Scientists are reaching a new understanding about Alzheimer's disease

Hello,

Welcome to Insider Healthcare. I'm Lydia Ramsey Pflanzer, back after a week away to ski and feeling refreshed. Today in healthcare news:

• Scientists have a new way of thinking about Alzheimer's disease;
• Pfizer's and Moderna's shots are 90% effective out in the real world;
• See the investor presentation Crossover Health gave at a January investor conference.

If you're new to this newsletter, sign up here. Comments, tips, tricks for successfully scheduling vaccine appointments in the state of Colorado? Email me at lramsey@insider.com or tweet @lydiaramsey125. Now, let's get to it...

Scientists are coming around to a surprising new understanding of Alzheimer's disease, and it could supercharge drug development for the $1.1 trillion problem

• Caring for patients with Alzheimer's disease is expected to cost $1.1 trillion in the U.S. by 2050.
• Hopes for a universal treatment are dwindling after 146 experimental drugs failed in human trials.
• New genetic insights are upending the way scientists approach Alzheimer's.

Find out more here>>

CDC: Real-world data shows Pfizer's and Moderna's COVID-19 vaccines are 90% effective at preventing infection

• A study from the CDC provides early evidence that vaccinated people don't often transmit COVID-19.
• It included nearly 4,000 healthcare and frontline workers who got mRNA shots from Pfizer or Moderna.
• The shots were 80% effective two weeks after the first dose and 90% effective two weeks after both.

Get the full story here>>

An investor presentation lays out how a key healthcare partner for Amazon is thinking about the future of its business

• Crossover Health just raised $168 million in a round led by Deerfield Management Company.
• The buzzy startup works with companies like Amazon to set up clinics and telehealth for employees.
• "Virtual-first" primary care like Crossover's is emerging as a popular tool to cut healthcare costs.

See the presentation here>>

More stories we're reading today:

• CDC director fights back tears as she warns of soaring COVID-19 cases: 'Right now I'm scared (Insider)
• What happened when Reno, Nevada spent $1.3 million on teletherapy access from Talkspace (Stat News)
• New Yorkers ages 30 and over can get the COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday, and people 16 and over can get it next week (Insider)
• One of America's richest Black people is hiding in plain sight. His $2.2 billion pharma company could improve life for millions of people with Alzheimer's. (Insider)
• What it'll take to implement "vaccine passports" (Washington Post)

- Lydia