Tag: statnews
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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+: 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…
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STAT+: Sarepta Therapeutics crisis is huge blow to Duchenne families, company
STAT+: Sarepta Therapeutics crisis is huge blow to Duchenne families, company Sarepta Therapeutics confronted one of the most serious crises in its history on Friday, as the Food and Drug Administration prepared to ask the company to halt all shipments of its gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy — a treatment that had been a…
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Opinion: We are mothers of Duchenne patients. Recent setbacks with Sarepta must not stop progress
Opinion: We are mothers of Duchenne patients. Recent setbacks with Sarepta must not stop progress They say death is one of life’s few certainties. For a boy or young man living with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, that certainty has a cruel twist: the anticipation of dying young. As mothers of children with this disease, we have…
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STAT+: Judge dismisses Humana’s case over downgraded Medicare Advantage ratings
STAT+: Judge dismisses Humana’s case over downgraded Medicare Advantage ratings A federal judge on Friday tossed out a lawsuit from Humana that attempted to reinstate higher quality ratings to its 2025 Medicare Advantage plans. The ruling jeopardizes billions of dollars in taxpayer-funded bonuses that Humana gets from the government’s star ratings program. However, Humana said…
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STAT+: What the GOP’s cuts to public broadcasting have to do with health care policy
STAT+: What the GOP’s cuts to public broadcasting have to do with health care policy WASHINGTON — Congressional Republicans early on Friday morning passed legislation to take back money they had already appropriated for this year, enacting steep cuts to foreign aid and to public broadcasting. And while none of the funding was for domestic…
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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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Why MAHA’s push on Coca-Cola and ice cream is ‘nutritionally hilarious’
Why MAHA’s push on Coca-Cola and ice cream is ‘nutritionally hilarious’ Pop quiz: What’s Coca-Cola with cane sugar and ice cream made with natural dyes? Answer: Coca-Cola and ice cream. Getting Coca-Cola to use cane sugar rather than corn syrup and ice cream manufacturers to stop their use of synthetic dyes are the latest achievements…
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Inside an FDA drug rejection, and layoffs at Sarepta
Inside an FDA drug rejection, and layoffs at Sarepta Just how many employees is Sarepta Therapeutics laying off? And why did the Food and Drug Administration reject Ultragenyx’s rare disease drug over manufacturing qualms? We discuss all that and more on this week’s episode of “The Readout LOUD”. Read the rest… Allison DeAngelis, Adam Feuerstein,…
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Trump is checked for swelling in legs and was diagnosed with a common condition in older adults
Trump is checked for swelling in legs and was diagnosed with a common condition in older adults WASHINGTON — White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday read a doctor’s letter about President Donald Trump that she said was intended to dispel health concerns about the swelling in his ankles and a makeup-covered hand. Leavitt…
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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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STAT+: Kennedy dismisses two top HHS aides
STAT+: Kennedy dismisses two top HHS aides WASHINGTON — Two top aides to Health and Human Services Department Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. were dismissed from their roles this week after just months on the job. Both Heather Flick Melanson, chief of staff, and Hannah Anderson, deputy chief of staff for policy, were let go,…
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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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PEPFAR keeps millions of people with HIV alive and may be spared from Trump spending cuts
PEPFAR keeps millions of people with HIV alive and may be spared from Trump spending cuts The program known as PEPFAR is one of the most effective and popular U.S. foreign aid projects in history, and the government says it has saved the lives of over 25 million people around the world with HIV. But…
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STAT+: Sarepta Therapeutics lays off one-third of workforce in drastic cost-cutting move
STAT+: Sarepta Therapeutics lays off one-third of workforce in drastic cost-cutting move Sarepta Therapeutics laid off more than one-third of its workforce, or approximately 500 employees, the company announced Wednesday — a drastic cost-cutting move following the deaths of two teenagers that forced the company to restrict usage of its gene therapy for Duchenne muscular…
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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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STAT+: RFK Jr. gives vaccine skeptics plum HHS posts
STAT+: RFK Jr. gives vaccine skeptics plum HHS posts 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. Mr. Medicare Dr. Oz suggests 10 minutes of yoga straight out of bed, preferably with…
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STAT+: A troubled Sun Pharma plant fails yet another FDA inspection
STAT+: A troubled Sun Pharma plant fails yet another FDA inspection A Sun Pharmaceutical plant in India that has been repeatedly cited by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for serious quality control issues failed another inspection last month over concerns the company was not doing enough to prevent medicines from becoming contaminated. The problems…
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Federal judge reverses rule that would have removed medical debt from credit reports
Federal judge reverses rule that would have removed medical debt from credit reports NEW YORK — A federal judge in Texas removed a Biden-era finalized ruled by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that would have removed medical debt from credit reports. U.S. District Court Judge Sean Jordan of Texas’s Eastern District, who was appointed by Trump, found on Friday…
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STAT+: ViiV expands licensing deal for its HIV drug in low-income countries
STAT+: ViiV expands licensing deal for its HIV drug in low-income countries Once again, ViiV Healthcare has announced steps to widen access to a sought-after HIV medicine in low- and middle-income countries, reflecting ongoing pressure to respond to criticism. Under the latest arrangement, the company is expanding a licensing agreement reached three years ago with…
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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+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about GLP-1 drugs for addiction, FDA funding, and lots more
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about GLP-1 drugs for addiction, FDA funding, and lots more Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope the weekend respite was relaxing and invigorating, because that oh-so-familiar routine of meetings, deadlines, and messages has returned. But what can you do? There is no pause button to stop…
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STAT+: The links between different gun laws and types of gun deaths
STAT+: The links between different gun laws and types of gun deaths Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. And just like that, the newsletter is back. I hope you had a restful weekend. How one elite rehab center is ‘obliterating’ all kinds of…
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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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U.S. drops charges against doctor accused of throwing away Covid shots, selling fake vaccine cards
U.S. drops charges against doctor accused of throwing away Covid shots, selling fake vaccine cards The federal government on Saturday dismissed charges against a Utah plastic surgeon accused of throwing away COVID-19 vaccines, giving children saline shots instead of the vaccine and selling faked vaccination cards. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a post on the social…
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Opinion: Ending the federal LGBTQ+ suicide prevention line is a public health failure
Opinion: Ending the federal LGBTQ+ suicide prevention line is a public health failure Last month, the federal government announced it would eliminate the national suicide prevention hotline’s specialized services for LGBTQ+ callers — a decision that pulls vital support away from some of the most at-risk young people in America. The end of the service…
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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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Trump administration cuts undocumented immigrants’ access to range of federally funded programs
Trump administration cuts undocumented immigrants’ access to range of federally funded programs WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Thursday announced it would further curtail undocumented immigrants’ access to federally funded programs, including health care clinics, early childhood education, and nutritional support. The decision reverses a federal practice that has been in place for decades, and is…
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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+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about a FDA offer on drug reviews, a Moderna Covid approval, and more
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about a FDA offer on drug reviews, a Moderna Covid approval, and 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, so far, rather modest. We…
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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…
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STAT+: FDA won’t pay 2024 bonuses to workers who are getting laid off
STAT+: FDA won’t pay 2024 bonuses to workers who are getting laid off 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 thought the news would slow down after Republicans passed their…
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FDA grants full approval to Moderna’s Covid vaccine for children but limits eligibility
FDA grants full approval to Moderna’s Covid vaccine for children but limits eligibility Moderna’s Covid-19 vaccine for children has been given full Food and Drug Administration approval, making it the first Covid vaccine for kids in the United States that will no longer be administered under an emergency use authorization. But the approval comes with…
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NIH grant cuts, FDA transparency questions, and biotech M&A
NIH grant cuts, FDA transparency questions, and biotech M&A On this week’s episode of “The Readout LOUD”: a closer look at the NIH’s grant-cutting legal playbook, a not-so-transparent transparency push by the FDA commissioner, and another big biotech acquisition. Our colleague Anil Oza joins us to unravel a previously unseen memo he obtained from HHS…
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STAT+: FDA publishes rejection letters sent to drugmakers, with a big caveat
STAT+: FDA publishes rejection letters sent to drugmakers, with a big caveat The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday published more than 200 letters that it sent to companies when it rejected their medicines, focusing attention on what’s often an opaque part of the drug review process. The agency only highlighted letters that went to…
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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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Nearly 1 in 3 teens have prediabetes, CDC finds, in ‘wake-up call’
Nearly 1 in 3 teens have prediabetes, CDC finds, in ‘wake-up call’ About 1 in 3 young people who are 12 to 17 years old have prediabetes, new national data show, putting them at risk not just for type 2 diabetes but also for heart disease and stroke. Developing chronic diseases early in life also…
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STAT+: Kennedy abruptly cancels preventive care committee meeting
STAT+: Kennedy abruptly cancels preventive care committee meeting WASHINGTON — Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has abruptly canceled a meeting of a key expert panel that evaluates the nation’s preventive care recommendations, according to an email viewed by STAT. The email did not cite a reason. The cancellation of the Thursday meeting of the U.S.…
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STAT+: HHS backtracks on pledge to disclose new vaccine advisers’ conflicts of interest
STAT+: HHS backtracks on pledge to disclose new vaccine advisers’ conflicts of interest WASHINGTON — The Department of Health and Human Services is sitting on information about new vaccine advisers’ conflicts of interest, and seemingly backtracking on its vow to make key disclosure documents public. Agency officials previously said they would release ethics forms for…
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Justice Department issues subpoenas to clinics and drugmakers over gender-affirming care
Justice Department issues subpoenas to clinics and drugmakers over gender-affirming care The Department of Justice has issued “nearly 20 subpoenas” to clinics that provide gender-affirming care in relation to “transition-related investigations,” DOJ chief of staff Chad Mizelle said at an event held by the Federal Trade Commission Wednesday. The department has also issued subpoenas to…
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Use of antibiotic to reduce STIs appears to be fueling some antibiotic resistance, research shows
Use of antibiotic to reduce STIs appears to be fueling some antibiotic resistance, research shows When several countries endorsed the notion of some high-risk people taking the antibiotic doxycycline after unprotected sex to lower their chances of contracting a sexually transmitted disease, as the U.S. did last year, there was a theoretical concern the shift…
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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+: How Republicans sidelined the health care industry and pushed through historic Medicaid cuts
STAT+: How Republicans sidelined the health care industry and pushed through historic Medicaid cuts WASHINGTON — Republicans swiftly approved President Trump’s tax cut bill last week, despite a full-court press from doctors, hospitals, and patients to beat back some of the largest health care cuts in American history — more than $1 trillion in all…
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STAT+: Novartis wins approval for newborn malaria treatment
STAT+: Novartis wins approval for newborn malaria treatment 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 had a great holiday weekend. Let’s get into the news today. The need-to-know this morning Foundering CAR-T therapy developer Cargo Therapeutics is being acquired and…
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STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about Medicare drug negotiations, a Novartis malaria drug, and more
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about Medicare drug negotiations, a Novartis malaria drug, and more Rise and shine, another busy — and steamy — day is on the way. We can tell because the official mascots are spending less time on the dusty Pharmalot grounds and, instead, have curled up by the indoor cool-air blowing machines.…
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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+: Survival rates for cancer patients on immunotherapy depend on insurance coverage, study finds
STAT+: Survival rates for cancer patients on immunotherapy depend on insurance coverage, study finds As a cancer patient, access to innovative drugs can help extend your life — that is if you have health insurance, a new study finds. In a JAMA Open Network study published Monday, researchers from the American Cancer Society found that…
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Leading medical groups sue Kennedy over changed Covid-19 vaccine recommendations
Leading medical groups sue Kennedy over changed Covid-19 vaccine recommendations WASHINGTON — Six major medical groups, and a pregnant physician, are suing health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over changes he made to Covid-19 vaccine recommendations that they say were unlawful and undermine public trust in health care. The suit argues that a May 19 directive…
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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+: Cogent Biosciences drug improves symptoms of chronic immune disorder, study results show
STAT+: Cogent Biosciences drug improves symptoms of chronic immune disorder, study results show Cogent Biosciences said Monday that its experimental drug reduced the symptoms of a chronic immune disorder called indolent systemic mastocytosis. The results mean the drug achieved the goals of a Phase 3 study, but a comparison to a rival treatment from Blueprint…
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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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Opinion: The U.S. government is failing on vaccine policy. The Vaccine Integrity Project is here to help
Opinion: The U.S. government is failing on vaccine policy. The Vaccine Integrity Project is here to help Recently, the Department of Health and Human Services floated new standards for vaccine approvals, rescinded longstanding Covid-19 vaccine recommendations for healthy children and pregnant women, and fired all 17 members of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s…
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Opinion: Defenders of Medicaid cuts are misunderstanding a study I worked on
Opinion: Defenders of Medicaid cuts are misunderstanding a study I worked on There’s been much discussion and debate about the cuts to Medicaid eligibility that Congress just passed and, in particular, what they may mean for current Medicaid recipients. A key piece of evidence in this debate has been results from the Oregon Health Insurance…
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STAT+: How the tax-cut bill that just passed the Senate would upend health care
STAT+: How the tax-cut bill that just passed the Senate would upend health care WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans passed President Trump’s landmark tax bill Tuesday morning, putting transformational health provisions a major step closer to enactment. The bill slashes health care spending by more than $1 trillion over a decade, cuts that would affect patients,…
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STAT+: Memo said to describe biotech industry meeting calls RFK Jr. a ‘direct threat to public health’
STAT+: Memo said to describe biotech industry meeting calls RFK Jr. a ‘direct threat to public health’ A memo that purports to summarize a meeting held by members of a leading biotech trade group suggests deep concern about health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s stance on vaccines, and describes him as a “direct threat to…
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Why this activist is putting her body on the line for Americans with disabilities
Why this activist is putting her body on the line for Americans with disabilities Flanked by her friends as lawmakers debated the future of a 60-year-old health care plan, Latoya Maddox raised her voice, shouting, “No cuts to Medicaid! No cuts to Medicaid!” The chanting, during a meeting of the House Energy and Commerce Committee…
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STAT+: Dr. Oz tries to seal the deal on Trump’s tax-cut bill
STAT+: Dr. Oz tries to seal the deal on Trump’s tax-cut bill WASHINGTON — As GOP leadership pushes to pass President Trump’s tax megabill this week, one administration official has been working hard behind the scenes to close the deal: Mehmet Oz, who oversees Medicare and Medicaid. House Republicans, including those on the fence about…
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STAT+: What’s on your 2025 health AI bingo card?
STAT+: What’s on your 2025 health AI bingo card? 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. I had a lot of fun putting together this week’s edition. There’s a lot to chew…
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Senate passes Trump’s tax-cut bill that would slash Medicaid spending
Senate passes Trump’s tax-cut bill that would slash Medicaid spending WASHINGTON — The Senate passed a $4.5 trillion tax-cut bill after last-minute changes to its health care provisions, as Republicans scrambled to get their party on board. The legislation that passed on Tuesday includes major federal funding cuts to Medicaid that were opposed by hospitals and…
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U.S. judge says HHS layoffs were likely unlawful and must be halted
U.S. judge says HHS layoffs were likely unlawful and must be halted PROVIDENCE, R.I. — A federal judge has ruled that recent mass layoffs at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services were likely unlawful and ordered the Trump administration to halt plans to downsize and reorganize the nation’s health workforce. U.S. District Judge Melissa DuBose…
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STAT+: Centene’s stock plummets as health insurance giant scraps 2025 financial outlook
STAT+: Centene’s stock plummets as health insurance giant scraps 2025 financial outlook Centene has withdrawn its financial guidance for the rest of the year after receiving data that showed its health insurance members in Affordable Care Act plans are getting a lot more care than the company had anticipated. The company is also seeing a…
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STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about Novo’s Wegovy launch gaffes, a former Pfizer exec’s subpoena, and more
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about Novo’s Wegovy launch gaffes, a former Pfizer exec’s subpoena, and more Top of the morning to you. And a steamy one, it is. In fact, there is more steam rising from the grounds of the Pharmalot campus than from our ritual cup of stimulation; our choice today is marshmallow magic,…
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STAT+: HHS to continue funding cancer prevention, tracking work in states after uncertainty
STAT+: HHS to continue funding cancer prevention, tracking work in states after uncertainty WASHINGTON — The Department of Health and Human Services will renew funding to states for cancer prevention and tracking efforts, alleviating anxieties among local officials about the future of their work. Over 50 notices had gone out as of Monday, an HHS spokesperson…
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STAT+: Sage Therapeutics cuts most of its workforce following acquisition
STAT+: Sage Therapeutics cuts most of its workforce following acquisition Sage Therapeutics is laying off most of its employees after announcing its planned acquisition earlier this month. The Cambridge, Mass.-based biotech firm will cut 338 jobs effective Aug. 22, according to state filings. In February, the company reported employing 353 full-time staff, including 122 working in research…
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STAT+: Supreme Court declines to review Oklahoma law regulating PBMs
STAT+: Supreme Court declines to review Oklahoma law regulating PBMs The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to review an appeals court ruling that struck down key parts of an Oklahoma law regulating the retail networks created by pharmacy benefit managers, a victory for the controversial middlemen in the pharmaceutical supply chain that may create uncertainty…
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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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STAT+: 11.8 million to lose health insurance under Senate Republican tax bill, CBO projects
STAT+: 11.8 million to lose health insurance under Senate Republican tax bill, CBO projects WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans’ version of President Trump’s tax bill would lead to 11.8 million people losing health insurance over the next decade, according to a new report from the Congressional Budget Office released Saturday night. That projection suggests the Senate’s…
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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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STAT+: Senate GOP tweaks health care measures in tax bill to win holdouts, please parliamentarian
STAT+: Senate GOP tweaks health care measures in tax bill to win holdouts, please parliamentarian Senate Republicans unveiled late Friday changes to health care policies in tax legislation that they made to win over holdouts in their party and pass muster with budget rules. The changes were made public around midnight, and the long voting…
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STAT+: Senator launches investigation into GSK’s asthma inhaler maneuvers
STAT+: Senator launches investigation into GSK’s asthma inhaler maneuvers Amid ongoing controversy, U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) is investigating GSK for replacing a popular asthma inhaler with a so-called authorized generic at a much higher price in order to avoid paying Medicaid rebates. In a letter sent to the company, the lawmaker maintained that the…
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STAT+: J&J suffers a loss over 340B drug discount program
STAT+: J&J suffers a loss over 340B drug discount program In a setback to Johnson & Johnson, a federal judge ruled that a U.S. government agency did not violate the law when it required the company to seek approval before offering rebates to hospitals and clinics that participate in a drug discount program. The decision…
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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…
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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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WHO expert group fails to find a definitive answer for how Covid-19 began
WHO expert group fails to find a definitive answer for how Covid-19 began LONDON — An expert group charged by the World Health Organization to investigate how the Covid-19 pandemic started released its final report Friday, reaching an unsatisfying conclusion: Scientists still aren’t sure how the worst health emergency in a century began. At a press briefing on Friday,…
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CDC advisory panel, selected by RFK Jr., recommends thimerosal be dropped from flu vaccines
CDC advisory panel, selected by RFK Jr., recommends thimerosal be dropped from flu vaccines A federal vaccine advisory panel, which health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recently stacked with handpicked members, recommended on Thursday that Americans should not receive flu vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal. The votes — there were three related to the topic…
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Opinion: We will not stay silent on vaccines, say leaders of five major U.S. medical associations
Opinion: We will not stay silent on vaccines, say leaders of five major U.S. medical associations Let us introduce ourselves. We are the doctors you trust with your health and the health of your family across every stage of life, from the first checkups in infancy and childhood, to health care during pregnancy and adulthood,…
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Vaccine policy frays, CDC nominee in the hot seat, & obesity drug side effects
Vaccine policy frays, CDC nominee in the hot seat, & obesity drug side effects What does the fracturing of vaccine advice and policy mean for the U.S. health care ecosystem? Will the potential head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stand up to her boss? And can Amgen overcome its obesity drug’s side…
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STAT+: The CDC’s vaccine advisory panel, empowered by RFK Jr., is just getting started
STAT+: The CDC’s vaccine advisory panel, empowered by RFK Jr., is just getting started The meeting began with an airing of pandemic-era grievances and closed with a move to cement a decades-old, long-dismissed anti-vaccine talking point into U.S. national policy. In the intervening 13 hours came technical issues, forgotten procedures, and a public comments…
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STAT+: RFK Jr.’s vaccine advisers meet, Monarez gets grilled
STAT+: RFK Jr.’s vaccine advisers meet, Monarez gets grilled 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. After making a brief visit to the hospital due to feeling lightheaded, Senate Minority Leader…
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Generic cancer drugs used around the world fail quality tests, investigation shows
Generic cancer drugs used around the world fail quality tests, investigation shows Vital chemotherapy drugs used around the world have failed quality tests, putting cancer patients in more than 100 countries at risk of ineffective treatments and potentially fatal side effects, an investigation by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) reveals. The generic drugs in…
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STAT+: ADHD medicines linked to less impulsive behavior, crashes, and crime
STAT+: ADHD medicines linked to less impulsive behavior, crashes, and crime A study tracking nearly 250,000 Swedish people using ADHD medication for 14 years found that these treatments can reduce risks of traffic crashes, injuries, and criminal behavior — and that conclusion remained true even as more girls, women, and adult men received a diagnosis.…
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STAT+: As Trump’s deadline nears, Republicans face substantial disagreement on Medicaid cuts
STAT+: As Trump’s deadline nears, Republicans face substantial disagreement on Medicaid cuts WASHINGTON — With days to go before Congress is set to leave town, lawmakers are still at odds over key Medicaid provisions in the tax bill touted by President Trump. Republicans across the House and Senate are still working out significant disagreements on…
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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+: Trump’s pick to run the CDC walks a fine line on RFK Jr. at Senate hearing
STAT+: Trump’s pick to run the CDC walks a fine line on RFK Jr. at Senate hearing WASHINGTON — There seemed to be one question on the minds of many senators grilling Susan Monarez, President Trump’s pick to run the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at a hearing on Wednesday: If confirmed, would she…
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STAT+: Insurance coverage of vaccines at risk in RFK Jr.’s reshuffling of CDC’s vaccine advisers
STAT+: Insurance coverage of vaccines at risk in RFK Jr.’s reshuffling of CDC’s vaccine advisers The decision by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to remove and replace all members of the government’s independent vaccine advisory committee doesn’t just change how the nation will approach vaccine policy. It could also take money…
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STAT+: Regeneron seeks to revamp the controversial relationships between pharma and patient charities
STAT+: Regeneron seeks to revamp the controversial relationships between pharma and patient charities In a bid to rework the controversial relationship between drugmakers and patient charities, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals has announced a new program in which it will match up to $200 million in donations this year to a leading foundation called Good Days. The move…
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STAT+: Top FDA drug regulator tells staff much is still in flux, as she prepares to retire
STAT+: Top FDA drug regulator tells staff much is still in flux, as she prepares to retire WASHINGTON — Outgoing Food and Drug Administration regulator Jacqueline Corrigan-Curay acknowledged to staff that much is still in flux at the agency, weeks before she retires. “We are leaner and therefore we have to find ways to be…
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Childhood vaccination coverage was falling across the globe even before Covid
Childhood vaccination coverage was falling across the globe even before Covid Childhood vaccination coverage has made leaps since 1980. But progress has significantly slowed in the last two decades. That is according to a study published in The Lancet Tuesday, which found stagnation and wide variation in childhood vaccination rates since 2010. The study, which…
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STAT+: Device that uses biodegradable polymers to repair peripheral nerves gets FDA clearance
STAT+: Device that uses biodegradable polymers to repair peripheral nerves gets FDA clearance A sutureless device for peripheral nerve repair could be available on the market in the coming months. The Food and Drug Administration has authorized a polymer-based device developed by medical technology company Tissium. The authorization, announced Tuesday, will give physicians a new…
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Opinion: The Senate’s version of Trump’s tax-cut bill threatens safety-net hospitals like ours
Opinion: The Senate’s version of Trump’s tax-cut bill threatens safety-net hospitals like ours We appreciate President Trump’s steadfast commitment to protecting Medicare and Medicaid and his leadership in standing with America’s working families, seniors, and veterans. As leaders of urban health systems that serve our nation’s most vulnerable — low-income workers, children, and the elderly…
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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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STAT+: GLP-1 drug helped type 1 diabetes patients keep healthy glucose levels and lose weight
STAT+: GLP-1 drug helped type 1 diabetes patients keep healthy glucose levels and lose weight Obesity drugs were first approved to treat type 2 diabetes, but there’s a growing movement to test them in type 1 diabetes, too. Research presented Monday at a large diabetes meeting showed some promise for this approach. Patients who took…
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STAT+: Health insurers promise to reduce barriers to care under pressure from Trump administration
STAT+: Health insurers promise to reduce barriers to care under pressure from Trump administration WASHINGTON — Last week’s pledge from more than 40 health insurers to cut down on prior authorizations came after some behind-the-scenes convincing from the Trump administration. The administration pushed insurers to sign a voluntary pledge to cut back on prior authorizations…
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STAT+: Amgen’s obesity drug led to high discontinuation rates in mid-stage trial, as company plans to adjust dosing
STAT+: Amgen’s obesity drug led to high discontinuation rates in mid-stage trial, as company plans to adjust dosing CHICAGO — Amgen’s monthly obesity candidate led to substantial weight loss but a high rate of side effects and discontinuations in a mid-stage trial, results that support the company’s decision to use a slower dosing schedule to…
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STAT+: Novo Nordisk’s amylin obesity drug keeps performing like Zepbound
STAT+: Novo Nordisk’s amylin obesity drug keeps performing like Zepbound CHICAGO — Late-stage results of Novo Nordisk’s obesity candidate CagriSema suggest the drug is comparable to Eli Lilly’s Zepbound on safety and efficacy, further data indicating that CagriSema may not be the standout treatment that investors had hoped for. Novo previously reported that patients on…