alleged HIV drug program fraud (Bloomberg Law) 
• There's a 'small chance' Oxford University's COVID-19 vaccine will be ready this year, according to the director of its clinical trial (Business Insider)
• Abbott sued a former executive for allegedly trying to take COVID-19 testing secrets to a rival company (Stat News)

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- Lydia