1. Hospital pharmacists traditionally throw out drugs when they reach their expiration date, at the cost of an estimated $800 million per year. Researchers have found, however, that some expired drugs remain as potent as they were prior to their expiration dates. (ProPublica)
2. The FDA approved a new hepatitis-C treatment developed by Gilead Sciences. Vosevi is approved to treat patients who haven’t responded to other treatments. (Reuters)
3. About 45% of Medicare beneficiaries with mild cognitive impairment who are taking drugs that treat Alzheimer’s disease may not have the disease. A four-year study assessed whether the brains of patients with mild cognitive impairment or dementia contain amyloid plaques, a hallmark of the disease. (WaPo)
4. A European watchdog said the European Medicines Agency is too close with drugmakers, which may influence decisions to approve new drugs. (Reuters)
5. About 30 million Americans — nearly 10% of the U.S. population — have diabetes and about 84 million more have prediabetes, according to the latest data from the CDC.
