In today’s Talking Points: China’s new Alzheimer’s drug completes phase 3 clinical trial, Greg Hunt’s private health insurance overhaul accused of inflating costs,
China’s new Alzheimer’s drug completes phase 3 clinical trial
GV-971 was developed by Ocean University of China, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica under Chinese Academy of Sciences and Green Valley Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, after a 21-year study. A phase three clinical trial is the last test before reaching the market.
In the trial, participants took 450 mg GV-971 orally twice a day for 36 weeks, which proved effective in improving cognition. The drug, which is developed from brown algae, that is targeted to patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s. Independent animal experiments also showed that it can regulate the immune system, reduce neuro-inflammation and improve cognition.
Read more: Xinhua
Greg Hunt’s private health insurance overhaul accused of inflating costs
Chronic pain sufferers and pregnant women could be forced to pay for more expensive private health insurance after the health minister, Greg Hunt, unveiled a new tiered system of minimum hospital treatments covered by private health insurance policies.
The system includes four bands of coverage – gold, silver, bronze and basic – designed to make it easier for consumers to know what their private health insurance premiums will cover.
Read more: The Guardian
The impact of mental health in the workplace
The impact of mental health in Australia is significantly increasing with data showing that 4 million people were estimated to have experienced a common mental health disorder in 2015 and over $9 billion was spent on mental health in 2015-16.
The recently developed ‘mental health stepped care model’ by the Australian government focuses on matching a person experiencing mental health issues to the intervention level most suited to them. But with the rates of reported mental health issues on the rise in Australia is it enough to keep up with demand and does there need to be more action taken place?
Read more: United Health