Thursday, June 4, 2026 - KFF Health News

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is seeking public comment and recommendations on a continuing information collection request. • The agency is requesting approval from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for an estimated 583 annual burden hours.

• The CDC has identified containing the spread of Ebola as its top priority amidst ongoing health concerns. • The Trump administration is reportedly disregarding established infectious disease playbooks, raising concerns about the federal response to outbreaks.

• In May 2026, pharmaceutical advancements focused on KRAS, a protein previously deemed "undruggable," with new research exploring the efficacy of the drug daraxonrasib. • A first-line study is currently underway to determine if daraxonrasib can be used earlier in treatment, either as a monotherapy or in combination with chemotherapy.

• The FDA has fast-tracked bepirovirsen, a first-of-its-kind drug for hepatitis B, following trial results showing it may allow some patients to stop treatment entirely. • In a study of 1,838 patients receiving weekly shots for six months, approximately 20% of bepirovirsen recipients achieved a "functional cure," meaning the virus remained undetectable for six months after all medication ceased.

• The U.S. FDA has approved ensitrelvir (Xocova), an oral antiviral developed by Shionogi, for the post-exposure prevention of COVID-19. • The medication is authorized for use in individuals aged 12 years and older who have been exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

• Missouri State Rep. Dave Griffith is advocating for psychedelic-assisted therapy to treat veterans suffering from depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. • The initiative follows an April executive order signed by Donald Trump titled “Accelerating Medical Treatments for Serious Mental Illness,” which aims to speed up drug approvals and clinical trial participation.

• The FDA has approved Shionogi’s Xocova (ensitrelvir) as the first oral therapy designed to prevent Covid-19 after a person has been exposed to the virus. • The approval follows the Scorpio-Pep trial involving 2,387 participants aged 12 and older who were asymptomatic but had been exposed to a symptomatic household member.

• WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus visited health workers at the Evangelical Medical Centre in Bunia, Congo, on May 31, 2026. • The visit addresses an outbreak of the Bundibugyo virus, which is currently concentrated in Congo's eastern Ituri province.

• Merck (known as MSD outside the U.S. and Canada) announced the publication of new clinical trial work on May 7, 2026. • The announcement was distributed via Business Wire from Rahway, N.J., targeting both healthcare professionals and consumers.

• Shionogi has received FDA approval for its protease inhibitor, ensitrelvir, specifically for use in the prevention of COVID-19. • This regulatory win follows a previous failure by the company to demonstrate the drug's effectiveness as a primary treatment for U.S. patients.

• The FDA has approved ensitrelvir, an oral antiviral medication specifically designed to prevent COVID-19 after a person has been exposed to the virus. • Approval follows the phase III SCORPIO-PEP trial, which demonstrated that the drug reduced the risk of developing COVID-19 by more than half for individuals who were household contacts of an infected person.