Trending News Today: US Government Shutdown May Delay Response to CVS, Aetna Deal

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) said the partial US government shutdown could delay its response to the court process involving CVS’ acquisition of Aetna, Reuters reported. According to the article, Judge Richard Leon of the US District Court for the District of Columbia has been reviewing the consent decree reached by the government and the 2 companies, while the DOJ is required to respond to public comments on the consent agreement. In a court filing, the DOJ said it could not process those comments until appropriations were restored, the article reported.

Eli Lilly began posting price information online for drugs advertised on television, The Hill reported. According to the article, the company began directing viewers to a new website or a toll-free telephone number for information about the list price, average out-of-pocket costs, and patient assistance programs in its television ads for Trulicity. The company set a deadline by the end of February to publish price information for their other drugs advertised on TV, the article noted.

An experimental smartphone app may help detect drug overdoses in real time, the Associated Press reported. According to the article, the “Second Chance” app detects early signs of an overdose after individuals inject heroin or other illegal drugs. The software converts the phone’s built-in speaker and microphone to send out inaudible sound waves and record how they bounce back, analyzing specific breathing patterns, the article reported.