The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has dropped a Biden-era proposal that would limit salmonella levels in raw chicken and turkey products, in today's bite-sized hospital and health industry news from the District of Columbia, Illinois, and New Jersey.
- District of Columbia: USDA has dropped a Biden-era proposal that would have limited salmonella levels in raw chicken and turkey products to help reduce food poisoning. Under the proposed rule, poultry companies would not be able to sell their products if tests found any of the six most dangerous salmonella strains or if overall salmonella levels passed a certain limit. According to the agency, the proposed rule would have had an "overwhelming burden" on small poultry producers and processors. However, food safety experts have criticized the decision to withdraw the proposed rule, saying it suggested that USDA was unwilling to take more aggressive action to protect consumers from foodborne illnesses. (Hernandez, Washington Post, 4/25)
- Illinois: Walgreens has launched a new program called PharmStart to help its pharmacy technicians pursue a PharmD degree. The program, which was built in collaboration with Guild, is a fully funded online education option that aims to help employees meet requirements to enter pharmacy school. The initiative will launch with 300 people from Illinois, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, and Wisconsin. PharmStart is also accepting applications from other pharmacy technicians or employees in frontline roles who want to become pharmacists. "Teaming up with Walgreens to launch PharmStart marks a transformative step to strengthen and grow the pharmacist talent pipeline," said Guild CEO Bijal Shah. "Walgreens is setting a new standard for what talent development can look like—investing in their own team members through a first-of-its-kind, stackable pharmacy education pathway." (Minemyer, Fierce Healthcare, 4/23)
- New Jersey: Merck has agreed to acquire SpringWorks Therapeutics for approximately $3.9 billion, expanding its oncology and rare disease business. Currently, SpringWorks has two approved drugs in the United States: Ogsiveo, a treatment for rare desmoid tumors that occur in connective tissue, and Gomekli, a treatment for a rare genetic disorder called neurofibromatosis type 1. According to analysts from MKP Advisors, both drugs could have potential peak sales of $1 billion a year. "The agreed acquisition of SpringWorks is a major step in our active portfolio strategy to position Merck as a globally diversified, innovation, and technology powerhouse," said Merck CEO Belén Garijo. "For our Healthcare sector, it sharpens the focus on rare tumors, accelerates growth, and strengthens our presence in the U.S." (Smolak, Wall Street Journal, 4/28; Joseph, STAT+ [subscription required], 4/28)
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