Companies are racing to develop pills to treat COVID-19

Hello,

Welcome to Insider Healthcare. I'm healthcare editor Leah Rosenbaum, and this week in healthcare news:

• We took a look at the companies who are testing antiviral pills that could treat COVID-19;
• Insider's reporting found that Walmart's health clinics are struggling with basic operations;
• We updated our slide deck homepage with brand new pitch decks that scored startups millions.

If you're new to this newsletter, sign up here. Comments, tips? Email me at lrosenbaum@insider.com or tweet @leah_rosenbaum. Let's get to it...

Companies are racing to develop an antiviral pill for COVID-19

More and more people are getting vaccinated against COVID-19, but a crucial gap in care still exists. As of right now, there are still no easy, cheap treatments for when people get infected with the virus.

Reporter Andy Dunn found that several companies are working to fill this gap. Drug companies Merck, Roche, and Pfizer, among others, are all testing antiviral pills that could be used to treat COVID-19.

On Friday, Merck said its antiviral roughly halved the risk of hospitalization or death from COVID-19 compared to those who received placebo.

The drugmaker and its partner Ridgeback plan to ask the FDA for an emergency use authorization shortly.

Dive in>>

A COVID-19 pill could soon fill a gap in our pandemic response that vaccines can't overcome

Walmart's primary care clinics are struggling

In 2019 Walmart became the latest retail giant to foray into the American healthcare system. It joined the ranks of Amazon and Google, and promised to create affordable primary care clinics around the country.

But two years later, Walmart's clinics are having a tough time.

We've been chronicling what's going on with Walmart's health ambitions and how they've been in flux.

There's been a number of key departures from the unit, and in September, reporter Shelby Livingston learned that two top executives in the health business are switching roles.

In her latest, Shelby got a look at what's happening on the ground. She spoke with current and former employees of the clinics who said that the company is struggling with basic functions including insurance building and credentialing doctors.

Patients are also being charged hidden fees, leading to more expensive care.

Read the full inside story here>>

Walmart's health clinics are struggling with basic functions like billing, imperiling the company's push to upend care

Check out the presentations that helped healthcare startups raise millions in venture capital

Did you know we have a page that features exclusive presentations that helped companies raise money from top VCs?

Investors have been pouring billions into healthcare startups this year, and these companies have shared with Insider how they piqued investor interest.

This week we added a new pitch deck from Vital's $15 million series A round that will help bring a patient management tool to emergency rooms, as well as a pitchdeck from value-based care startup Stellar Health.

See them all here>>

See the presentations that hot healthcare and biotech startups used to raise millions from top VCs

More stories that kept us busy this week:

• Psychedelics reporter Yeji Lee spoke to a top VC about what red flags turn him off from investing.
• Startups are raising millions to make clinical trials virtual, healthcare reporter Mohana Ravindranath found, but experts say they are still years away.
• Health correspondent Hilary Brueck dissected four charts that showed why people who got the Moderna vaccine may not need booster shots.
• A new model shows that US COVID-19 cases could decline this winter, science reporter Aria Bendix reports.

- Leah