Category: Policy
-
STAT+: Top contributors to leading psychiatry journals fail to disclose industry payments, analysis finds
STAT+: Top contributors to leading psychiatry journals fail to disclose industry payments, analysis finds Amid ongoing concern over conflicts of interest that may affect medical practice, a new study found that 14% of the $4.5 million paid to authors in two leading psychiatry journals was undisclosed and nearly all of the payments were made to…
-
Experts say top FDA official’s claim that Covid vaccines caused kids’ deaths requires more evidence
Experts say top FDA official’s claim that Covid vaccines caused kids’ deaths requires more evidence The Food and Drug Administration’s top vaccine regulator asserted in an email to staff sent Friday that the Covid-19 vaccine caused at least 10 deaths in children and called for changes to the way the agency regulates vaccines. But experts…
-
Opinion: The U.S. government’s failure to acknowledge World AIDS Day takes us back to a troubling time
Opinion: The U.S. government’s failure to acknowledge World AIDS Day takes us back to a troubling time “Silence = Death.” That was the mantra of determined AIDS activists who quickly concluded the U.S. government was not doing enough to combat the then-emergent AIDS epidemic, which first hit the headlines in 1981. Read the rest… Gavin…
-
Opinion: Pharmacies will be the canary in the coal mine on the Medicare drug price negotiations
Opinion: Pharmacies will be the canary in the coal mine on the Medicare drug price negotiations The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently announced negotiated prices for 15 drugs, finalizing the second iteration of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program. The first set of negotiated drug prices will go into effect in January 2026.…
-
STAT+: Trump weighs plan to extend extra ACA subsidies for two years
STAT+: Trump weighs plan to extend extra ACA subsidies for two years WASHINGTON — In an about-face, the White House is weighing a proposal to extend the Affordable Care Act enhanced subsidies that Democrats have been clamoring for since last year. ACA health insurance enrollees face a spike in premium payments if Congress does not…
-
STAT+: FDA review staff was excluded from voting on whether to approve first priority voucher drug
STAT+: FDA review staff was excluded from voting on whether to approve first priority voucher drug WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration has promised companies that earn a Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher a one- to two-month drug review, culminating in a one day “tumor board” style meeting where leaders decide whether to approve the drug. …
-
STAT+: Cassidy and other Republicans have little to say about change to CDC’s position on vaccines and autism
STAT+: Cassidy and other Republicans have little to say about change to CDC’s position on vaccines and autism WASHINGTON — Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. broke another promise to Senate health committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R-La.) this week. So far, there don’t seem to have been any consequences. To secure Cassidy’s decisive confirmation vote,…
-
STAT+: South Africa is urged by advocates to issue a compulsory license for Gilead’s HIV prevention drug
STAT+: South Africa is urged by advocates to issue a compulsory license for Gilead’s HIV prevention drug Patient advocacy groups have urged the South African government to issue a compulsory license for a groundbreaking HIV prevention treatment after the Trump administration refused to include South Africa in a new program to distribute the drug to…
-
STAT+: An extension of extra ACA health insurance subsidies looks increasingly unlikely
STAT+: An extension of extra ACA health insurance subsidies looks increasingly unlikely WASHINGTON — Prospects are not looking good for an extension of the extra tax credits that have helped more Americans buy insurance plans in the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces. Republicans don’t agree among themselves on a proposal, and Democrats don’t like any of…
-
STAT+: A revelatory profile of RFK Jr.
STAT+: A revelatory profile of RFK Jr. You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I haven’t read Olivia Nuzzi’s new book, but I dare say my favorite line about her relationship…
-
STAT+: Many poor countries where experimental drugs are tested fail to benefit after approval, analysis finds
STAT+: Many poor countries where experimental drugs are tested fail to benefit after approval, analysis finds Numerous medicines are not accessible in many of the countries where they were tested before approval by the Food and Drug Administration, raising concerns about whether pharmaceutical companies are adhering to ethical standards, a new study finds. The researchers reviewed 172…
-
STAT+: Cassidy pitches his alternative to extending extra ACA subsidies
STAT+: Cassidy pitches his alternative to extending extra ACA subsidies WASHINGTON — Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) is pitching Democrats on his compromise to make Affordable Care Act marketplace plans affordable without extending the extra tax credits that currently lower premium payments. Cassidy, the chair of the Senate health committee, is among the team of Republican…
-
Opinion: Celebrating a new, faster path to gene-editing medicines on demand
Opinion: Celebrating a new, faster path to gene-editing medicines on demand In May, news broke of a biomedical first: the on-demand design and clinical use of a personalized gene editor for a baby boy born with a rare, severe genetic condition. At the STAT Summit in October, the child’s treating physician from the Children’s Hospital…
-
STAT+: GOP ACA proposal complicates negotiations
STAT+: GOP ACA proposal complicates negotiations You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Packing “longevity” items for a flight to a MAHA event in Washington was such a pain that it…
-
STAT+: Richard Pazdur, longtime cancer regulator, named drug center director at FDA
STAT+: Richard Pazdur, longtime cancer regulator, named drug center director at FDA WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday named Richard Pazdur, its longtime overseer of cancer therapies, as its top drug regulator. Pazdur replaces former Center for Drug Evaluation and Research Director George Tidmarsh, who exited the agency earlier this month amid…
-
Opinion: I’m a physician who went to the anti-vaccine movement’s biggest gathering. More of my colleagues should too
Opinion: I’m a physician who went to the anti-vaccine movement’s biggest gathering. More of my colleagues should too As I stepped into line to pick up my badge for the Children’s Health Defense (CHD) conference last weekend in Austin, Texas, a gregarious man approached holding two tall plastic tubes he said contained “clots” from Covid…
-
STAT+: FDA broadens search for new top drug regulator after early setbacks
STAT+: FDA broadens search for new top drug regulator after early setbacks WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration is struggling to select a new head of its drug center after the sudden and chaotic exit of the previous director, George Tidmarsh. Richard Pazdur, the director of the FDA’s Oncology Center for Excellence, was approached about…
-
STAT+: Seven burning questions about Trump’s big deal for cheaper weight loss drugs
STAT+: Seven burning questions about Trump’s big deal for cheaper weight loss drugs WASHINGTON — The Trump administration’s deal to expand access to and lower the cost of weight loss drugs has left industry leaders, public health experts, and patients with a host of open questions. The administration’s agreements with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk…
-
STAT+: Trump administration nears deals for cheaper weight loss drugs with Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly
STAT+: Trump administration nears deals for cheaper weight loss drugs with Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is nearing deals with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to lower the prices of their weight loss drugs and expand access to them, people familiar with the talks told STAT. The companies have been close to…
-
STAT+: Children’s hospital lobby shifts strategy amid MAHA’s rise in Washington
STAT+: Children’s hospital lobby shifts strategy amid MAHA’s rise in Washington WASHINGTON — As long-revered health institutions come under new scrutiny in President Trump’s Washington, one powerful group is shifting its strategy. The Children’s Hospital Association, which represents more than 200 hospitals and spends millions on lobbying each year, announced Tuesday a new messaging approach…
-
STAT+: UnitedHealth pays its own physician groups 17% more than outside ones, study shows
STAT+: UnitedHealth pays its own physician groups 17% more than outside ones, study shows UnitedHealth Group pays its own physician practices much more than it pays competing practices, a new study finds, reinforcing STAT’s own analysis on the subject and presenting fresh evidence that the conglomerate may be skirting a rule designed to curb health…
-
STAT+: Lawsuit against top FDA drug regulator is packed with incendiary texts, emails
STAT+: Lawsuit against top FDA drug regulator is packed with incendiary texts, emails On the day the top drug regulator at the Food and Drug Administration resigned amid an investigation into his conduct, he also faced an explosive lawsuit that includes a series of incendiary texts and emails he is said to have sent to…
-
STAT+: Novo Nordisk spent millions on weight loss searches that took people to its Ozempic website, analysis found
STAT+: Novo Nordisk spent millions on weight loss searches that took people to its Ozempic website, analysis found Over a recent two-year period, Novo Nordisk spent an estimated $7.5 million on more than 15,000 paid keywords related to weight loss searches and generated more than 2.4 million visits to Ozempic.com, even though the medicine is…
-
Opinion: A sports device to ‘protect the brain’ illustrates a major problem with the FDA de novo pathway
Opinion: A sports device to ‘protect the brain’ illustrates a major problem with the FDA de novo pathway The Q-Collar — a neck collar inspired by the woodpecker — has been worn by NFL players and thousands of young athletes. When it debuted in 2012, it originally promised to reduce concussion risk by lightly squeezing the…
-
STAT+: Casey Means faces confirmation hearing for surgeon general
STAT+: Casey Means faces confirmation hearing for surgeon general You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The wife and I went to the Rehoboth Beach Sea Witch Festival dressed as a…
-
STAT+: Bausch Health leaves Medicaid and 340B programs as drugmakers face changing calculus on pricing
STAT+: Bausch Health leaves Medicaid and 340B programs as drugmakers face changing calculus on pricing In an unexpected move, Bausch Health recently stopped participating in Medicaid and a federal government drug discount scheme known as 340B, a step that suggests more drugmakers may rethink decisions to provide their medicines to these widely used programs. Bausch…
-
When SNAP benefits run out, ‘people can die,’ say health experts
When SNAP benefits run out, ‘people can die,’ say health experts Millions of Americans are set to lose access to food benefits starting Saturday because of the government shutdown, with at least 25 states telling recipients they won’t receive checks for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in November. Health care experts warn that families…
-
STAT+: Blue Cross plans to target doctors for overcharging. Physicians are furious
STAT+: Blue Cross plans to target doctors for overcharging. Physicians are furious With the help of a computer algorithm, the state’s biggest health insurer says it will scrutinize doctors who frequently bill it for the most expensive patient visits. It will then unilaterally cut payments to physicians it concludes charged too much. Targeting what it…
-
STAT+: How the first nine drug companies won priority review vouchers from Marty Makary’s FDA
STAT+: How the first nine drug companies won priority review vouchers from Marty Makary’s FDA WASHINGTON — Commissioner Marty Makary wants the Food and Drug Administration to move more quickly. The launch of a new priority review voucher program in June was no exception. The agency promised winners a one- to two-month review of their drug…
-
STAT+: DeSantis downplays importance of health insurance as the government shutdown drags on
STAT+: DeSantis downplays importance of health insurance as the government shutdown drags on You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. You might have noticed that the subject line of Tuesday’s newsletter…
-
STAT+: Trump’s IVF deal spurs hopes — and adjustments — across fertility sector
STAT+: Trump’s IVF deal spurs hopes — and adjustments — across fertility sector WASHINGTON — The Trump administration’s push to make in vitro fertilization more affordable is changing the outlook and offerings in the fertility sector, even as some details of its policies remain confidential and others have yet to be released. The administration’s changes…
-
STAT+: CVS Caremark tells AIDS activists Gilead needs to lower the price of its new HIV drug to get on formularies
STAT+: CVS Caremark tells AIDS activists Gilead needs to lower the price of its new HIV drug to get on formularies For the past three months, CVS Caremark has resisted adding a new Gilead Sciences HIV prevention drug to its formularies, repeatedly explaining there are “clinical, financial, and regulatory considerations” that must be reviewed before…
-
Opinion: The U.S. experiment with profit-driven health care has failed
Opinion: The U.S. experiment with profit-driven health care has failed Health care costs are surging. ACA Marketplace premiums will rise 18% next year— even more for the millions set to lose their enhanced federal subsidies without congressional action. Meanwhile, big employers expect their premiums — already about $25,000 for family coverage — to increase 9%…
-
STAT+: Gilead agrees not to raise prices on HIV medicines for state AIDS drug programs
STAT+: Gilead agrees not to raise prices on HIV medicines for state AIDS drug programs After months of tense negotiations, Gilead Sciences has agreed not to boost prices next year for HIV medicines that are sold to state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs, an outcome that lessens the financial strains for agencies that are relied on…
-
STAT+: CBO says revised cost of orphan drug exemptions will add $3.9 billion to Medicare
STAT+: CBO says revised cost of orphan drug exemptions will add $3.9 billion to Medicare The Congressional Budget Office has revised its forecast showing the recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act will cost taxpayers as much as $8.8 billion — up from earlier estimates of $4.9 billion — over 10 years thanks to provisions…
-
STAT+: FDA review of drugs is slowing while application delays are growing, analysis finds
STAT+: FDA review of drugs is slowing while application delays are growing, analysis finds The upheaval at the Food and Drug Administration appears to be taking a toll on the pharmaceutical industry, according to a new analysis of key agency metrics. There was a significant drop in drug approvals in the recently ended third quarter,…
-
STAT+: Roche suffers a fresh blow as India’s Supreme Court allows generic sales of its pricey rare disease drug
STAT+: Roche suffers a fresh blow as India’s Supreme Court allows generic sales of its pricey rare disease drug In a case that was billed as profits versus patients, India’s Supreme Court dismissed a petition in which Roche sought to prevent a generic drugmaker from selling a lower-cost version of a pricey rare disease medication.…
-
STAT+: Biotech leaders say uncertainty at FDA threatens drug development
STAT+: Biotech leaders say uncertainty at FDA threatens drug development BOSTON — Replimune Group and Capricor Therapeutics both seemed on track to receive long-awaited drug approvals from the Food and Drug Administration earlier this year. Then, amid tumult at the agency as the Trump administration took power, their applications were rejected. The companies’ CEOs talked…
-
Doctor groups need to ‘step up to the plate’ as CDC guidance becomes harder to trust, former leaders say
Doctor groups need to ‘step up to the plate’ as CDC guidance becomes harder to trust, former leaders say BOSTON — It’s getting harder to trust guidance coming out of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, creating an opening for physician groups to step up and fill the void, two former top agency officials…
-
STAT+: Canadian lawmakers urge the government to suspend imports of long-tailed macaques
STAT+: Canadian lawmakers urge the government to suspend imports of long-tailed macaques A half-dozen members of the Canadian parliament are urging the government to immediately suspend imports of long-tailed macaques into the country over concerns the monkeys may be infected with tuberculosis and pose a biosecurity risk. In their Oct. 1 letter, the lawmakers cite…
-
STAT+: AstraZeneca strikes drug pricing deal with Trump
STAT+: AstraZeneca strikes drug pricing deal with Trump WASHINGTON — President Trump on Friday said he struck a drug pricing deal with AstraZeneca aimed at fulfilling his plan to bring U.S. drug prices in line with what other countries pay, the second agreement after Pfizer’s last week. Similar to Pfizer’s deal, the British pharma company…
-
STAT+: Roche suffers setback as court allows generic version of its rare disease drug to be sold in India
STAT+: Roche suffers setback as court allows generic version of its rare disease drug to be sold in India In the latest tussle over access to medicines, an Indian court has upheld a ruling that found it would be in the public interest to allow a generic company to sell a lower-cost version of a…
-
STAT+: Key GOP lawmaker tones down rhetoric on medical care for immigrants
STAT+: Key GOP lawmaker tones down rhetoric on medical care for immigrants You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Three cheers for Johns Hopkins epidemiologist Caitlin Rivers, who spent her Saturday…
-
STAT+: Top Democrat demands more detail from Medicare insurers about their use of AI
STAT+: Top Democrat demands more detail from Medicare insurers about their use of AI Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) is pressing the nation’s largest Medicare Advantage insurers to provide more detail about their use of artificial intelligence tools amid reports that these companies are rapidly increasing their reliance on the technology to help make decisions about…
-
STAT+: House speaker backs emergency care law as GOP targets immigrant medical treatment in shutdown fight
STAT+: House speaker backs emergency care law as GOP targets immigrant medical treatment in shutdown fight WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Wednesday that Republicans don’t want to change a law requiring hospitals to provide care to any individual experiencing a medical emergency, including immigrants without legal status. His remarks capped off more…
-
STAT+: Pharma companies scramble to make deals with Trump after Pfizer scored White House praise
STAT+: Pharma companies scramble to make deals with Trump after Pfizer scored White House praise WASHINGTON — The agreement between Pfizer and the Trump administration to lower drug prices has sent other companies scrambling to make a deal. Several major pharmaceutical firms that received letters from President Trump demanding lower prices have been hustling to…
-
STAT+: Who is winning the government shutdown?
STAT+: Who is winning the government shutdown? You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Thankfully, this year the saltwater cowboys of Virginia’s Eastern Shore rounded up wild ponies for their horsy…
-
STAT+: Peter Marks, FDA vaccine regulator ousted by RFK Jr., joins Eli Lilly
STAT+: Peter Marks, FDA vaccine regulator ousted by RFK Jr., joins Eli Lilly WASHINGTON — Peter Marks, the former top vaccine regulator at the Food and Drug Administration, has joined Eli Lilly to oversee molecule discovery and infectious diseases — a move that quickly drew criticism for the revolving door between the agency and industry. Marks confirmed…
-
Acting CDC director calls for MMR vaccine to be broken up into three shots
Acting CDC director calls for MMR vaccine to be broken up into three shots Jim O’Neill, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, called for drastic changes to the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine that aren’t supported by medical research, intensifying the Trump administration’s criticism of a shot that’s a cornerstone of…
-
STAT+: Colorado board makes first-in-the-nation move by setting a payment limit on an Amgen drug
STAT+: Colorado board makes first-in-the-nation move by setting a payment limit on an Amgen drug In a first-in-the-nation move, a Colorado panel has voted to limit what health plans in the state will pay for a costly arthritis treatment, a step that may encourage other states to pursue similar strategies to contain spending on prescription…
-
STAT+: The government is shut down. Now what?
STAT+: The government is shut down. Now what? You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Are you in a betting pool for how long the government shutdown will last? Send your…
-
STAT+: U.K. is urged to probe drugmakers for conspiring to scrap or halt investments amid pricing disputes
STAT+: U.K. is urged to probe drugmakers for conspiring to scrap or halt investments amid pricing disputes The U.K.’s antitrust regulator has been asked by patient advocacy groups to investigate several large drugmakers and their U.K. lobbying organization for “suspected” and “coordinated” efforts to drive up the prices of medicines. The backdrop to the complaint…
-
STAT+: Trump administration backs off 100% pharma tariffs threatened to start today
STAT+: Trump administration backs off 100% pharma tariffs threatened to start today WASHINGTON — President Trump told pharmaceutical companies last week that they should start building infrastructure in the U.S. — or face a 100% tariff, starting Wednesday. But a White House official told STAT on Wednesday that the tariffs have not gone into effect…
-
Trump strikes deal with Pfizer aimed at lowering prescription drug prices
Trump strikes deal with Pfizer aimed at lowering prescription drug prices WASHINGTON — President Trump announced on Tuesday that Pfizer has agreed to offer lower prices on its drugs to the Medicaid program and directly to patients, the first in what he said would be a series of deals intended to secure cheaper prescription medicines…
-
STAT+: Patients set to lose hospital care at home if government funding isn’t extended
STAT+: Patients set to lose hospital care at home if government funding isn’t extended WASHINGTON — If Congress doesn’t fund the government by the end of the day on Tuesday, patients across the country who have been receiving hospital-level care at home will be placed back in hospitals. The Acute Hospital Care at Home initiative…
-
STAT+: How the government establishes research grant overhead rates: ‘It’s not like buying a widget’
STAT+: How the government establishes research grant overhead rates: ‘It’s not like buying a widget’ For decades, the federal government has supported the infrastructure that makes biomedical breakthroughs possible at universities, academic hospitals, and other research institutions. But recent moves by the Trump administration and Congress reinforce that this system seems headed for a major…
-
STAT+: With Trump’s anti-vaccine comments, Kennedy’s influence grows
STAT+: With Trump’s anti-vaccine comments, Kennedy’s influence grows WASHINGTON — President Trump’s anti-vaccine comments on Monday signal health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s growing influence — and raise new questions about how far the pair may go to upend vaccine policy. Standing with Kennedy beside him at the White House, Trump called the childhood vaccine…
-
STAT+: FDA’s leucovorin approval could be a boon for supplement makers
STAT+: FDA’s leucovorin approval could be a boon for supplement makers Parents may flock to a dietary supplement with the same key ingredient as leucovorin, which the FDA just approved for children with autism. But there are drawbacks. The Food and Drug Administration has reapproved GSK’s branded version of leucovorin to treat a neurological condition…
-
STAT+: FDA brings back GSK’s leucovorin drug that RFK Jr. touted as autism treatment
STAT+: FDA brings back GSK’s leucovorin drug that RFK Jr. touted as autism treatment In a highly unusual move, the Food and Drug Administration reapproved a drug on Monday that stopped being sold more than 25 years ago, part of a push from the Trump administration to identify the causes of and potential treatments for…
-
STAT+: As medical AI use grows, industry payments to providers remain opaque
STAT+: As medical AI use grows, industry payments to providers remain opaque Artificial intelligence has danced around the fringes of prostate cancer for years, but in 2024, it got a profile-raising boost: An AI tool that could use biopsy images and clinical data to predict therapy benefits and a patient’s prognosis was recommended in a…
-
In a chaotic meeting, RFK Jr.’s handpicked advisers begin altering the childhood vaccine schedule
In a chaotic meeting, RFK Jr.’s handpicked advisers begin altering the childhood vaccine schedule ATLANTA — Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said he wants his handpicked panel of vaccine advisers to restore declining public trust in vaccines. What that looked like was on full display on Thursday and Friday: The…
-
Winner of mRNA Nobel Prize says ACIP member’s claim that Covid vaccines persist is “absolutely impossible”
Winner of mRNA Nobel Prize says ACIP member’s claim that Covid vaccines persist is “absolutely impossible” On Thursday and Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention held a meeting of its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, a key panel that gives the CDC’s director guidance about what vaccines to recommend to the public. The…
-
STAT+: ACA tax credits still in limbo after stopgap government funding bill fails
STAT+: ACA tax credits still in limbo after stopgap government funding bill fails WASHINGTON — Congress failed to pass stopgap government funding Friday due in large part to differences between the parties over health care policies. The two parties blocked each other’s temporary funding measures, increasing the chances of a government shutdown when funding expires…
-
STAT+: FDA approves ultra-rare disease drug that became a symbol of uncertainty over regulatory standards
STAT+: FDA approves ultra-rare disease drug that became a symbol of uncertainty over regulatory standards After months of uncertainty, the Food and Drug Administration offered accelerated approval for an ultra-rare disease drug that had become a symbol of the fraught balancing act between upholding regulatory standards and accommodating desperate patients and their families. The agency…
-
Federal vaccine panel remade by RFK Jr. votes to maintain insurance coverage for Covid shots
Federal vaccine panel remade by RFK Jr. votes to maintain insurance coverage for Covid shots WASHINGTON — A government advisory committee voted unanimously Friday to recommend that individuals 6 months and older should discuss the risks and benefits of Covid-19 vaccines with their health care providers before deciding whether to get vaccinated. The decision falls…
-
Key federal vaccine panel debates delay to newborn hepatitis B shot, risking resurgence
Key federal vaccine panel debates delay to newborn hepatitis B shot, risking resurgence A key government advisory committee discussed on Thursday whether to recommend delaying the first hepatitis B vaccine shot, currently given at birth, by at least one month for babies who are born to mothers that test negative for the virus. Experts fear…
-
STAT+: Democrats introduce bill to break up health care conglomerates like UnitedHealth Group
STAT+: Democrats introduce bill to break up health care conglomerates like UnitedHealth Group Democrats in Congress are proposing legislation that would bar health insurers from buying medical practices through their subsidiaries and require them to separate their insurance and provider businesses. Filed by Rep. Pat Ryan (D-N.Y.), the bill is aimed at breaking up companies…
-
3 key takeaways from the Senate hearing on CDC director’s firing and RFK Jr.’s vaccine agenda
3 key takeaways from the Senate hearing on CDC director’s firing and RFK Jr.’s vaccine agenda WASHINGTON — A Wednesday Senate hearing aimed to answer questions about the exodus of top leaders from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last month. Instead, it raised a host of new ones. Former CDC Director Susan Monarez…
-
STAT+: With Trump in the U.K., GSK touts $30 billion investment in U.S. over 5 years
STAT+: With Trump in the U.K., GSK touts $30 billion investment in U.S. over 5 years LONDON — The U.K.-based drugmaker GSK said early Wednesday that it planned to invest $30 billion in the U.S. over five years, an announcement timed to this week’s state visit here by President Trump. The company, which said the…
-
STAT+: House GOP doesn’t include health insurance subsidies in stopgap government funding bill
STAT+: House GOP doesn’t include health insurance subsidies in stopgap government funding bill WASHINGTON — House Republicans on Tuesday introduced a bill to fund the government at current levels until Nov. 21. It would include extensions of several health programs, but not the enhanced tax credits that have significantly lowered premiums for Affordable Care Act…
-
STAT+: Hill staff gets briefed on implications of Trump’s drug pricing plan
STAT+: Hill staff gets briefed on implications of Trump’s drug pricing plan WASHINGTON — Congress is again discussing the Trump administration’s plan to force drug companies to lower their U.S. prices, at least behind the scenes. Congressional staffers and health policy experts from major think tanks held a closed-door meeting to discuss policy options that…
-
Opinion: 9 answers to burning questions about pharmaceutical ads
Opinion: 9 answers to burning questions about pharmaceutical ads This article first appeared in the newsletter Your Local Epidemiologist.Pharmaceutical ads in the United States are annoying. Absurd. And almost uniquely American. In fact, only one other high-income country in the entire world — New Zealand — allows prescription drug companies to advertise directly to consumers.…
-
STAT+: Dozens of lawmakers urge HHS to abandon a pilot initiative for the controversial 340B program
STAT+: Dozens of lawmakers urge HHS to abandon a pilot initiative for the controversial 340B program More than 160 lawmakers have urged the Trump administration to abandon a newly announced pilot program that would allow pharmaceutical companies to offer rebates for a small number of therapies to hospitals that participate in a federal drug discount…
-
STAT+: Bipartisan bill to extend ACA tax credits offers hope for a deal
STAT+: Bipartisan bill to extend ACA tax credits offers hope for a deal WASHINGTON — Republicans in the House and Senate are showing interest in extending the extra subsidies that help make Affordable Care Act health insurance plans cheaper, and that are set to expire at the end of this year. This week, Reps. Jen…
-
STAT+: Patient groups cheer as the WHO adds diabetes and cystic fibrosis drugs to its essential medicines list
STAT+: Patient groups cheer as the WHO adds diabetes and cystic fibrosis drugs to its essential medicines list For the first time, the World Health Organization has added various high-cost treatments for diabetes and cystic fibrosis to its list of essential medicines, a move that patient advocates hope will usher in a new era of…
-
STAT+: Trump administration confirms plan for PEPFAR to distribute Gilead’s new HIV prevention drug
STAT+: Trump administration confirms plan for PEPFAR to distribute Gilead’s new HIV prevention drug After months of uncertainty, the Trump administration confirmed that it will work with Gilead Sciences and The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to provide a groundbreaking HIV prevention drug to up to 2 million people in low- and…
-
STAT+: After ousting CDC’s director, RFK Jr. mirrors her ideas to reform the agency
STAT+: After ousting CDC’s director, RFK Jr. mirrors her ideas to reform the agency WASHINGTON — In the days after health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pushed out the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, he suggested sweeping changes were needed to reform the agency — and that the ouster was part…
-
STAT+: 5 concerns raised during House hearing on health AI
STAT+: 5 concerns raised during House hearing on health AI The growing influence of artificial intelligence in health care was on display Wednesday as House lawmakers peppered invited witnesses with pointed questions about how technology might influence seemingly disparate topics like drug development, experimental Medicare models, and teen mental health. The hearing description by the…
-
STAT+: Gilead wants state AIDS drug programs to pay significant price hikes for HIV meds
STAT+: Gilead wants state AIDS drug programs to pay significant price hikes for HIV meds Gilead Sciences, the largest maker of HIV medicines, is seeking to boost prices significantly for several treatments that are widely distributed by state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs. And the move is adding to financial uncertainty for the programs on top…
-
STAT+: House bill cuts HHS budget but excludes RFK Jr.’s reorganization, maintains NIH funding
STAT+: House bill cuts HHS budget but excludes RFK Jr.’s reorganization, maintains NIH funding WASHINGTON — House appropriators will mark up legislation on Tuesday that is a mixed bag for researchers. While the Republican bill rejects President Trump’s proposal to slash the National Institutes of Health budget, it proposes deep cuts to the Centers for…
-
Opinion: Dental care is increasingly under threat in the U.S.
Opinion: Dental care is increasingly under threat in the U.S. Major shifts in public health policy can bring unforeseen consequences. But in the case of fluoride bans, we already know what the consequences will be: higher costs of dental care, and higher rates of tooth decay — especially among children. This is particularly alarming because…
-
STAT+: Amid chaos at CDC, Kennedy consolidates his power
STAT+: Amid chaos at CDC, Kennedy consolidates his power WASHINGTON — In another administration, an exodus of top public health officials would’ve been an earth-shattering crisis for the head of the Department of Health and Human Services. In the age of MAHA, it seems like just another week under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. If…
-
Cassidy calls for meeting of CDC vaccine advisers to be postponed following agency shakeup
Cassidy calls for meeting of CDC vaccine advisers to be postponed following agency shakeup WASHINGTON — A top Senate leader is calling for next month’s meeting of a federal advisory panel on vaccines to be postponed in the wake of a mass exodus of leaders at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Serious allegations…
-
FDA issues narrower approvals for Covid boosters, revokes emergency authorizations
FDA issues narrower approvals for Covid boosters, revokes emergency authorizations WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved updated Covid boosters, but removed emergency use authorizations for the vaccines, in a set of moves that could make the shots more difficult to obtain for children under 5, in particular. The moves were announced…
-
CDC attacker likely attempted to enter campus days before shooting
CDC attacker likely attempted to enter campus days before shooting WASHINGTON — The man who attacked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention probably tried to enter the agency’s Atlanta campus days before the shooting, investigators believe. The shooter, identified by authorities as Patrick Joseph White, appears to have been captured in security camera footage…
-
STAT+: How Trump may use Democrats’ drug-price negotiation law
STAT+: How Trump may use Democrats’ drug-price negotiation law You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I’m happy to report that Last Week Tonight with John Oliver did a segment on…
-
STAT+: Elevance loses lawsuit over Medicare Advantage quality ratings
STAT+: Elevance loses lawsuit over Medicare Advantage quality ratings A federal judge in Texas struck down Elevance Health’s lawsuit that argued the government unfairly lowered its Medicare Advantage quality ratings — a decision that could cost Elevance $375 million in bonus revenue. U.S. District Judge Mark T. Pittman, appointed by President Trump in 2019, chastised…
-
STAT+: Conflicts among CDC and FDA vaccine panel members are not as numerous as you think, study finds
STAT+: Conflicts among CDC and FDA vaccine panel members are not as numerous as you think, study finds Conflicts of interest on federal government vaccine panels have declined to “historically low levels” in recent years according to a new study, findings that are likely to increase debate over a contentious issue pushed by Health and…
-
STAT+: MIT president Sally Kornbluth responds to Globe report on academic fraud case at Duke
STAT+: MIT president Sally Kornbluth responds to Globe report on academic fraud case at Duke MIT President Sally Kornbluth responded in a statement Wednesday to a Globe report detailing her time as an administrator at Duke amid a cancer research scandal more than a decade ago, saying she learned lessons from the case that “have powerfully shaped my approach to…
-
STAT+: Challenges mount for RFK Jr. and his MAHA agenda
STAT+: Challenges mount for RFK Jr. and his MAHA agenda WASHINGTON — A deadly shooting at one of the public health agencies that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vilified during his rise to power is proving to be a unique test of his leadership, at a time when fractures are emerging in his Make America Healthy…
-
STAT+: Prasad returns to the FDA, Attack on the CDC
STAT+: Prasad returns to the FDA, Attack on the CDC You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Normally I keep the intro to this newsletter light-hearted. But today I feel compelled…