Tag: statnews
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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. …
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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…
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Opinion: As a scientist and NFL widow, I am furious about a recent NFL Players Association-funded CTE study
Opinion: As a scientist and NFL widow, I am furious about a recent NFL Players Association-funded CTE study When 125 million Americans watch the Super Bowl on Sunday, the NFL and NFL Players Association (NFLPA) don’t want them thinking about the brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy. When fans see an exciting big hit, thinking about…
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Opinion: STAT readers respond on the ethics of gender-affirming care for minors, the new food pyramid, and more
Opinion: STAT readers respond on the ethics of gender-affirming care for minors, the new food pyramid, 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…
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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.…
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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…
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Scientists worry finalizing ‘Schedule F’ rule will further politicize NIH grant decisions
Scientists worry finalizing ‘Schedule F’ rule will further politicize NIH grant decisions The Trump administration is moving forward with a personnel rule that critics say will subject a broader swath of the federal workforce to political pressure, raising concerns that the change could deter accomplished scientists from joining the federal workforce and give political appointees…
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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…
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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…
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China criticizes U.S. for WHO pullout, accusing it of sidestepping international law
China criticizes U.S. for WHO pullout, accusing it of sidestepping international law China criticized the United States on Friday for withdrawing from the World Health Organization, saying countries should not place domestic politics ahead of international law. The country’s representative, attending a meeting of the WHO’s executive board, made the comments during discussions about the…
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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…
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Challenges for a crucial sickle cell treatment and the latest outlook for GLP-1s
Challenges for a crucial sickle cell treatment and the latest outlook for GLP-1s On this week’s episode of The Readout LOUD: two starkly different financial outlooks from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, a psychedelics drug from Compass Pathways encountered a roadblock with the Trump White House, and a closer look at why manufacturing problems have slowed…
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Amid federal pressure, more hospitals stop gender-affirming care for minors
Amid federal pressure, more hospitals stop gender-affirming care for minors At least nine hospitals or health systems have stopped providing gender-affirming hormones and puberty blockers to young trans people since the start of the year, in the wake of federal rules proposed in December that would withhold Medicare and Medicaid funding from clinics that continue…
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What to know about TrumpRx, the Trump administration’s prescription drug platform
What to know about TrumpRx, the Trump administration’s prescription drug platform President Trump on Thursday night is planning to announce the launch of TrumpRx, the website that he and his aides have touted for months as a platform aimed at lowering prescription drug prices. The website, which uses technology from health care company GoodRx, is…
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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…
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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…
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New PBM law could open door to direct sales between employers, drugmakers
New PBM law could open door to direct sales between employers, drugmakers WASHINGTON — The pharmacy benefit manager reforms that President Trump signed into law on Tuesday could lead to employers buying drugs directly from drugmakers, just like the administration is encouraging individual consumers to do through its pending website TrumpRx. The PBM reforms are…
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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…
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Study ties particle pollution from wildfire smoke to 24,100 U.S. deaths per year
Study ties particle pollution from wildfire smoke to 24,100 U.S. deaths per year Chronic exposure to pollution from wildfires has been linked to tens of thousands of deaths annually in the United States, according to a new study. The paper, published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, found that from 2006 to 2020, long-term exposure to tiny…
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STAT+: The FDA questions underlying Utah’s AI prescription pilot
STAT+: The FDA questions underlying Utah’s AI prescription pilot One of my favorite science communicators, Alex Dainis, is in the middle of a short-form video series where she’s tasting every amino acid. Each video is great, but her reaction to tasting cysteine is memorable. I am obsessed; you should give a couple of the videos…
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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…
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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%…
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Plastic surgeons society recommends delaying gender-affirming procedures until age 19
Plastic surgeons society recommends delaying gender-affirming procedures until age 19 WASHINGTON — The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) recommends that gender-affirming surgeries be delayed until a patient is at least 19 years old, the group announced in a statement Tuesday. The statement, made by the group’s board of directors, represents a break from major…
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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…
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STAT+: Pfizer unveils data on Metsera drug
STAT+: Pfizer unveils data on Metsera drug Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Good morning. Did Pfizer overpay for the obesity biotech Metsera? It’s probably still too early to tell, but we have some new data this morning. The need-to-know this…
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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…
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To fix ‘spiritual malaise’ behind addiction, Kennedy announces efforts on homelessness and recovery
To fix ‘spiritual malaise’ behind addiction, Kennedy announces efforts on homelessness and recovery Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday lamented a nationwide “spiritual malaise” as he unveiled new plans to tackle the nation’s addiction and substance use epidemic, casting the initiative as a game-changing effort to align government and recovery organizations. The announcement…
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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…
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Do mornings make cancer immunotherapy more effective? Study: Maybe
Do mornings make cancer immunotherapy more effective? Study: Maybe Over the last few years, researchers have noticed that cancer patients who get immunotherapy infusions in the morning seem to do significantly better than those who get treated later. Many scientists, even some who had published such observations, were doubtful that time of day could truly…
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Opinion: STAT readers on shared decision-making, prostate cancer screening, and more
Opinion: STAT readers on shared decision-making, prostate cancer screening, and more First Opinion is STAT’s platform for interesting, illuminating, and provocative articles about the life sciences writ large, written by biotech insiders, health care workers, researchers, and others. To encourage robust, good-faith discussion about issues raised in First Opinion essays, STAT publishes selected Letters to…
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STAT+: 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+: 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…
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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…
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STAT+: AstraZeneca looks to China for obesity drug candidates
STAT+: AstraZeneca looks to China for obesity drug candidates Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Oh, hi. Today, we discuss delays in the launch of TrumpRx. Also, Sanofi is deprioritizing its mRNA flu vaccine. The need-to-know this morning Regeneron Pharmaceuticals…
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Newsom files a civil rights complaint against CMS’ Oz in latest feud with the Trump administration
Newsom files a civil rights complaint against CMS’ Oz in latest feud with the Trump administration LOS ANGELES — California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office is demanding a civil rights investigation of Dr. Mehmet Oz, saying he discriminated against Armenians in a video claiming hospice fraud in Los Angeles, the latest front in the state’s ongoing battle with the…
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The high stakes for Huntington’s patients
The high stakes for Huntington’s patients Biotech company UniQure is set to meet with the Food and Drug Administration to discuss the path forward for its gene therapy for Huntington’s disease, and the outcome could be potentially devastating for patients. That’s what patient advocate Lauren Holder says on the latest episode of “The Readout LOUD,”…
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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…
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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…
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Genes influence human lifespan far more than thought, new study suggests
Genes influence human lifespan far more than thought, new study suggests For researchers studying aging — and thinking about how to extend our lives — a key question has been how much our genes shape our lifespans. Past studies have arrived at a range of answers. Many researchers had coalesced around an estimate that roughly…
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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…
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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…
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Medicare proposes new transplant system rules that might spur use of less-than-perfect organs
Medicare proposes new transplant system rules that might spur use of less-than-perfect organs WASHINGTON — The government proposed new rules for the nation’s transplant system Wednesday that aim to increase use of less-than-perfect organs and set additional safety standards for donor groups. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said the proposal would strengthen its oversight of organ procurement…
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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,…
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HHS appoints 21 new members to federal autism advisory committee
HHS appoints 21 new members to federal autism advisory committee The Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday announced the appointment of 21 new members to a federal committee that advises health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on autism. Many of the new members of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee share a common trait:…
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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…
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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…
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South Carolina measles outbreak surpasses Texas’ 2025 total, with little sign of slowing
South Carolina measles outbreak surpasses Texas’ 2025 total, with little sign of slowing The South Carolina measles outbreak has surpassed the recorded case count in Texas’ 2025 outbreak, as health officials have logged almost 600 new cases in just over a month. The outbreak centered in northwestern Spartanburg County is showing little sign of slowing down, with…
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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…
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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?…
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Opinion: Alex Pretti was a nurse to the end
Opinion: Alex Pretti was a nurse to the end On Saturday, amid demonstrations over Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in Minneapolis, federal agents fatally shot Alex Jeffrey Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care unit nurse. Videos of Pretti’s last moments show him acting non-violently: filming officers’ actions, directing traffic, and attempting to help a woman who…
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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…
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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…
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Flu updates to start the week
Flu updates to start the week Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. Good morning. If you’re on the East Coast, I hope you’ve been keeping warm and cozy through this winter storm. Send tips and cheap flights to warm locales: [email protected] Read the…
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STAT+: Launch of Wegovy pill looks to be going strong so far
STAT+: Launch of Wegovy pill looks to be going strong so far Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Morning! Today, we see a new synthetic biology startup, backed by Frances Arnold and Bob Langer. Plus, it’s still early, but Novo…
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Alex Pretti remembered by health care workers at a Minneapolis vigil as a ‘stand-up guy’
Alex Pretti remembered by health care workers at a Minneapolis vigil as a ‘stand-up guy’ MINNEAPOLIS — On Sunday afternoon, as the sun shone clear and bright through another subzero day here, mourners gathered around a patch of snow on Nicollet Avenue to pay their respects to Alex Pretti, the man fatally shot on that…
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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…
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Public health giant William Foege, who helped eradicate smallpox, has died at 89
Public health giant William Foege, who helped eradicate smallpox, has died at 89 William (Bill) Foege, credited by many for shepherding the smallpox eradication effort to completion, died Saturday at the age of 89. A towering figure, both literally — he was 6’ 7” — and figuratively, Foege epitomized all that was positive about an era…
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Powdered whole milk could be a culprit in the ByHeart botulism outbreak, tests show
Powdered whole milk could be a culprit in the ByHeart botulism outbreak, tests show Powdered whole milk used to make ByHeart infant formula could be a source of contamination that led to an outbreak of botulism that has sickened dozens of babies, U.S. health officials indicated Friday. Testing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found the type of bacteria…
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CDC pauses billions in public health infrastructure grants to states
CDC pauses billions in public health infrastructure grants to states WASHINGTON — Federal officials have paused more than 100 grants totaling over $5 billion awarded to states to bolster their public health infrastructure. States and organizations that had gotten funding through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s public health infrastructure grant received notices on…
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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…
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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…
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Key autism committee is being reshaped to support Kennedy’s vaccine agenda, researchers and advocates fear
Key autism committee is being reshaped to support Kennedy’s vaccine agenda, researchers and advocates fear An influential federal committee that advises the health secretary on all things autism and shapes federally funded autism research and support services held an orientation Thursday for new nonfederal members, according to two sources familiar with the meeting. It was…
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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+: Insurers blame drugmakers, hospitals for high prices
STAT+: Insurers blame drugmakers, hospitals for high prices Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Morning. Today, we see insurers telling Congress that hospital and drugmakers are to blame for health care pricing issues, and read about ways in which some drug…
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Trump administration halts use of human fetal tissue in NIH-funded research
Trump administration halts use of human fetal tissue in NIH-funded research The Trump administration announced Thursday that human fetal tissue derived from abortions can no longer be used in research funded by the National Institutes of Health. The policy, long urged by anti-abortion groups, expands restrictions issued during President Donald Trump’s first term. Read the rest… Associated…
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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…
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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…
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A measles outbreak and hospitals’ financial troubles
A measles outbreak and hospitals’ financial troubles Why is the U.S. at risk of losing its measles elimination status? How are health officials reacting to the measles outbreak? And what did top Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services official Mehmet Oz tell hospital executives at a fancy yacht party in San Francisco? We discuss all…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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STAT+: Novo strikes deal for diabetes cell therapies
STAT+: Novo strikes deal for diabetes cell therapies Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Good morning. We’re breaking down some of the key parts of a sweeping new health care bill today. The need-to-know this morning Johnson & Johnson kicked…
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As U.S. prepares to exit WHO, it is stiffing the agency on a large bill
As U.S. prepares to exit WHO, it is stiffing the agency on a large bill When the United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization goes into effect Thursday, the world’s largest economy will be leaving the global health agency with a hefty unpaid bill. The U.S. has not made good on its assessed contributions…
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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…
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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,…
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STAT+: What’s in Congress’ sweeping health care deal: PBM reform, telehealth, science funding
STAT+: What’s in Congress’ sweeping health care deal: PBM reform, telehealth, science funding WASHINGTON — Congress has reached a deal on several health care policies, including a crackdown on drug-industry middlemen, transparency measures for hospital billing, pediatric cancer research measures, and Medicare coverage of multi-cancer screening tests. Those measures are part of a bill to…
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Senior CDC official: Loss of measles elimination status in U.S. would be ‘cost of doing business’
Senior CDC official: Loss of measles elimination status in U.S. would be ‘cost of doing business’ With measles transmission in the United States at levels that haven’t been seen in decades, the principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Tuesday that he would not view the loss of the country’s…
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STAT+: How accurate is HBO’s ‘The Pitt’? Mass. ER doctors and nurses describe the reality of their jobs
STAT+: How accurate is HBO’s ‘The Pitt’? Mass. ER doctors and nurses describe the reality of their jobs Emergency room staff cut the clothes off an unresponsive homeless man, and several rats leap from his body onto the floor. Doctors examine a child who won’t wake up and discover he ate one of his father’s cannabis…
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STAT+: Former AMA president says the U.S. health care system will implode without an overhaul
STAT+: Former AMA president says the U.S. health care system will implode without an overhaul When artificial intelligence medical imaging company Aidoc asked Jesse Ehrenfeld to be the company’s new chief medical officer, he said no. At 47, Ehrenfeld has already had a distinguished career: He was a commander in the U.S. Navy Medical Corps…
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Bariatric surgery beats GLP-1s for type 2 diabetes across income levels, study says
Bariatric surgery beats GLP-1s for type 2 diabetes across income levels, study says When endocrinologist Mary Elizabeth Patti looks at a patient with type 2 diabetes who could benefit from weight loss, she sees more than body mass index and blood glucose levels. She also recognizes the challenges of social vulnerability, understanding how low income,…
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Opinion: What lingers in ‘The Pitt’ is heartache. What’s missing is outrage
Opinion: What lingers in ‘The Pitt’ is heartache. What’s missing is outrage In “The Pitt,” Robby is the rockstar every emergency doctor wants to be — sharp, fast, instinctive. So it’s shocking when the man who moves like lightning through a resus room buckles to the floor, sobbing, gasping. He’s having a flashback: the ICU,…
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Tylenol use during pregnancy not linked to autism, new study says
Tylenol use during pregnancy not linked to autism, new study says Acetaminophen use during pregnancy is not likely to raise the risk of having a child with autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability, according to a new study published Friday. Researchers across Europe reexamined evidence from multiple studies investigating the link between these conditions and the…
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Opinion: My son had rotavirus before he could get the vaccine. Ending universal rotavirus vaccination is a tragedy
Opinion: My son had rotavirus before he could get the vaccine. Ending universal rotavirus vaccination is a tragedy The Department of Health and Human Services has removed the rotavirus vaccine, along with five others, from the list of universally recommended childhood immunizations. This makes the U.S. an outlier. According to the International Vaccine Access Center,…
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STAT+: Behind new dietary guidelines: Industry-funded studies, opaque science, crushing deadline pressure
STAT+: Behind new dietary guidelines: Industry-funded studies, opaque science, crushing deadline pressure WASHINGTON — In early May, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had good news for the President: updated dietary guidelines, which were due at the end of 2025, would be delivered ahead of schedule. “We are working very, very fast…
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STAT+: Limit on multiyear funding of NIH grants is a sticking point in Senate budget talks
STAT+: Limit on multiyear funding of NIH grants is a sticking point in Senate budget talks Last year, the country’s biomedical researchers watched with apprehension as the National Institutes of Health’s grant awards lagged billions of dollars behind the pace of previous years. Fears grew that the Trump administration would impound funds appropriated by Congress…
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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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Measles cases jump again in South Carolina, rising to more than 550
Measles cases jump again in South Carolina, rising to more than 550 Reported measles cases in South Carolina surged by almost 30% in the last few days, state health officials said Friday. The South Carolina health department reported 124 new cases since Tuesday, bringing the state’s total to 558 in a wave of infections centered…
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STAT+: Supreme Court agrees to review ‘skinny labeling’ and generic drug access
STAT+: Supreme Court agrees to review ‘skinny labeling’ and generic drug access The Supreme Court has agreed to review a controversy over so-called skinny labels for medicines, a decision that will be closely watched for its implications for the availability of generic medicines. Skinny labeling refers to moves by generic companies that seek regulatory approval…
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STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about FDA voucher worries, weight loss drugs and jet fuel, and more
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about FDA voucher worries, weight loss drugs and jet fuel, 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 still shaping up as we weigh…
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STAT+: FDA delays reviews for two drugs in new voucher program
STAT+: FDA delays reviews for two drugs in new voucher program Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Hello hello! Hope you survived JPM week and are now recuperating with some electrolytes and a sleep mask. (But don’t forget our virtual…
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Breaking down JPM 2026: the mood, the big interviews — and all the AI billboards
Breaking down JPM 2026: the mood, the big interviews — and all the AI billboards In last week’s STATus Report episode, we heard from STAT reporters Allison DeAngelis and Damian Garde, who shared what they would be keeping an eye out for at this year’s J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference. Top of mind was predicting this…
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STAT+: Former Emergent BioSolutions CEO sued for insider trading, company reaches $900K settlement in N.Y.
STAT+: Former Emergent BioSolutions CEO sued for insider trading, company reaches $900K settlement in N.Y. The former chief executive officer of Emergent BioSolutions was accused of insider trading by the New York attorney general in connection with a contract the company had to manufacture a Covid-19 vaccine for AstraZeneca. Robert Kramer allegedly sold more than…
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STAT+: Trump releases health care plan amid pressure over affordability
STAT+: Trump releases health care plan amid pressure over affordability WASHINGTON — President Trump on Thursday released a hodgepodge of health care policies that would create new price-control power over pharmaceutical companies, but that otherwise wouldn’t fundamentally overhaul America’s existing system, as he faces mounting pressure to address the cost of insurance and care. The…
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STAT+: On Day 4 of JPM, a chat with Regeneron’s George Yancopoulos, an IPO forecast, and all eyes on J&J
STAT+: On Day 4 of JPM, a chat with Regeneron’s George Yancopoulos, an IPO forecast, and all eyes on J&J This is the online version of The Readout, STAT’s flagship biotech newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox. We have made it! And so have you. This is Adam, Elaine, Matt, and Allison preparing to sign…
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STAT+: Negotiations over ACA subsidy bill drag on
STAT+: Negotiations over ACA subsidy bill drag on You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Inspirational scribbles from baristas have never inspired me, but HHS Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill was moved…
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STAT+: On Day 3 of JPM, pharma threads a needle with the White House, and Novo Nordisk has an eye on M&A
STAT+: On Day 3 of JPM, pharma threads a needle with the White House, and Novo Nordisk has an eye on M&A This is the online version of The Readout, STAT’s flagship biotech newsletter. Sign up to get it in your inbox. It’s Day 3 of JPM and all of us — Matt, Elaine, Adam, and Allison — are…