Category: research
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STAT+: U.S. pressures U.K. as pharma pauses investments there
STAT+: U.S. pressures U.K. as pharma pauses investments there Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Morning. Today, we see moves to potentially dismantle FDA ad comms, see the U.S. pressuring the U.K. over its stringent drug-pricing policy, and more. The…
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STAT+: Scientists who revolutionized cystic fibrosis treatment win prestigious Lasker Award
STAT+: Scientists who revolutionized cystic fibrosis treatment win prestigious Lasker Award Three scientists who revolutionized the treatment of cystic fibrosis and prolonged the lifespan of patients with the deadly disease have won the Lasker Award, one of the most prestigious awards in medicine. Vertex Pharmaceuticals researcher Paul Negulescu, former Vertex researcher Jesús (Tito) González, and…
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STAT+: FDA pushing non-opioid path for chronic pain
STAT+: FDA pushing non-opioid path for chronic pain Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Morning. Today, we note that psychedelics are suddenly a hot topic for larger pharmaceutical companies, dissect Patrick Soon-Shiong’s claims on his lung cancer drug, and more.…
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STAT+: Merck halts U.K. research operations and bails on new facility in London
STAT+: Merck halts U.K. research operations and bails on new facility in London LONDON — In a blow to the U.K., Merck said Wednesday it was halting research operations in the country and bailing on a major London research center, in part to protest how the U.K. pays for medicines. The U.K. has been trying…
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Robotic device could make intubation faster and easier for first responders, small study suggests
Robotic device could make intubation faster and easier for first responders, small study suggests It’s a long-standing challenge for first responders: Opening the airways of critically injured patients struggling to breathe often takes multiple attempts, costing crucial seconds. The problem caught David Haggerty’s attention when he was a graduate student, and he set out to…
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STAT+: Pig kidneys to enter FDA-backed human trial next year
STAT+: Pig kidneys to enter FDA-backed human trial next year Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Hello there. Today, we learn the FDA is advancing a trial for gene-edited pig organs in humans, see geographical discrepancies in lung cancer trial…
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STAT+: Trump pressures drugmakers amid CDC turmoil
STAT+: Trump pressures drugmakers amid CDC turmoil Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Welcome back from the holiday weekend. Today we have some candor in ALL CAPS from Trump on Covid vaccines, glowy data from Ionis that could lead to…
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STAT+: Trump administration restored funding for major diabetes study. The pause still set researchers back
STAT+: Trump administration restored funding for major diabetes study. The pause still set researchers back The Trump administration’s restoration of federal research funding to Columbia University has revived a landmark diabetes study that has tracked patients for nearly 30 years and vastly expanded understanding of the disease, its treatment, and its prevention. The study, which has been…
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STAT+: Third Rock tops STAT’s annual VC ranking
STAT+: Third Rock tops STAT’s annual VC ranking Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Good morning. My colleague Allison DeAngelis has been working for months on our annual VC rankings report. Read on for what she found. Third Rock tops…
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Why Science Must Embrace Co-Creation with Generative AI to Break Current Research Barriers
Why Science Must Embrace Co-Creation with Generative AI to Break Current Research Barriers An Open Letter to the Scientific Community The post Why Science Must Embrace Co-Creation with Generative AI to Break Current Research Barriers appeared first on Towards Data Science. Ugo Pradère Go to original source
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Gene-edited pig lung transplanted into a brain-dead patient for first time
Gene-edited pig lung transplanted into a brain-dead patient for first time In a milestone for the newly resurgent field of xenotransplantation, a 39-year-old brain-dead person in China has become the first human to receive a lung from a pig. With consent from the person’s family, researchers took the organ from a CRISPR’d pig, trimmed it,…
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STAT+: Supreme Court lets Trump slash NIH research funds
STAT+: Supreme Court lets Trump slash NIH research funds Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Good morning. The Supreme Court is allowing the Trump administration to cut $783 million in research grants tied to DEI work. Also, STAT just unveiled…
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Supreme Court lets Trump administration cut $783 million of research funding in anti-DEI push
Supreme Court lets Trump administration cut $783 million of research funding in anti-DEI push WASHINGTON — The Trump administration can slash hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of research funding in its push to cut federal diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, the Supreme Court decided Thursday. The high court majority lifted a judge’s order blocking $783 million…
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STAT+: Was the reaction to Viking’s oral data overblown?
STAT+: Was the reaction to Viking’s oral data overblown? Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Good morning. We learned yesterday that Walmart has recalled some of its frozen shrimp after the FDA warned that they may have been contaminated with…
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STAT+: FDA delays decision on Regenxbio gene therapy
STAT+: FDA delays decision on Regenxbio gene therapy Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Good morning. Today we look at what some people in the industry are calling a “pharm to table” trend. Read on to learn more about it.…
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STAT+: Who are the richest people in health care right now?
STAT+: Who are the richest people in health care right now? Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Morning. Today, we examine the plush pay packages of health care’s top CEOs in 2024. Also, we discuss Stealth BioTherapeutics’ efforts to rally…
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STAT+: Eli Lilly says it will hike list prices for drugs abroad. Now what?
STAT+: Eli Lilly says it will hike list prices for drugs abroad. Now what? Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Morning. Today, we see march-in rights return to the headlines, ponder how Eli Lilly’s plan to hike list prices in Europe…
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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…
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Vinay Prasad’s return, animal testing alternatives, and mRNA upended
Vinay Prasad’s return, animal testing alternatives, and mRNA upended Have investors soured on mRNA biotechs? How will Vinay Prasad approach his role at the Food and Drug Administration the second time around? And how do you pronounce “bronchiectasis”? We address all that and more on this week’s episode of “The Readout LOUD.” We discuss the…
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Deconstructing RFK Jr.’s explanation for the cancellation of mRNA vaccine contracts
Deconstructing RFK Jr.’s explanation for the cancellation of mRNA vaccine contracts Last week, health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the cancellation of $500 million in contracts to help develop RNA vaccines. Kennedy explained his reasoning for the cuts in a video posted to X. The video is only 2½ minutes long, but in that…
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STAT+: Stoke Therapeutics release new data on Dravet syndrome drug
STAT+: Stoke Therapeutics release new data on Dravet syndrome drug Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Good morning. As AI becomes more widely used in health care, could it actually lead doctors to lose some of their skills? One new…
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STAT+: Duke scientists seemed to have developed a ‘Holy Grail’ of cancer treatment. Then the truth came out
STAT+: Duke scientists seemed to have developed a ‘Holy Grail’ of cancer treatment. Then the truth came out By the time Walter and Juliet Jacobs went to see Dr. Anil Potti, Juliet’s lung cancer was spreading through her torso. She was short of breath, could no longer play tennis, and was afraid she wouldn’t make…
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STAT+: Scientific panel puts new guardrails around stem cell-based embryo models
STAT+: Scientific panel puts new guardrails around stem cell-based embryo models An influential scientific panel is pumping the brakes on stem cell-based embryo models — an umbrella term for the increasingly complex structures researchers are building from stem cells and growing in the lab to mimic aspects of embryonic development. In new guidelines released Monday,…
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STAT+: After years of close mentorship, Harvard’s president and Jay Bhattacharya enter dramatic new territory
STAT+: After years of close mentorship, Harvard’s president and Jay Bhattacharya enter dramatic new territory In early May, Harvard president Dr. Alan Garber received a letter from the National Institutes of Health notifying him that hundreds of scientific grants had been rescinded, as the next step in the escalating battle between Harvard and the Trump…
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STAT+: Trump administration launches investigation into Harvard’s federally funded research patents
STAT+: Trump administration launches investigation into Harvard’s federally funded research patents The U.S. Department of Commerce is opening an investigation into Harvard’s federally funded research programs amid allegations that it failed to follow the law, according to a senior administration official. In a letter sent to Harvard President Alan Garber on Friday, Commerce Secretary Howard…
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STAT+: Trump executive order seeks to centralize control of grantmaking under political appointees
STAT+: Trump executive order seeks to centralize control of grantmaking under political appointees A sweeping new executive order seeks to transform how the federal government awards billions of dollars in research grants by giving President Trump’s political appointees unprecedented power over the projects agencies fund. The order issued Thursday night, titled “Improving Oversight Of Federal…
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Lithium, a treatment for bipolar disorders, might be a key to Alzheimer’s disease
Lithium, a treatment for bipolar disorders, might be a key to Alzheimer’s disease A new study finds that the element lithium plays a crucial role in healthy brain function and suggests it could be used to treat Alzheimer’s disease. In a Nature study published on Wednesday, researchers found that the brain produces lithium, and that…
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How healthy are ‘good-for-you’ ultra-processed foods?
How healthy are ‘good-for-you’ ultra-processed foods? Not all ultra-processed foods are bad for you. But if you’re trying to lose weight, it’s still probably better to opt for nutritious minimally processed foods over protein bars and high-fiber breakfast cereals, according to a new study. The study, published Monday in Nature Medicine, builds on a growing…
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Screening guideline change led to more colorectal cancers being detected early in younger adults
Screening guideline change led to more colorectal cancers being detected early in younger adults Over the last decade, researchers began to notice a sharp increase in the number of young patients coming in with colorectal cancer — often with more advanced disease. The trend spurred organizations like the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force to eventually…
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STAT+: Trump demands drugmakers slash U.S. price now
STAT+: Trump demands drugmakers slash U.S. price now Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Good morning, and happy birthday to me! Today, we see the Senate Appropriations Committee look to increase NIH funding, despite the Trump administration’s request to slash…
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STAT+: Using mRNA, scientists overcome a key challenge to HIV vaccines
STAT+: Using mRNA, scientists overcome a key challenge to HIV vaccines The decades-long push to develop an HIV vaccine has been riddled with setbacks. But researchers reported on Wednesday that they have managed to circumvent one of the longstanding challenges to developing protective shots against this complex and crafty virus. Scientists used a messenger RNA-based…
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STAT+: FDA panel stirs backlash for SSRI use during pregnancy
STAT+: FDA panel stirs backlash for SSRI use during pregnancy Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Morning. Today, we discuss how Duchenne patients and their families are responding to the shelving of Sarepta Therapeutics’ gene therapy, see an FDA panel…
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New study advances theory on why most U.S. bird flu cases have so far been mild
New study advances theory on why most U.S. bird flu cases have so far been mild The H5N1 bird flu virus has historically extracted a heavy toll when it infects humans, with nearly half of confirmed cases ending in death over the past three decades. But of the 70 cases reported in the United States…
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STAT+: FDA opens applications for new voucher program
STAT+: FDA opens applications for new voucher program Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Good morning. We’ve got more developments with Sarepta today. My colleagues got exclusive comments from a senior FDA official — read on for what the official said.…
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Researchers sequence complex parts of human genome, expanding the future of precision medicine
Researchers sequence complex parts of human genome, expanding the future of precision medicine Complex regions of the human genome remained uncharted, even after researchers sequenced the genome in its entirety. That is, until today. Researchers decoded DNA segments involved in the development of diseases like diabetes and spinal muscular atrophy that had previously been considered…
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STAT+: Basic science publications have been falling for a decade. NIH budget cut would likely accelerate the decline
STAT+: Basic science publications have been falling for a decade. NIH budget cut would likely accelerate the decline The number of basic science papers published by recipients of National Institutes of Health grants has been falling since 2013, the year the agency’s budget was cut by 5%, according to a new analysis. President Trump’s budget…
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STAT+: AlphaFold developer Google DeepMind to fund CASP as NIH funding falls short
STAT+: AlphaFold developer Google DeepMind to fund CASP as NIH funding falls short CASP, the protein structure prediction contest that launched DeepMind’s AlphaFold to international fame and a Nobel Prize, has secured temporary funding to continue operations. The organization’s current funding — from the National Institutes of Health — is set to run out in…
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Opinion: STAT readers weigh in on marijuana-related vomiting, drug prices, and more
Opinion: STAT readers weigh in on marijuana-related vomiting, drug prices, and more First Opinion is STAT’s platform for interesting, illuminating, and provocative articles about the life sciences writ large, written by biotech insiders, health care workers, researchers, and others. To encourage robust, good-faith discussion about issues raised in First Opinion essays, STAT publishes selected Letters…
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STAT+: Undruggable ‘disordered’ proteins become druggable with new AI techniques from David Baker
STAT+: Undruggable ‘disordered’ proteins become druggable with new AI techniques from David Baker For decades, structural biologists shoved what looked like shoddy data in the back of their closets, embarrassed. While attempting to gather the structures of proteins, they would sometimes find that all or at least a portion of the protein would just not…
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STAT+: Scientists show that mRNA therapy can be delivered as a capsule
STAT+: Scientists show that mRNA therapy can be delivered as a capsule An oral capsule can efficiently deliver liquid mRNA therapy directly to the gut, a possible new delivery mechanism for mRNA vaccines, a new study finds. In the study published in Science Translational Medicine on Wednesday, researchers said they successfully used RNACap, a capsule…
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Births of eight healthy children show promise of mitochondrial replacement therapy
Births of eight healthy children show promise of mitochondrial replacement therapy LONDON — Ten years ago, U.K. policymakers gave the green light to a pioneering reproductive technology meant to spare children from being born with types of rare but sometimes fatal diseases caused by genetic mutations in the powerplants of cells. The method involved combining…
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STAT+: Kailera drug shows notable weight loss in China trial
STAT+: Kailera drug shows notable weight loss in China trial Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Good morning. We have a short and sweet newsletter today. And if you are in any areas hit by the flash foods, I hope…
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Study finds no evidence aluminum salts in vaccines are tied to higher risk of asthma, other childhood diseases
Study finds no evidence aluminum salts in vaccines are tied to higher risk of asthma, other childhood diseases When anti-vaccine activists and others argue that the immunizations used to protect children from infectious diseases are risky, they often point to aluminum salts, a product added to many childhood vaccines to increase their effectiveness. A new…
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STAT+: FDA declines to approve Ultragenyx gene therapy
STAT+: FDA declines to approve Ultragenyx gene therapy Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Morning! It’s Meghana today, writing about GLP-1s being deployed for addiction, weighing the FDA commissioner’s vision versus reality, and more. The need-to-know this morning AstraZeneca said its experimental…
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STAT+: Bionic knee developed by MIT researchers gives amputees a new world of motion
STAT+: Bionic knee developed by MIT researchers gives amputees a new world of motion Thomas Gee, a former gymnast, used to do handstands, perform wheelies on his skateboard, and run around with his three young children. But in 2001, a marble-sized bump on his left leg swelled to the size of a football. Gee was…
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STAT+: Questions about the FDA’s ‘radical transparency’ efforts
STAT+: Questions about the FDA’s ‘radical transparency’ efforts Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Happy Friday. Today, we talk about the stem cell fire sale at CIRM, and about the FDA’s move to release a limited batch of complete response letters. FDA…
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STAT+: Brawl over Eylea gets biosimilar industry’s attention
STAT+: Brawl over Eylea gets biosimilar industry’s attention Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Hello! Today, we talk about a cool experimental enzyme therapy, observe more patent maneuvers over Eylea, and see an ‘underdog’ startup get a huge seed round to…
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STAT+: Claims of Microsoft’s ‘super-intelligent’ AI diagnosis agent miss the mark, say experts
STAT+: Claims of Microsoft’s ‘super-intelligent’ AI diagnosis agent miss the mark, say experts Over the past few years, many researchers have tried to test large language models’ medical capabilities using questions from the U.S. medical licensure exam, or by feeding them clinical vignettes containing a set amount of information about a given case. Other researchers…
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STAT+: Fed-up and demoralized, FDA staff are leaving.
STAT+: Fed-up and demoralized, FDA staff are leaving. 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. Between innings of the July 4 Chesapeake Baysox game against the Richmond Flying Squirrels there was…
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STAT+: Khosla Ventures sets sights on $4 billion in new funds
STAT+: Khosla Ventures sets sights on $4 billion in new funds Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Hello, friends! We’re back. Hope you are having a delightful summer (or winter, I suppose, depending on your hemisphere). Today, we talk about morale…
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STAT+: HHS devises legal playbook for future grant terminations, internal memo shows
STAT+: HHS devises legal playbook for future grant terminations, internal memo shows As the National Institutes of Health recently paused its campaign to terminate billions of dollars in grants, its parent agency was starting to lay out a more cautious and legally rigorous strategy for canceling research deemed out of step with Trump administration priorities,…
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STAT+: New study challenges understanding of how age, chronic diseases and inflammation are linked
STAT+: New study challenges understanding of how age, chronic diseases and inflammation are linked Reducing inflammation has become all the rage lately, with many medical experts pointing to anti-inflammatory diets and other lifestyle changes as ways people can reduce their risk of chronic disease as they age. But a new study suggests that inflammation’s effects…
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Opinion: STAT readers on vaccines, research funding cuts, and organ donation
Opinion: STAT readers on vaccines, research funding cuts, and organ donation First Opinion is STAT’s platform for interesting, illuminating, and provocative articles about the life sciences writ large, written by biotech insiders, health care workers, researchers, and others. To encourage robust, good-faith discussion about issues raised in First Opinion essays, STAT publishes selected Letters to…
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Opinion: Proposed cuts could have ‘catastrophic effect,’ 110 biomedical, health sciences industry leaders tell Congress
Opinion: Proposed cuts could have ‘catastrophic effect,’ 110 biomedical, health sciences industry leaders tell Congress As leaders of United States companies positioned in the biomedical/health sciences landscape, we are well aware that our companies are but one component of an expansive and interconnected scientific ecosystem requiring federal, industry, and academic partnership. Government funding of research…
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STAT+: NIH halts grant terminations ‘effective immediately,’ email says
STAT+: NIH halts grant terminations ‘effective immediately,’ email says Days after a federal judge ordered the restoration of more than 1,000 biomedical research grants, the National Institutes of Health is halting further terminations of grants, an internal email shows. Since President Trump’s inauguration in January, the nation’s largest biomedical research funder has terminated an unprecedented…
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STAT+: Vertex stem cell therapy spurs insulin independence
STAT+: Vertex stem cell therapy spurs insulin independence Good morning! Today, we get deeper into the ousting of Nicole Verdun at the FDA, see promise from Vertex’s cell therapy for diabetes, and unpack the story of developing the newly approved Gilead PrEP drug lenacapivir. The need-to-know this morning Novo Nordisk terminated its marketing relationship with…
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Opinion: Bill Gates: I lost my father to Alzheimer’s. But I’m more optimistic than ever about fighting the disease
Opinion: Bill Gates: I lost my father to Alzheimer’s. But I’m more optimistic than ever about fighting the disease Father’s Day without my dad never gets easier. Although he is on my mind every day, I always find myself thinking about him even more often this time of year. My dad was a giant in…
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STAT+: What we’re hearing on Chinese NewCos, AI, and BIO’s executive ranks
STAT+: What we’re hearing on Chinese NewCos, AI, and BIO’s executive ranks This is the online version of our BIO 2025 newsletter. Get more BIO updates directly to your inbox by signing up here, and sign up for our morning biotech news roundup newsletter here. Hello everyone! Allison DeAngelis here, coming to you from Boston’s…
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Opinion: STAT readers on animal models, sexual assault kits, and more
Opinion: STAT readers on animal models, sexual assault kits, and more First Opinion is STAT’s platform for interesting, illuminating, and provocative articles about the life sciences writ large, written by biotech insiders, health care workers, researchers, and others. To encourage robust, good-faith discussion about issues raised in First Opinion essays, STAT publishes selected Letters to…
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STAT+: HHS tries pushing pharma to the negotiating table
STAT+: HHS tries pushing pharma to the negotiating table Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Good morning. Today, we’re hearing more about President Trump’s “most-favored nation” plan for drug pricing, Recursion’s case for why the company laid off 20% of…
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Systematic reviews cited retracted articles, new study finds
Systematic reviews cited retracted articles, new study finds Systematic reviews, which involve pooling data from multiple studies and analyzing them together, are increasingly popular as a way to produce more authoritative conclusions than can be derived from the individual smaller papers. In recent weeks, systematic reviews have been used to justify policy around gender affirming…
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NIH walks back ban on new grants for universities with DEI programs or Israel boycotts
NIH walks back ban on new grants for universities with DEI programs or Israel boycotts The National Institutes of Health has, for now, walked back a policy requiring universities and other research institutes to certify that they do not have unlawful diversity, equity, and inclusion programs or boycotts of Israel in order to receive research…
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STAT+: NIH details how Trump budget would cut support for grants, training, and research centers
STAT+: NIH details how Trump budget would cut support for grants, training, and research centers WASHINGTON — President Trump’s 2026 budget proposes slashing the National Institutes of Health’s central function, supporting research by awarding grants to universities, academic medical centers, and other institutions, by 43% compared to 2025 levels. New documents released by the agency…
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Massive NIH study challenges use of race as a proxy for genetic ancestry in research
Massive NIH study challenges use of race as a proxy for genetic ancestry in research A large government study published Thursday shows more definitively than ever before that Americans’ self-reported race is a poor proxy for their genetic ancestry. Researchers said the findings have major implications for the way health disparities are studied, and how…
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After groundbreaking CRISPR therapy, a homecoming
After groundbreaking CRISPR therapy, a homecoming Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Hello! Baby KJ is back home! Also, we discuss the questionable efficacy of ctDNA blood tests, see what Vinay Prasad has to say at NORD, and more. Read…
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Pluvicto pushes earlier in prostate cancer play
Pluvicto pushes earlier in prostate cancer play Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Morning! Today, STAT’s Matthew Herper chats with J&J’s R&D chief, we see the radiopharmaceutical Pluvicto being considered earlier for prostate cancer, and more. Read the rest… Meghana…
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STAT+: On ASCO Day 4, J&J bets on Rybrevant and airs ‘innovation ecosystem’ concerns
STAT+: On ASCO Day 4, J&J bets on Rybrevant and airs ‘innovation ecosystem’ concerns This is the web version of STAT’s special newsletter from the annual meeting of the American Society of Oncology. For more updates on the latest in cancer news, sign up for our Cancer Briefing newsletter here. ASCO ends tomorrow, but alas, dear readers,…
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STAT+: At ASCO Day 3, AstraZeneca dominates, Takeda reveals experimental drug data, Eli Lilly serves salad
STAT+: At ASCO Day 3, AstraZeneca dominates, Takeda reveals experimental drug data, Eli Lilly serves salad This is the web version of STAT’s special newsletter from the annual meeting of the American Society of Oncology. For more updates on the latest in cancer news, sign up for our Cancer Briefing newsletter here. We’re going to get to…
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Study finds exercise can keep colon cancer from recurring
Study finds exercise can keep colon cancer from recurring CHICAGO — An exercise program can reduce the risk that colorectal cancer will return after surgery and chemotherapy, according to a new study. The benefit from the study’s exercise program was about as large as what researchers might expect from a new drug, experts said, and…
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Illumina’s PromoterAI unlocks rare disease clues in noncoding genome
Illumina’s PromoterAI unlocks rare disease clues in noncoding genome Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Good morning. Today, we discuss how one Brown contrarian and cancer researcher wants $50 billion for the NCI, we see a UniQure case study that…
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Post-TIGIT flop, iTeos Therapeutics is shuttering
Post-TIGIT flop, iTeos Therapeutics is shuttering Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Morning. Today, we look at the implications of BARDA cutting a major vaccine contract with Moderna, hear why former FDA chief Scott Gottlieb thinks agency layoffs will impede…
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Lilly to acquire biotech developing pain drugs
Lilly to acquire biotech developing pain drugs Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Good morning, we’re seeking nominations for our annual Wunderkinds list, which aims to honor some of the most promising early-career scientists out there. If you have someone in mind, submit…
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STAT+: Young scientists say they may abandon research as their career options shrink amid Trump cuts
STAT+: Young scientists say they may abandon research as their career options shrink amid Trump cuts Becks Padrusch‘s fondest memories growing up were of trips to Boston’s Museum of Science, where the Arlington native got to touch animal organs and watch with fascination as chickens hatched in incubators. As a toddler, Padrusch, who uses they/them pronouns,…
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STAT+: Harvard is the most celebrated university in the world. Will Trump’s international student ban derail that standing?
STAT+: Harvard is the most celebrated university in the world. Will Trump’s international student ban derail that standing? Harvard University has long stood on top of the academic world. Thousands from all over seek a coveted spot every year at the Ivy League school with a reputation for cultivating future leaders, from Nobel Prize recipients to…
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GSK drug’s new approval sets up competition with Dupixent
GSK drug’s new approval sets up competition with Dupixent Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Good morning. Apologies that this newsletter is coming late to you this morning — we had some technical difficulties. But we’ve still got the news…
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Private funder HHMI pauses postdoc fellowship
Private funder HHMI pauses postdoc fellowship Molecular biologist Chiara Masnovo spent weeks filling out an application for a research fellowship earlier this year — taking it over the finish line as she was 38 weeks pregnant and starting a new job. The chance of getting this fellowship was well worth the toil. The Hanna Gray fellowship,…
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Trump’s science adviser calls for return to ‘gold-standard’ research to kickstart stalled advances
Trump’s science adviser calls for return to ‘gold-standard’ research to kickstart stalled advances President Trump’s science adviser, Michael Kratsios, called for a return to reproducible and transparent research to kickstart what he characterized as years of stalled scientific progress, in his first detailed public remarks on science policy since taking office in March. Kratsios, who…
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STAT+: Trump is moving to terminate hundreds of federal grants across Harvard
STAT+: Trump is moving to terminate hundreds of federal grants across Harvard In yet another escalation of its fight against higher education, the Trump administration has moved to terminate hundreds of research grants at Harvard University and its medical school, imperiling dozens of research projects and potentially upending the futures of young scientists. Harvard researchers studying cancer,…
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STAT+: At gene therapy meeting, no one wants to talk about the Vinay Prasad (not) in the room
STAT+: At gene therapy meeting, no one wants to talk about the Vinay Prasad (not) in the room NEW ORLEANS — Last year, hundreds of people poured in to see Peter Marks, the Food and Drug Administration’s head of biologics, speak at the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy conference. The regulator was seen by…
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STAT+: Day 3 at ASGCT: Vinay Prasad speculation, screening newborns, promising data
STAT+: Day 3 at ASGCT: Vinay Prasad speculation, screening newborns, promising data NEW ORLEANS — Greetings from the home stretch of American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy conference, where everyone is still talking about Baby KJ and no one wants to talk about Vinay Prasad. The Vinay Prasad in the room Last year, hundreds…
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‘What wouldn’t I be worried about?’: Research leaders discuss threats to U.S. science
‘What wouldn’t I be worried about?’: Research leaders discuss threats to U.S. science Attacks on efforts to diversify the sciences. Research grant terminations. Fear among scientists to speak out against the government. Cuts to international aid. These were some of a long list of concerns shared by three research leaders as they discussed the state…
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STAT+: Day 2 of ASGCT: Good news for Baby KJ and the dream of personalized gene editing
STAT+: Day 2 of ASGCT: Good news for Baby KJ and the dream of personalized gene editing NEW ORLEANS — Greetings from ASGCT, where the gene therapy field had some great news for once, about a highly photogenic infant. Baby KJ gets a custom CRISPR edit to his genome Kiran Musunuru, a researcher at the University of…
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Prenatal genetic therapy for SMA shows promise in a mouse study
Prenatal genetic therapy for SMA shows promise in a mouse study Researchers have taken preliminary steps toward treating a devastating neurodevelopmental disorder, spinal muscular atrophy, with a genetic therapy delivered in the womb, before the worst damage to motor neurons can occur. The scientists at the University of California, San Francisco, and Johns Hopkins University…
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STAT+: Day 1 at ASGCT: Missing scientists, a gene editing failure, and a gene editing first
STAT+: Day 1 at ASGCT: Missing scientists, a gene editing failure, and a gene editing first NEW ORLEANS — The mood at the annual meeting of the American Society of Cell and Gene Therapy isn’t amazing. The biotech market has been bad for years. The FDA and NIH are shrouded in uncertainty. But many researchers…
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FDA approves Verastem’s ovarian cancer treatment
FDA approves Verastem’s ovarian cancer treatment Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Today, we talk about the FDA’s new artificial intelligence effort in the wake of mass layoffs, see AI darling Insitro cut staff, and more. Read the rest… Meghana…
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STAT+: GOP hits resistance on Medicaid cuts, and a brewing plan to lower drug prices
STAT+: GOP hits resistance on Medicaid cuts, and a brewing plan to lower drug prices 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. A horse named Journalism was favored to win the…
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Opinion: STAT+: Bristol Myers Squibb CEO: Pharmaceutical innovation requires bold yet predictable U.S. policy
Opinion: STAT+: Bristol Myers Squibb CEO: Pharmaceutical innovation requires bold yet predictable U.S. policy Having grown up in rural Arkansas, I have an acute awareness of the challenges many in our country face when it comes to health care. Quality care wasn’t always accessible, and the decision of whether to pay medical or utility bills…
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STAT+: AACR Recap: Excitement about cancer prevention, new immunotherapies and advocacy
STAT+: AACR Recap: Excitement about cancer prevention, new immunotherapies and advocacy CHICAGO — With thousands of abstracts presented at the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting, it’s hard to keep up with all the latest advances and data. Like every meeting, this year’s conference was full of presentations and posters detailing new innovations in…
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STAT+: At AACR, leading cancer researchers urge colleagues to ‘fight for your science’
STAT+: At AACR, leading cancer researchers urge colleagues to ‘fight for your science’ CHICAGO — In the first few weeks of President Trump’s second term, many leaders and top scientists in cancer research found themselves questioning if they could have communicated better to the public. After all, experts told STAT, maybe if people understood how…
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STAT+: Overseas grants could be ‘closed down’ by NIH under new policy, internal email suggests
STAT+: Overseas grants could be ‘closed down’ by NIH under new policy, internal email suggests A National Institutes of Health policy change on funding of foreign scientists is far more sweeping than described in a Thursday announcement, according to an internal email that indicates international clinical trials and other research will be strictly vetted going…
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STAT+: Collins and fellow GOP senators speak out in opposition to Trump’s cuts to biomedical research
STAT+: Collins and fellow GOP senators speak out in opposition to Trump’s cuts to biomedical research WASHINGTON — There was broad bipartisan support at a Senate hearing Wednesday to reverse course on the Trump administration’s cuts to federally funded biomedical research. Sen. Susan Collins (Maine), the Republican chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, kicked off…
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STAT+: What was big at AACR? A drug, a diagnostic, and a dog. Oh and a vaccine, too.
STAT+: What was big at AACR? A drug, a diagnostic, and a dog. Oh and a vaccine, too. You’re reading the web edition of AACR in 30 Seconds, STAT’s guide to the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting. We’d like to introduce you to the fellow above, whose name is Jae. When asked what…
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STAT+: Despite Kennedy’s stated support, funding for Women’s Health Initiative remains in limbo
STAT+: Despite Kennedy’s stated support, funding for Women’s Health Initiative remains in limbo The word came down at 9 a.m. Pacific on April 14 that they were done. Marcia Stefanick of Stanford and three other leaders of regional centers that for decades have researched women’s health heard from their study’s national leaders that their funding…
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STAT+: HPV vaccine news ‘that will save millions of lives’ from cancer, and other AACR news
STAT+: HPV vaccine news ‘that will save millions of lives’ from cancer, and other AACR news You’re reading the web edition of AACR in 30 Seconds, STAT’s guide to the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting. There’s one more day: sign up for email here. Despite the shadow cast over cancer research by recent…
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STAT+: ‘Fight for your science’: Researchers urged to speak out at AACR
STAT+: ‘Fight for your science’: Researchers urged to speak out at AACR You’re reading the web edition of AACR in 30 Seconds, STAT’s guide to the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting. Sign up for email here. AACR’s big annual meeting began as usual with its large opening ceremony, but AACR CEO Margaret Foti’s closing…
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STAT+: Taking science’s temperature at the annual AACR meeting
STAT+: Taking science’s temperature at the annual AACR meeting You’re reading the web edition of AACR in 30 Seconds, STAT’s guide to the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting. Sign up for email here. Welcome to STAT’s annual newsletter covering the meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research. We’re glad you’re here. AACR…
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An Existential Crisis of a Veteran Researcher in the Age of Generative AI
An Existential Crisis of a Veteran Researcher in the Age of Generative AI I was a researcher fifteen years ago. A PhD candidate doing Research for long days. I was swamped with many articles, annotations, emails, bookmarks, etc. When I found a citation manager tool, Mendeley, I felt so relaxed. It was like I had…
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STAT+: New England Journal of Medicine gets swept up in U.S. attorney inquiry into alleged bias
STAT+: New England Journal of Medicine gets swept up in U.S. attorney inquiry into alleged bias Last week, at least one scientific journal received a letter from a top U.S. attorney asking it to respond to alleged bias. Now, one of the world’s leading medical journals, has received a similar inquiry as well. The New…
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Studies zoom in on clues to why Lyme disease persists and which antibiotic to prescribe
Studies zoom in on clues to why Lyme disease persists and which antibiotic to prescribe It starts with the ticks. These insects infect people with the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, microbes that are complicated to study, difficult to detect when they cause illness, and challenging to treat so they don’t linger in the human…