Tag: statnews
-
Vinay Prasad, key Makary ally and a focus of controversy at the FDA, is leaving the agency
Vinay Prasad, key Makary ally and a focus of controversy at the FDA, is leaving the agency WASHINGTON — Vinay Prasad, a top official at the Food and Drug Administration who has been at the center of recurring public controversies, is exiting the agency for a second time. Prasad will leave the FDA at the…
-
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+: Moderna’s reset hinges on oncology
STAT+: Moderna’s reset hinges on oncology Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Seems as though investors are still rewarding sheer weight loss over tolerability in the obesity drug race. The FDA moved at a rapid clip with a new myeloma…
-
Breaching the IBD efficacy ceiling, and sham surgeries
Breaching the IBD efficacy ceiling, and sham surgeries Will drugmakers finally be able to breach the efficacy ceiling in inflammatory bowel disease? And is the Food and Drug Administration being flexible enough with rare disease treatments? We discuss all that on this week’s episode of “The Readout LOUD.” Read the rest… Allison DeAngelis, Adam Feuerstein,…
-
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+: FDA warns more telehealth firms about compounded GLP-1s
STAT+: FDA warns more telehealth firms about compounded GLP-1s 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. Moderna is avoiding what would have been a high-profile trial, but will still have to pay up. That and more news below. Let’s…
-
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?…
-
Wildfire pollution linked to higher stroke risk
Wildfire pollution linked to higher stroke risk Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. Good morning. Here’s a combination of proper nouns you might not expect: Harry Styles and Haruki Marakami for Runner’s World. It’s quite an existential conversation, shared in segments amid a…
-
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+: 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+: 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+: 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…
-
Autism researchers rebuke Kennedy, form independent advisory group
Autism researchers rebuke Kennedy, form independent advisory group A group of autism researchers and advocates announced Tuesday the formation of an independent advisory body that will develop a scientific agenda for the autism community. They hope to act as a bulwark against a federal committee bearing a similar name and its new members who believe…
-
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…
-
A swine flu case to keep tabs on
A swine flu case to keep tabs on Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. Good morning. There’s already plenty of news to keep up with this week, but if you have a chance to rewind to September, consider re-visiting Eric Boodman’s story on post-tubal…
-
STAT+: A Merck cancer drug to watch
STAT+: A Merck cancer drug to watch Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Morning! The impact of President Trump’s “most-favored nation” drug-pricing push can be hard to decipher, but the policy is starting to look less like a slogan and…
-
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…
-
Kennedy announces new vaccine advisory committee members after meeting rescheduled
Kennedy announces new vaccine advisory committee members after meeting rescheduled WASHINGTON — Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced two new members of his handpicked panel of vaccine advisers on Friday, ahead of a meeting rescheduled for March. Kennedy said in a statement that Sean G. Downing, a primary care doctor licensed in Florida, and…
-
Henrietta Lacks’ estate settles with Novartis over the ‘stolen cells’ that advanced science
Henrietta Lacks’ estate settles with Novartis over the ‘stolen cells’ that advanced science Novartis has settled a lawsuit by the estate of Henrietta Lacks that alleged the pharmaceutical giant unjustly profited off her cells, which were taken from her tumor without her knowledge in 1951 and reproduced in labs to enable major medical advancements, including…
-
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+: 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…
-
Opinion: Former surgeon general: The Senate must not approve someone who can’t practice medicine as the nation’s top doctor
Opinion: Former surgeon general: The Senate must not approve someone who can’t practice medicine as the nation’s top doctor Eight years ago, I sat before the Senate for my confirmation hearing to be surgeon general. Republican Todd Young (Ind.) and Democrat Joe Donnelly (Ind.) introduced me, and I was confirmed unanimously. That bipartisan support reflected…
-
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…
-
Kansas’ new ID law could have health consequences for trans people
Kansas’ new ID law could have health consequences for trans people Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. Happy Friday. If I ever have kids, I want them to be treated at the newly christened Dolly Parton Children’s Hospital in Tennessee. What’s your favorite Dolly song?…
-
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…
-
Listen: FDA turmoil, election intrigue, AI, and more
Listen: FDA turmoil, election intrigue, AI, and more On “The Readout LOUD” this week: Adam Feuerstein, solo. His usual co-hosts Allison DeAngelis and Elaine Chen took some time off, so Adam manned the podcast mic himself. Adam thought, quite understandably, that our cherished listeners wouldn’t want to hear him drone on for 30 minutes, so…
-
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…
-
Everything you need to know about RFK Jr., MAHA, and ‘glypho-gate’
Everything you need to know about RFK Jr., MAHA, and ‘glypho-gate’ A recent executive order has put health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in a tight spot. The order aims to shore up production of the herbicide glyphosate (better known as the active ingredient in the weed killer Roundup) for “national security and defense reasons.”…
-
CMS announces pause on new durable medical equipment suppliers
CMS announces pause on new durable medical equipment suppliers The Trump administration announced Wednesday a nationwide moratorium on new suppliers for certain medical equipment, citing a need to get a handle on the “fraud, waste, and abuse” in the industry that provides wheelchairs, artificial limbs and other equipment. “The amount of fraud is so massive…
-
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…
-
Surgeon general nominee and senator face off over vaccines and ‘shared decision-making’
Surgeon general nominee and senator face off over vaccines and ‘shared decision-making’ An eight-minute exchange at the end of Casey Means’ two-hour confirmation hearing captured the potential and the predicament the MAHA movement has created for itself. Means, an entrepreneurial wellness influencer with a medical degree from Stanford, appeared on Wednesday at the Senate health…
-
STAT+: Novo doubles down on oral peptides
STAT+: Novo doubles down on oral peptides 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. By the time this newsletter sends, I’ll be on a plane headed towards vacation. See you next week! The need-to-know this morning Alkermes CEO Richard…
-
Casey Means, a MAHA leader, makes bid to be nation’s top doctor
Casey Means, a MAHA leader, makes bid to be nation’s top doctor The Make America Healthy Again movement, which has turned dissatisfaction with mainstream medicine into a disruptive political movement, was poised on Wednesday to put one of its leading figures, Casey Means, at the top of the U.S. medical system. Means, an entrepreneurial wellness…
-
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+: 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…
-
Hepatitis B vaccine rates are dropping
Hepatitis B vaccine rates are dropping Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. Good morning. There’s nothing like an old-fashioned blizzard to ground you in your present, physical reality. I promise I’ll try to dig my car out faster this time around. Read the…
-
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+: Novo reports ‘triple G’ obesity drug study results
STAT+: Novo reports ‘triple G’ obesity drug study results 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. I hope everyone on the East Coast is staying warm. Let’s get into the news today. How low can obesity drug prices go?…
-
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+: Novo’s next-gen obesity drug stumbles in Lilly comparison study
STAT+: Novo’s next-gen obesity drug stumbles in Lilly comparison study Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. We’ve got some big acquisition news today, and also some politics — specifically a look at how pharma lobbyists, who have longed considered the…
-
Ralph Abraham, No. 2 official at CDC, abruptly steps down
Ralph Abraham, No. 2 official at CDC, abruptly steps down The drama and chaos surrounding the leadership of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have taken another twist, with the announcement Monday that the agency’s No. 2 official, Ralph Abraham, has resigned. A statement posted to the CDC’s website said Abraham, a former Louisiana…
-
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…
-
ACIP meeting postponed, for reasons that are unclear
ACIP meeting postponed, for reasons that are unclear Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. Happy Friday! Read the rest… O. Rose Broderick Go to statnews
-
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+: Element Biosciences launches table-top sequencer capable of $100 genome
STAT+: Element Biosciences launches table-top sequencer capable of $100 genome Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Grail’s Galleri blood test just failed a make-or-break NHS trial, missing its primary endpoint and reviving the uncomfortable question: Does earlier detection actually change…
-
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…
-
Hims’ Super Bowl fallout, and the FDA reverses course
Hims’ Super Bowl fallout, and the FDA reverses course Was Hims’ Super Bowl ad the final straw for regulators? Is the bar being lowered for psychedelic medicines? And what’s happening behind-the-scenes with Moderna and the Food and Drug Administration? We discuss all that on this week’s episode of “The Readout LOUD.” STAT’s Katie Palmer joins…
-
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…
-
Upcoming meeting of federal vaccine panel may be postponed after HHS missed deadlines
Upcoming meeting of federal vaccine panel may be postponed after HHS missed deadlines WASHINGTON — Federal officials have missed the legal deadline to notify the public of an upcoming meeting of a vaccine advisory panel that was planned for next week, raising questions about whether the meeting, expected to be closely monitored for signs of…
-
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 wins fourth Polk Award for reporting on impact of Trump on health
STAT wins fourth Polk Award for reporting on impact of Trump on health Dear Readers, I’m thrilled to share that STAT has won a prestigious George Polk Award for documenting the Trump administration’s shakeup of the FDA, scientific research, and public health. Read the rest… Rick Berke Go to statnews
-
Bayer agrees to $7.25 billion proposed settlement over thousands of Roundup cancer lawsuits
Bayer agrees to $7.25 billion proposed settlement over thousands of Roundup cancer lawsuits JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Agrochemical maker Bayer and attorneys for cancer patients announced a proposed $7.25 billion settlement Tuesday to resolve thousands of U.S. lawsuits alleging the company failed to warn people that its popular weedkiller Roundup could cause cancer. The proposed…
-
STAT+: A shakeup at HHS, a toast to bipartisanship, and a cheese poof war
STAT+: A shakeup at HHS, a toast to bipartisanship, and a cheese poof war 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. Sen. Thom Tillis apparently went to the Nine Inch Nails…
-
STAT+: Psilocybin data could be good enough for approval
STAT+: Psilocybin data could be good enough for approval Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Good day! Today: A look at growing GLP-1 competition in China, a drug reviewed as part of the FDA’s shiny new fast-track voucher hits a roadblock,…
-
Opinion: How public health saved the CDC Injury Center
Opinion: How public health saved the CDC Injury Center Last May, the White House released a budget request for FY2026 that proposed eliminating the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Nine months later, President Trump signed into law an appropriations bill that fully funds it for the rest of the fiscal year. Read…
-
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+: In court, AAP argues Kennedy’s HHS made unlawful changes to vaccine policies
STAT+: In court, AAP argues Kennedy’s HHS made unlawful changes to vaccine policies BOSTON — After a full day of oral arguments in a packed courtroom, Boston federal judge Brian E. Murphy did not rule from the bench on a lawsuit from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the professional body representing the country’s pediatricians, against…
-
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…
-
Major shakeup underway at HHS as White House braces for midterms
Major shakeup underway at HHS as White House braces for midterms WASHINGTON — Two top health officials are leaving their jobs amid a shakeup at the Department of Health and Human Services aimed at refocusing HHS on politically popular aspects of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s agenda in advance of the midterm elections. Deputy…
-
STAT+: Pediatricians confront HHS in vaccine showdown
STAT+: Pediatricians confront HHS in vaccine showdown Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. The FDA’s surprise refusal to even review Moderna’s mRNA flu vaccine is sending a chill through biotech: Companies are openly wondering whether the regulatory goalposts are shifting…
-
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+: A change at the top of Sanofi
STAT+: A change at the top of Sanofi Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Vinay Prasad is tightening the screws at the FDA, overruling staff and signaling a tougher stance on vaccines and gene therapies — which, as Adam Feuerstein…
-
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,…
-
Students, faculty mystified as NSF turns back applications for prestigious fellowship program
Students, faculty mystified as NSF turns back applications for prestigious fellowship program When Kulindu Vithanachchi’s phone lit up with an update from the National Science Foundation about his application for a high-profile early-career fellowship, he couldn’t wait to open the message, hopeful for big news. But not this news. Vithanachchi, a University of Arizona undergraduate…
-
WHO director-general calls plans for U.S.-funded vaccine trial ‘unethical’
WHO director-general calls plans for U.S.-funded vaccine trial ‘unethical’ The director-general of the World Health Organization said Wednesday that a U.S.-funded study of the hepatitis B vaccine in Guinea-Bissau would be “unethical” if it proceeds as planned. “Of course, a sovereign country can decide whatever they want, but as far as WHO’s position is concerned,…
-
We tested the government’s official new AI nutrition tool: Grok
We tested the government’s official new AI nutrition tool: Grok How trustworthy is the new U.S. food pyramid? It’s a mixed bag, according to the government website devoted to that pyramid. Kyle Diamantas, head of the Human Foods Program at the Food and Drug Administration, alerted the public this week to a generative artificial intelligence…
-
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…
-
Landmark settlement could create new protections for harm reduction under disability law
Landmark settlement could create new protections for harm reduction under disability law A Christian group in Washington state on Tuesday announced a potentially landmark legal settlement that could establish new legal protections for harm reduction services for people experiencing drug addiction, including syringe exchange, under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ADA has previously been…
-
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+: 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…