See the leaders shaping healthcare and biotech today

Hello,

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

• We've made lists of the top healthcare power players that you need to know;
• Some members of Congress have been investing in tobacco giants;
• Real-world data on how Pfizer's vaccine performs against the Omicron variant.

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...

See the top power players influencing healthcare today, from Google execs to biotech VCs

• Dozens of investors and executives continuously shape US healthcare.
• We track the most important people in the industry, from new founders to legendary VCs.
• Here are the lists we've made about the healthcare power players you need to know.

Check it out>>

Some of the same members of Congress pushing to restrict cigarettes and vapes are quietly investing in tobacco giants

• Smoking remains the largest preventable cause of death.
• Members of Congress have nevertheless invested in tobacco companies.
• Some lawmakers who have invested in such companies often speak out against tobacco.

Read more>>

2 doses of Pfizer's vaccine cut the risk of hospitalization by 70% during Omicron surge in South Africa, real-world study finds

• Pfizer's shot cut hospitalization risk by 70% during Omicron surge, compared with no vaccine, a study found.
• Glenda Gray, president of the South African Medical Research Council, said it was a drop from 93% during Delta wave, but boosters "will help".
• The study didn't confirm the cases were Omicron, so it's not possible to tell precise effectiveness against the variant.

Dive in>>

More stories we're reading:

• CDC director: Early data suggests Omicron may be less severe, but 'a lot of people' will still get sick (Insider)
• 1 in every 100 elderly Americans has died from COVID-19 (The New York Times)
• Nurse who was the first person in the US to get vaccinated says healthcare workers are 'tired' and 'concerned' as the pandemic drags on (Insider)
• Merck's COVID-19 antiviral pill faces new challenges (Nature)

-Leah