Paxlovid, long Covid, weed, Trump drug deals: Morning Rounds

• Multiple health and infrastructure crises emerged in reports ending September 4, 2026, including a cyclosporiasis outbreak and a surge in measles cases. • Two children died from measles as infection rates reached a 30-year high.

• Editor-in-Chief Jason Gallagher highlighted a proposed Office of Management and Budget (OMB) rule that would restrict federal grants for international research collaborations. • The rule targets the cross-border networks used by infectious disease practitioners to track new pathogens, resistance mechanisms, and outbreaks.

• Researchers conducted a retrospective review of all novel FDA drug approvals from 2016 through 2024 to analyze the evidence used for authorization. • The study used FDA public records and the ClinicalTrials.gov database to track the number of completed trials and their funding sources.

• The National Institutes of Health ended its ban on funding new research projects in South Africa on September 3, 2026. • Director Jay Bhattacharya issued an internal memo requiring that international projects have a clear scientific rationale and the potential to improve the health of Americans.

• The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has suspended the new use of the drug avacopan after concluding that pivotal trial data is no longer reliable. • One pivotal clinical study underpinning the drug's license authorization was found to have compromised integrity and reliability.

• Government, industry, and public health sectors are collaborating to increase the adoption of common standards for clinical research data collection and sharing. • The initiative aims to prevent critical health findings from remaining hidden in fragmented data, ensuring that safety and efficacy results are transparent.

• New migraine prevention guidelines were released on Monday to help physicians navigate treatment options and secure insurance prior authorizations. • The updated framework emphasizes the integration of the newest prevention medications currently available on the market.

• Helus Pharma CEO Michael Halstead is scheduled to participate in a fireside chat during a conference on September 11. • The event will be webcast at 8 a.m. EDT, with a recording later made available on the company's investor relations website.

• 60 Degrees Pharmaceuticals will release a public presentation on September 11 regarding its medicines for vector-borne diseases. • Following the presentation, company management will meet with institutional investors in New York from September 14-16.

• The FDA has approved Oveporexton (brand name Orzeyful), developed by Takeda, for the treatment of narcolepsy type 1 in adults. • As the first drug to directly restore orexin signaling, the twice-daily tablet demonstrated improvements in daytime sleepiness, cataplexy, sleep paralysis, and hallucinations across two clinical trials.

• Researchers have developed a new hydrogel injection approach designed to keep osteoarthritis drugs effective within joints for several weeks. • The system utilizes a biocompatible polymer matrix and nanocarriers to act as a local reservoir, allowing for the delivery of hydrophobic therapeutic compounds.