Category: STAT+
-
STAT+: The FDA, urged to avoid controversy, creates a new headache with attack against UniQure
STAT+: The FDA, urged to avoid controversy, creates a new headache with attack against UniQure There was a telling exchange during a Thursday media call set up by the Food and Drug Administration to enable a “senior FDA official” — he could only be quoted anonymously — to attack UniQure and its experimental treatment for…
-
STAT+: Up and down the ladder: The latest comings and goings
STAT+: Up and down the ladder: The latest comings and goings Hired someone new and exciting? Promoted a rising star? Finally solved that hard-to-fill spot? Share the news with us, and we’ll share it with others. That’s right. Send us your changes, and we’ll find a home for them. Don’t be shy. Everyone wants to know who is…
-
STAT+: Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Ozempic shots could be made for as little as $3 a month, analysis finds
STAT+: Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Ozempic shots could be made for as little as $3 a month, analysis finds Generic versions of Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster Wegovy and Ozempic medications could be mass produced for about $3 per person per month, a cost that could greatly widen access in low- and middle-income countries, according to a…
-
STAT+: Patient health data as a public utility: A former ARPA-H data chief explains
STAT+: Patient health data as a public utility: A former ARPA-H data chief explains Last year, the Department of Health and Human Services published a sweeping document that described the agency’s approach to real-world data. Historically, health and biomedical data has been intentionally manufactured, the output of carefully designed clinical trials. But in a digitized…
-
STAT+: Science Corp. raises $230 million to bring retinal implant to Americans
STAT+: Science Corp. raises $230 million to bring retinal implant to Americans Science Corporation announced Thursday that the company raised $230 million as it awaits a decision from the Food and Drug Administration on PRIMA, its wireless retinal implant. The Series C funding round includes investors from Lightspeed Venture Partners, Khosla Ventures, Y Combinator, Quiet…
-
STAT+: Omada reports first profitable quarter as it seizes broad GLP-1 opportunity
STAT+: Omada reports first profitable quarter as it seizes broad GLP-1 opportunity Digital chronic care company Omada reported a quarterly profit for the first time since going public less than a year ago, the company revealed while announcing its full year 2025 earnings Thursday. Omada also provided earnings guidance for 2026, suggesting the company will…
-
STAT+: TrumpRx’s slow start
STAT+: TrumpRx’s slow start 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. Mary Talley Bowden, who spent years in an expensive court battle with the Texas Medical Board over her license for…
-
STAT+: Is RFK Jr. coming for your Dunkin’?
STAT+: Is RFK Jr. coming for your Dunkin’? AUSTIN, Texas — As Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ticked through a list of ways the Trump administration is trying to clean up the nation’s food supply before an appreciative Texas crowd last week, he previewed more to come, including potentially pulling certain ingredients from the…
-
STAT+: What does malpractice insurance have to do with AI?
STAT+: What does malpractice insurance have to do with AI? You’re reading the web edition of STAT’s AI Prognosis newsletter, our subscriber-exclusive guide to artificial intelligence in health care and medicine. Sign up to get it delivered in your inbox every Wednesday. Are you coming down off the Olympics hype and eagerly awaiting college basketball’s March Madness?…
-
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about Moderna’s $2.25 billion settlement, FDA warning letters, and more
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about Moderna’s $2.25 billion settlement, FDA warning letters, and more Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the middle of the week. Congratulations on making it this far, and remember there are only a few more days until the weekend arrives. So keep plugging away. After all, what are the alternatives? While…
-
STAT+: Moderna to pay Roivant up to $2.25 billion to settle patent lawsuit behind mRNA vaccines
STAT+: Moderna to pay Roivant up to $2.25 billion to settle patent lawsuit behind mRNA vaccines Moderna has agreed to pay Roivant up to $2.25 billion to settle claims that the mRNA vaccine developer infringed on Roivant’s patents in its Covid-19 shot. Roivant will receive $950 million and then another $1.3 billion if Moderna’s attempts…
-
STAT+: Virginia lawmakers push a new approach to a prescription drug affordability board
STAT+: Virginia lawmakers push a new approach to a prescription drug affordability board As more states look to contain the cost of prescription drugs, Virginia lawmakers are pushing an affordability board that they believe will go further than similar efforts attempted by other states. At the heart of the approach is a plan to use…
-
STAT+: Trump can’t break free from vaccine politics
STAT+: Trump can’t break free from vaccine politics 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. And you may find yourself climbing a StairMaster next to RFK Jr. Send news tips and vague Talking…
-
STAT+: Prime Medicine to seek approval for gene-editing treatment after two-patient trial
STAT+: Prime Medicine to seek approval for gene-editing treatment after two-patient trial Prime Medicine said Tuesday it will ask the Food and Drug Administration to approve a gene-editing treatment that has been given to only two patients. The application will test an agency that has promised to speed new gene-editing treatments to patients but has…
-
STAT+: CMS halts enrollment in Elevance’s Medicare Advantage plans, citing years of misconduct
STAT+: CMS halts enrollment in Elevance’s Medicare Advantage plans, citing years of misconduct Elevance Health will no longer be able to enroll people into its Medicare Advantage plans starting March 31, according to a new, harshly worded suspension notice from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. CMS is imposing the punishment after Elevance failed…
-
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about Trump’s MFN deals, 340B program controversies, and much more
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about Trump’s MFN deals, 340B program controversies, and much more Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope the weekend respite was relaxing and invigorating because that oh-too-familiar routine of meetings, deadlines, and the like has predictably returned. You knew this would happen, though, so being a little…
-
STAT+: Trump most-favored nation drug pricing deals end after three years for some companies
STAT+: Trump most-favored nation drug pricing deals end after three years for some companies WASHINGTON — President Trump often brags that the “most-favored nation” deals he struck with drugmakers have set the country on a new path to no longer paying more than its fair share for prescription drug costs. But many details of the…
-
STAT+: Minnesota report shows large hospitals continue to dominate the 340B drug discount program
STAT+: Minnesota report shows large hospitals continue to dominate the 340B drug discount program Minnesota hospitals and clinics participating in a controversial U.S. drug discount program reaped at least $1.34 billion in revenue in 2024, and the largest institutions were the biggest beneficiaries, according to a report from the state Department of Health. Specifically, hospitals…
-
STAT+: Up and down the ladder: The latest comings and goings
STAT+: Up and down the ladder: The latest comings and goings Hired someone new and exciting? Promoted a rising star? Finally solved that hard-to-fill spot? Share the news with us, and we’ll share it with others. That’s right. Send us your changes, and we’ll find a home for them. Don’t be shy. Everyone wants to know who is…
-
STAT+: Justice Department backs AbbVie in its bid to overturn a Colorado law guiding a drug discount program
STAT+: Justice Department backs AbbVie in its bid to overturn a Colorado law guiding a drug discount program The Department of Justice is backing AbbVie in its battle to overturn a Colorado law that prohibits pharmaceutical companies from placing restrictions on a controversial federal drug discount program. Created more than 30 years ago, the 340B…
-
STAT+: Cigna, extending reach into prescription drugs, acquires major pharmacy used by hospitals
STAT+: Cigna, extending reach into prescription drugs, acquires major pharmacy used by hospitals Cigna has acquired CarepathRx, a large pharmacy backed by private equity that dispenses prescription drugs to nearly 10% of U.S. hospitals. The acquisition, discovered by STAT in a review of Cigna’s financial filings, reinforces the company’s push to control more of the…
-
STAT+: HHS adviser hopes prior authorization reform happens in ‘double-digit months,’ not years
STAT+: HHS adviser hopes prior authorization reform happens in ‘double-digit months,’ not years WASHINGTON — A top U.S. health official told a room full of doctors on Wednesday that he hopes the Trump administration’s efforts to whittle down the insurance industry’s use of prior authorizations will produce results “in double-digit months” instead of years, calling…
-
STAT+: A rare disease drug was approvable, then it wasn’t. Inside a surprise rejection by the FDA
STAT+: A rare disease drug was approvable, then it wasn’t. Inside a surprise rejection by the FDA An experimental therapy for a rare blood cancer was on the path toward approval by the Food and Drug Administration last year — with internal reviewers recommending it be cleared — before the agency rejected the drug last…
-
STAT+: Will Novo Nordisk’s slashing of obesity drug prices save patients’ money? It depends
STAT+: Will Novo Nordisk’s slashing of obesity drug prices save patients’ money? It depends Novo Nordisk made headlines Tuesday by announcing it would slash the list prices of its GLP-1 drugs and arguing that doing so would expand access. For insured patients who have to pay coinsurance — a certain percentage of the list price…
-
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about an FDA plan for ultra-rare drugs, Novo cutting GLP-1 drug prices, and more
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about an FDA plan for ultra-rare drugs, Novo cutting GLP-1 drug prices, and more Rise and shine, everyone, another busy day is on the way. And it is getting off to a good start here on the Pharmalot campus, where we have clear blue skies and chilly breezes greeting us today.…
-
STAT+: Drugmakers lay out their legal arguments against Trump’s drug pricing experiments
STAT+: Drugmakers lay out their legal arguments against Trump’s drug pricing experiments WASHINGTON — The pharmaceutical and biotech industries are pushing back against two Trump administration proposals that would test plans to lower drug prices in Medicare by aligning them with the prices paid in other rich countries. Their comments preview arguments that they might…
-
STAT+: Bayer sues J&J over ‘false and misleading claims’ about competing prostate cancer treatments
STAT+: Bayer sues J&J over ‘false and misleading claims’ about competing prostate cancer treatments Underscoring the high-stakes market for prostate cancer medicines, Bayer filed a lawsuit accusing Johnson & Johnson of launching a “false advertising campaign” that uses flawed data to wrongfully promote its rival drug as a more effective treatment. At issue are claims…
-
STAT+: FDA unveils rules for bespoke gene therapies, predicting flood of rare disease applications
STAT+: FDA unveils rules for bespoke gene therapies, predicting flood of rare disease applications The Trump administration on Monday released detailed guidance for approving the first bespoke medicines crafted to treat patients’ individual mutations. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary and biologics chief Vinay Prasad had already previewed the new approach, known as the plausible mechanism…
-
STAT+: Nature Medicine to investigate study that found cancer treatment is better in morning
STAT+: Nature Medicine to investigate study that found cancer treatment is better in morning The notion that oncologists could boost immunotherapy responses simply by giving infusions in the morning, rather than late afternoon, is an attractive one. So when a clinical trial published in Nature Medicine this month showed that lung cancer patients treated in…
-
STAT+: Up and down the ladder: The latest comings and goings
STAT+: Up and down the ladder: The latest comings and goings Hired someone new and exciting? Promoted a rising star? Finally solved that hard-to-fill spot? Share the news with us, and we’ll share it with others. That’s right. Send us your changes, and we’ll find a home for them. Don’t be shy. Everyone wants to know who is…
-
STAT+: DOJ, Ohio attorney general accuse OhioHealth of driving up prices, crowding out competition
STAT+: DOJ, Ohio attorney general accuse OhioHealth of driving up prices, crowding out competition OhioHealth is the latest nonprofit health system to find itself in the government’s crosshairs for allegedly using its market power to suppress competition and drive up costs. The Department of Justice and Ohio’s attorney general filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against…
-
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about an FDA official’s speech, a Grail cancer blood test, and much more
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about an FDA official’s speech, a Grail cancer blood test, and much more And so, another working week will soon draw to a close. Not a moment too soon, yes? This is, you may recall, our treasured signal to daydream about weekend plans. Our agenda is still shaping up as we…
-
STAT+: Key study of Grail’s cancer detection test fails in setback for company
STAT+: Key study of Grail’s cancer detection test fails in setback for company A blood test for detecting cancer early being developed by the diagnostics firm Grail failed to meet its main goal in a giant study being conducted with England’s National Health Service, the company said Thursday. Grail’s test has been the standard bearer…
-
STAT+: In first speech to her FDA staff, Høeg says she’ll scrutinize RSV shots and SSRIs in pregnancy
STAT+: In first speech to her FDA staff, Høeg says she’ll scrutinize RSV shots and SSRIs in pregnancy WASHINGTON — Tracy Beth Høeg, the top drug regulator at the Food and Drug Administration, indicated in her first address to staff that she’ll scrutinize antidepressants and the shots used to protect babies from RSV. Høeg told…
-
STAT+: The federal directory of doctors and hospitals is coming this year
STAT+: The federal directory of doctors and hospitals is coming this year After years of grand ambitions, the federal government disclosed that it is months away from rolling out a centralized list of doctors and hospitals filled with up-to-date contact and insurance information. Details of how the national provider directory will work are scant —…
-
STAT+: FDA taps AI executive to lead digital health center
STAT+: FDA taps AI executive to lead digital health center The Food and Drug Administration has tapped a former executive from a health artificial intelligence company to lead its digital health center. Rick Abramson, formerly a chief medical officer at a subsidiary of Harrison.ai, which develops AI products to interpret radiological images, is the new…
-
STAT+: NIH Director Bhattacharya to lead CDC after O’Neill’s exit
STAT+: NIH Director Bhattacharya to lead CDC after O’Neill’s exit WASHINGTON — National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya will take on leadership of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on an acting basis, an administration official not authorized to speak publicly confirmed to STAT. Bhattacharya is taking the role after the previous acting…
-
STAT+: New FDA guidance for antibiotic use in food-producing animals prompts criticism over antibiotic resistance
STAT+: New FDA guidance for antibiotic use in food-producing animals prompts criticism over antibiotic resistance In a bid to mitigate antibiotic resistance, the Food and Drug Administration has released guidance for drugmakers to define how long medically important antibiotics should be used in food-producing animals. But critics argue the effort fails to consider the impact…
-
STAT+: AI Prognosis: Who’s keeping tabs on how health insurers are using AI?
STAT+: AI Prognosis: Who’s keeping tabs on how health insurers are using AI? You’re reading the web edition of STAT’s AI Prognosis newsletter, our subscriber-exclusive guide to artificial intelligence in health care and medicine. Sign up to get it delivered in your inbox every Wednesday. If you are a nerd like me, you may enjoy this game…
-
STAT+: Breakup between Brigham and Dana-Farber is getting messier fast
STAT+: Breakup between Brigham and Dana-Farber is getting messier fast What does it feel like to live in a house where your parents are getting divorced? Just ask some of the staff at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Things have been a bit awkward since the cancer hospital announced 2½ years ago that it was breaking its decades-long partnership…
-
STAT+: Medicare Advantage growth dwindles for a second straight year
STAT+: Medicare Advantage growth dwindles for a second straight year The Medicare Advantage program continues to bring in more older adults and people with disabilities, but not nearly at the same rates from just a few years ago. Almost 35.5 million people were enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan as of Feb. 1, up roughly…
-
STAT+: Kennedy says he’ll act on legal challenge to ultra-processed foods
STAT+: Kennedy says he’ll act on legal challenge to ultra-processed foods Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired the starting gun in a challenge to the food industry on Sunday, announcing on CBS’ “60 Minutes” that he plans to act on a plan outlined by former Food and Drug Administration chief David Kessler to overhaul…
-
STAT+: Exit of CDC’s acting director highlights agency’s lack of leader
STAT+: Exit of CDC’s acting director highlights agency’s lack of leader For 28 days last summer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had a director who had been confirmed by the Senate. But in less time than it took Susan Monarez to get approved, she was fired for not kowtowing to her boss, Robert…
-
STAT+: FDA rejects rare disease therapy from Disc Medicine, early recipient of commissioner’s voucher
STAT+: FDA rejects rare disease therapy from Disc Medicine, early recipient of commissioner’s voucher WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration on Friday rejected bitopertin, a therapy developed by Disc Medicine to treat the rare blood disorder porphyria, which makes patients extremely sensitive to sunlight. It’s the first experimental drug to go through FDA Commissioner…
-
STAT+: Up and down the ladder: The latest comings and goings
STAT+: Up and down the ladder: The latest comings and goings Hired someone new and exciting? Promoted a rising star? Finally solved that hard-to-fill spot? Share the news with us, and we’ll share it with others. That’s right. Send us your changes, and we’ll find a home for them. Don’t be shy. Everyone wants to know who is…
-
STAT+: FDA’s rejection of Moderna threatens to stifle broader vaccine industry
STAT+: FDA’s rejection of Moderna threatens to stifle broader vaccine industry The Food and Drug Administration’s refusal to review Moderna’s flu vaccine this month has renewed fears that Trump administration policies could paralyze the vaccine industry, dissuading companies from developing new shots in the U.S. and leaving the country flat-footed in the event of future…
-
STAT+: Trump administration is urged to use a federal law to authorize generic versions of GLP-1 drugs
STAT+: Trump administration is urged to use a federal law to authorize generic versions of GLP-1 drugs Public Citizen petitioned the Trump administration to use a federal law to authorize generic competitors for GLP-1 drugs for treating obesity and diabetes, arguing that prices are “unjustifiably high” for too many Americans. In arguing its case, the…
-
STAT+: NIH redefines ‘clinical trials,’ dividing researchers
STAT+: NIH redefines ‘clinical trials,’ dividing researchers In a long-debated move, the National Institutes of Health will no longer characterize basic experimental studies involving humans as clinical trials, a step that was cheered by many researchers, but is also raising transparency concerns because the work will no longer have to be registered with — or…
-
STAT+: The messaging war over Medicaid cuts
STAT+: The messaging war over Medicaid cuts 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. Dr. Oz seems to have invited Jeffrey Epstein to a Valentine’s Day party in 2016, about eight…
-
STAT+: Trump officials push for skimpier coverage in ACA marketplaces
STAT+: Trump officials push for skimpier coverage in ACA marketplaces Trump health officials are proposing changes that would water down the options for people who buy their own health insurance through Affordable Care Act marketplaces. The proposals, released this week and which would go into effect in 2027, prioritize making ACA premiums as low as…
-
STAT+: As Republicans face attacks for cutting Medicaid funding, Dr. Oz blames states with big cities
STAT+: As Republicans face attacks for cutting Medicaid funding, Dr. Oz blames states with big cities The Trump administration is reframing the steep Medicaid cuts in Republicans’ tax bill to pit states with large urban centers against those with large rural populations. Last year, Republicans passed Trump’s signature legislative accomplishment, a bill that partially offset…
-
STAT+: Merck is urged by patient groups to ensure widespread access to an HIV prevention pill being tested
STAT+: Merck is urged by patient groups to ensure widespread access to an HIV prevention pill being tested In a preemptive move, more than 170 patient advocacy groups from 30 countries are urging Merck to create a global access strategy for an HIV prevention pill, which is still being studied in clinical trials. A key,…
-
STAT+: FDA refuses to review Moderna’s influenza vaccine
STAT+: FDA refuses to review Moderna’s influenza vaccine The Food and Drug Administration refused to review Moderna’s application for a new influenza vaccine, the company said Tuesday, a surprise decision that could raise concerns about the agency’s posture toward drug companies and the Trump administration’s policies on vaccines. Moderna, revealing the rejection, took the unusual…
-
STAT+: TrumpRx: Hype or real savings?
STAT+: TrumpRx: Hype or real savings? 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. Did you snack on HHS-approved MAHA-mole while shaking to Bad Bunny’s Spanish-language celebration of Puerto Rican and Latin…
-
STAT+: FDA warned a Hims & Hers compounder after finding bugs and failing to report a serious side effect
STAT+: FDA warned a Hims & Hers compounder after finding bugs and failing to report a serious side effect The Food and Drug Administration late last year issued a warning letter to MedisourceRx, a compounding pharmacy owned by Hims & Hers, six months after a facility was cited for troubling problems during an inspection. One…
-
STAT+: FDA rejects Regenxbio’s rare-disease gene therapy
STAT+: FDA rejects Regenxbio’s rare-disease gene therapy The Food and Drug Administration has rejected a rare-disease gene therapy from Regenxbio, the company said Monday. The one-time treatment, called RGX-121, is designed to replace a malfunctioning gene that causes mucopolysaccharidosis type II, also known as Hunter syndrome, an ultra-rare disorder that causes physical and cognitive impairments. …
-
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about Novo Nordisk suing Hims & Hers, deals by Lilly and Takeda, and more
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about Novo Nordisk suing Hims & Hers, deals by Lilly and Takeda, and more Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope the weekend respite was relaxing and invigorating because that oh-too-familiar routine of meetings, deadlines, and the like has returned with a vengeance. You knew this would…
-
STAT+: Hims & Hers will stop selling compounded version of Novo’s obesity pill
STAT+: Hims & Hers will stop selling compounded version of Novo’s obesity pill Hims & Hers said Saturday it will stop selling what it claims to be a cheaper, compounded version of Novo Nordisk’s obesity pill on its telehealth platform, after health officials called for an investigation of the company for potentially violating federal law.…
-
STAT+: HHS asks Justice Department to probe Hims & Hers over its cheaper compounded version of Wegovy
STAT+: HHS asks Justice Department to probe Hims & Hers over its cheaper compounded version of Wegovy The Department of Health and Human Services asked the Department of Justice to investigate Hims & Hers for potentially violating federal law over its plan to make a compounded version of a low-cost weight loss pill widely available…
-
STAT+: TrumpRx claims to offer the lowest prices. But many drugs have cheaper generics
STAT+: TrumpRx claims to offer the lowest prices. But many drugs have cheaper generics WASHINGTON — President Trump said the administration’s new TrumpRx website will offer the cheapest prices in the world for 43 brand-name drugs, and counting. But about half of them are already available as generics, usually for much less. The website is…
-
STAT+: White House looks for more drug pricing deals to add to TrumpRx
STAT+: White House looks for more drug pricing deals to add to TrumpRx WASHINGTON — After striking 16 deals with pharmaceutical giants and launching a direct-to-consumer drug purchasing platform, the Trump administration is looking to expand its efforts to lower drug prices to more companies. Federal officials on Thursday unveiled the administration’s TrumpRx drug purchasing…
-
STAT+: ‘Moonshot’ agency ARPA-H lays off staff meant to commercialize breakthroughs
STAT+: ‘Moonshot’ agency ARPA-H lays off staff meant to commercialize breakthroughs ARPA-H, the “moonshot” biomedical agency established under the Biden administration, laid off staff last week, according to two people familiar with the matter. The cuts largely hit staff responsible for operations and for commercializing the technologies the agency supports, the people said, leaving scientific…
-
STAT+: A rival goes after Ocular Therapeutix on eve of pivotal readout on eye treatment
STAT+: A rival goes after Ocular Therapeutix on eve of pivotal readout on eye treatment Ocular Therapeutix and Eyepoint Pharmaceuticals are developing competing treatments for wet age-related macular degeneration, a common cause of vision loss in older people. Their CEOs don’t particularly like each other. So, with Ocular in a self-imposed quiet period ahead of…
-
STAT+: Novo Nordisk accuses Hims & Hers of ‘illegal mass compounding’ over a cheaper version of Wegovy pill
STAT+: Novo Nordisk accuses Hims & Hers of ‘illegal mass compounding’ over a cheaper version of Wegovy pill In an unexpected move, Hims & Hers is making available a cheaper, compounded version of the Wegovy weight loss pill sold by Novo Nordisk, prompting the drugmaker to accuse the telehealth platform of “illegal mass compounding.” In…
-
STAT+: Epic launches AI Charting, potentially scrambling the ambient scribe market
STAT+: Epic launches AI Charting, potentially scrambling the ambient scribe market The nation’s largest electronic health record company, Epic Systems, announced on Wednesday more details around its long-anticipated AI Charting feature, which could disrupt the market for ambient scribes. Several health systems are piloting the tools now, the company said. “I almost bristle a little…
-
STAT+: FTC settles lawsuit with Express Scripts over charges it manipulated insulin prices, impeded access
STAT+: FTC settles lawsuit with Express Scripts over charges it manipulated insulin prices, impeded access The Federal Trade Commission said Wednesday that it had settled a lawsuit against Express Scripts, one of the largest pharmacy benefit managers in the U.S., over allegations that the company artificially inflated the price of insulin and impeded access to…
-
STAT+: Novo Nordisk sees lower sales, profits as Wegovy faces growing competition
STAT+: Novo Nordisk sees lower sales, profits as Wegovy faces growing competition Novo Nordisk on Tuesday said it expects sales and profits to decline this year, as the maker of Wegovy faces growing competition in the obesity market. The Danish pharma giant said it expects sales to decrease in the range of 5% to 13%…
-
STAT+: FDA Commissioner Marty Makary tries to soothe staff concerns over voucher program
STAT+: FDA Commissioner Marty Makary tries to soothe staff concerns over voucher program WASHINGTON — At an employee town hall on Tuesday, Food and Drug Administration leaders tried to quell staff and external concerns about a controversial new program to fast-track certain drugs. “This pilot is an effort to make our review processes patient-centric,” said…
-
STAT+: FDA officials push for long-term monitoring of autoimmune patients receiving CAR-T therapy
STAT+: FDA officials push for long-term monitoring of autoimmune patients receiving CAR-T therapy Food and Drug Administration officials are advising drug developers to study the long-term effects of using CAR-T to treat patients with autoimmune conditions, out of concern the therapies could cause cancer or fertility issues. The recommendations were outlined in an op-ed published…
-
STAT+: Federal judge dismisses lawsuit against academic publishers over unpaid peer review
STAT+: Federal judge dismisses lawsuit against academic publishers over unpaid peer review A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by researchers alleging that major publishers of academic research conspired to create a set of illegal and anticompetitive business practices that exploit the scientific workforce. Scientists claimed that publishers had violated the Sherman Act, a…
-
STAT+: New rule would force PBMs to disclose drug rebates and other fees
STAT+: New rule would force PBMs to disclose drug rebates and other fees Pharmacy benefit managers face new, sweeping requirements to disclose all the different ways they get money from providing drug coverage. The proposed rule from the Department of Labor published on Thursday would be a significant change for an industry that shields prescription…
-
STAT+: Up and down the ladder: The latest comings and goings
STAT+: Up and down the ladder: The latest comings and goings Hired someone new and exciting? Promoted a rising star? Finally solved that hard-to-fill spot? Share the news with us, and we’ll share it with others. That’s right. Send us your changes, and we’ll find a home for them. Don’t be shy. Everyone wants to know who is…
-
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about TrumpRx questions, drugmakers lowering some prices, and more
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about TrumpRx questions, drugmakers lowering some prices, and more And so, another working week will soon come to an end. This is, you may recall, our treasured signal to daydream about weekend plans. Our agenda is rather modest. Other than enjoying a symphony, we plan to sharpen our shovels and dig…
-
STAT+: Trump’s latest deal: $600 million of tech company discounts to help implement Medicaid work requirements
STAT+: Trump’s latest deal: $600 million of tech company discounts to help implement Medicaid work requirements Ten technology vendors are offering $600 million worth of discounts to states that pick them to help implement Medicaid work requirements, the Trump administration announced Thursday, signaling how lucrative they think the sweeping change could be. Mehmet Oz, administrator…
-
STAT+: States are the next vaccine battleground
STAT+: States are the next vaccine battleground 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’d call it a xeet-down, but I can’t tell who won this heated exchange on X between…
-
STAT+: Senators raise concerns about TrumpRx in letter to HHS watchdog
STAT+: Senators raise concerns about TrumpRx in letter to HHS watchdog The Trump administration soon plans to launch TrumpRx, a website it says will allow patients to buy prescription drugs directly from pharmaceutical companies at a discount. Over several months, the administration has made deals with more than a dozen pharmaceutical manufacturers to expand access…
-
STAT+: Trump administration signals there’s widespread desire to curb Medicare Advantage
STAT+: Trump administration signals there’s widespread desire to curb Medicare Advantage Health insurers have endured a litany of problems with Medicare Advantage over the past three years. They were optimistic things would turn around with the Trump administration in charge. Tough luck, for now. The administration stunned Medicare Advantage insurers and their investors by proposing…
-
STAT+: AI biotech founded by ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt is raising $150 million
STAT+: AI biotech founded by ex-Google CEO Eric Schmidt is raising $150 million Hologen, a secretive AI startup co-founded by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, is seeking to raise $150 million in a Series A fundraising round, STAT has learned. Hologen describes itself as a “frontier medical AI company, a drug development & diagnostics company,…
-
STAT+: DeepMind releases AlphaGenome source code, aiming to improve its AI predictions of gene regulation
STAT+: DeepMind releases AlphaGenome source code, aiming to improve its AI predictions of gene regulation When the world’s scientists finally pieced together a first draft of the human genome in 2003, one of the biggest surprises was just how little of it — only about 20,000 genes — are involved in the business of producing…
-
STAT+: HCA expects $1 billion hit from loss of ACA tax credits, Medicaid changes
STAT+: HCA expects $1 billion hit from loss of ACA tax credits, Medicaid changes The country’s biggest hospital chain outlined Tuesday what could be a more than $1 billion hit to profit this year from the expiration of federal tax credits and changes to Medicaid payment programs. For many other companies, it’d be a catastrophic…
-
STAT+: UnitedHealth limps into 2026 with a smaller business and fresh challenges
STAT+: UnitedHealth limps into 2026 with a smaller business and fresh challenges UnitedHealth Group enters 2026 limping financially after one of the most turbulent years in the company’s history, but executives at the health insurance and services giant made it clear they will cut their way to higher profits. On Tuesday, UnitedHealth said revenue would…
-
STAT+: HHS spending bill caught up in ICE debate
STAT+: HHS spending bill caught up in ICE debate 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. To those in the path of this winter storm: Are you rethinking dry January yet?…
-
STAT+: Hospital group wants Trump administration to block a new Lilly policy on 340B claims data
STAT+: Hospital group wants Trump administration to block a new Lilly policy on 340B claims data The American Hospital Association is asking the Trump administration to stop Eli Lilly from enacting a new policy that would require all hospitals that participate in a federal drug discount program to submit comprehensive claims data, the first time…
-
STAT+: Trump administration proposes tiny pay raise to 2027 Medicare Advantage plans
STAT+: Trump administration proposes tiny pay raise to 2027 Medicare Advantage plans The Trump administration plans to increase payments to next year’s Medicare Advantage plans by less than 0.1% on average — far below what the industry had expected. Several Wall Street analysts expected pay increases of 4%-6%, but a crucial measure of Medicare spending…
-
STAT+: How investing in primary care helped a hospital system get back in the black
STAT+: How investing in primary care helped a hospital system get back in the black Sometimes, it pays to be number two. Beth Israel Lahey Health has long been the state’s second-largest hospital system, the second biggest employer, the second most fill-in-the-blank. When compared to Mass General Brigham, owner of Massachusetts’ two biggest hospitals, Beth Israel’s place in…
-
STAT+: Former executives of device maker Zynex Medical indicted for fraud
STAT+: Former executives of device maker Zynex Medical indicted for fraud A federal grand jury in Rhode Island indicted two former executives of pain management device company Zynex Medical with multiple counts of health care fraud this week. The indictment alleges that from 2017 through 2025, former Chief Executive Officer Thomas Sandgaard and Chief Operating…
-
STAT+: Dozens of hospitals demand better security for patient record sharing in letter to officials
STAT+: Dozens of hospitals demand better security for patient record sharing in letter to officials More than 60 health systems have sent a letter to officials running national health record exchanges, asking them to take action to prevent “bad actors” from accessing patients’ health information. The letter follows a lawsuit last week from electronic health…
-
STAT+: Up and down the ladder: The latest comings and goings
STAT+: Up and down the ladder: The latest comings and goings Hired someone new and exciting? Promoted a rising star? Finally solved that hard-to-fill spot? Share the news with us, and we’ll share it with others. That’s right. Send us your changes, and we’ll find a home for them. Don’t be shy. Everyone wants to know who is…
-
STAT+: Unfilled vacancies have depleted NIH advisory councils, key players in grant approvals
STAT+: Unfilled vacancies have depleted NIH advisory councils, key players in grant approvals Since President Trump took office last January, only one new member has been added to the NIH advisory councils, key panels that make final recommendations on what research to fund at universities and medical centers, depleting their ranks as current members’ terms…
-
STAT+: Health insurance execs shift blame for costly, confusing health care system
STAT+: Health insurance execs shift blame for costly, confusing health care system Health insurance executives agree that the U.S. health care system is overpriced, wasteful, and confusing. And they also agree that those problems are someone else’s fault. On Thursday, the CEOs of America’s largest health insurance companies appeared before Congress to both justify their…
-
STAT+: The number of new drug shortages in U.S. hits lowest level in 20 years, but myriad problems remain
STAT+: The number of new drug shortages in U.S. hits lowest level in 20 years, but myriad problems remain The number of ongoing prescription drug shortages rose slightly in the last quarter of 2025, but remained significantly lower than the all-time high reached in the beginning of 2024. Moreover, the number of new shortages identified…
-
STAT+: OpenEvidence raises $250 million, doubling its valuation
STAT+: OpenEvidence raises $250 million, doubling its valuation OpenEvidence, maker of a popular chatbot that helps doctors search clinical evidence, on Wednesday announced $250 million in new funding. The new round led by Thrive Capital and DST Global values OpenEvidence at $12 billion, and the company has announced $735 million in funding in the last…
-
STAT+: Slingshot pulls therapy chatbot Ash out of U.K. over regulatory concerns
STAT+: Slingshot pulls therapy chatbot Ash out of U.K. over regulatory concerns Slingshot AI will withdraw its therapy chatbot app Ash from the United Kingdom this week over concerns that it runs afoul of the country’s medical device regulations. Slingshot CEO Daniel Reid Cahn wrote in an email to users that “there isn’t a clear…
-
STAT+: Former Humana CEO Bruce Broussard on WISeR, AI, and transparency
STAT+: Former Humana CEO Bruce Broussard on WISeR, AI, and transparency You’re reading the web edition of STAT’s AI Prognosis newsletter, our subscriber-exclusive guide to artificial intelligence in health care and medicine. Sign up to get it delivered in your inbox every Wednesday. Are you, like me, fascinated with the superhuman abilities of a professional Geoguessr player…
-
STAT+: House and Senate appropriators endorse NIH budget increase, reject Trump’s proposed cuts
STAT+: House and Senate appropriators endorse NIH budget increase, reject Trump’s proposed cuts Congressional appropriations committees offered a near-total rebuke of President Trump’s proposed downsizing and reshaping of the National Institutes of Health in their spending bill for the 2026 fiscal year. In a compromise bill released Tuesday, Congress set NIH’s budget at $48.7 billion,…