Tag: statnews
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STAT+: Cassidy and other Republicans have little to say about change to CDC’s position on vaccines and autism
STAT+: Cassidy and other Republicans have little to say about change to CDC’s position on vaccines and autism WASHINGTON — Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. broke another promise to Senate health committee Chair Bill Cassidy (R-La.) this week. So far, there don’t seem to have been any consequences. To secure Cassidy’s decisive confirmation vote,…
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How Mark Cuban plans to ‘f— up’ health care
How Mark Cuban plans to ‘f— up’ health care How much time does Mark Cuban spend thinking about health care? Why does he think TrumpRx, a direct drug purchasing platform that the Trump administration aims to launch, is “the most incredible program ever”? And what are his thoughts on sports betting? We discuss all that…
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STAT+: South Africa is urged by advocates to issue a compulsory license for Gilead’s HIV prevention drug
STAT+: South Africa is urged by advocates to issue a compulsory license for Gilead’s HIV prevention drug Patient advocacy groups have urged the South African government to issue a compulsory license for a groundbreaking HIV prevention treatment after the Trump administration refused to include South Africa in a new program to distribute the drug to…
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STAT+: FDA approves Paradromics’ brain-computer interface trial for speech restoration
STAT+: FDA approves Paradromics’ brain-computer interface trial for speech restoration Paradromics announced Thursday that the Food and Drug Administration approved a clinical study to evaluate whether the company’s brain-computer interface for speech restoration is safe and capable of providing the ability to communicate via text or synthesized speech to someone with paralysis. The Austin-based company…
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STAT+: Trump administration lists 16 new CDC initiatives, from hepatitis B testing to bolstering workforce
STAT+: Trump administration lists 16 new CDC initiatives, from hepatitis B testing to bolstering workforce WASHINGTON — Trump administration officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention laid out 16 strategic initiatives this week, many of them bolstering health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s priorities, according to an internal agency memo obtained by STAT.…
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HHS names authors and releases peer-review comments for gender dysphoria report
HHS names authors and releases peer-review comments for gender dysphoria report The Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday re-released its controversial report on gender dysphoria in children, and this time it named the previously anonymous authors and published a handful of peer-review comments after the initial study had been faulted for a lack…
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STAT+: An extension of extra ACA health insurance subsidies looks increasingly unlikely
STAT+: An extension of extra ACA health insurance subsidies looks increasingly unlikely WASHINGTON — Prospects are not looking good for an extension of the extra tax credits that have helped more Americans buy insurance plans in the Affordable Care Act’s marketplaces. Republicans don’t agree among themselves on a proposal, and Democrats don’t like any of…
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STAT+: Pfizer and Tris agree to $41.5 million settlement with Texas over ADHD drug for children
STAT+: Pfizer and Tris agree to $41.5 million settlement with Texas over ADHD drug for children Pfizer and Tris Pharma have agreed to pay $41.5 million to settle allegations by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton that they provided an ADHD medicine to children on Medicaid while knowing about “flawed” manufacturing practices. The companies were accused…
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STAT+: FDA approval for AI isn’t working. What about medical licenses instead?
STAT+: FDA approval for AI isn’t working. What about medical licenses instead? 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. Do you wish your group chat could discuss both the latest Olivia Nuzzi…
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STAT+: Wellness startup Function Health raises $300 million as consumer lab testing picks up steam
STAT+: Wellness startup Function Health raises $300 million as consumer lab testing picks up steam Function Health, which offers its members nutrition, supplement, and other lifestyle guidance based on lab tests and body scans, announced on Wednesday $298 million in new funding with plans to add artificial intelligence features to help with the interpretation of…
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STAT+: Novo Nordisk’s $199 Ozempic deal shows what telehealth platforms can do for pharma
STAT+: Novo Nordisk’s $199 Ozempic deal shows what telehealth platforms can do for pharma On Monday, Novo Nordisk announced a discount on its popular drugs for diabetes and obesity, Ozempic and Wegovy, cutting prices for the lowest doses to $199 when patients pay cash through Novo’s pharmacy NovoCare. Patients searching for those deals online, though,…
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Judge approves opioid settlement for Purdue Pharma and Sackler family members who own the company
Judge approves opioid settlement for Purdue Pharma and Sackler family members who own the company A federal bankruptcy court judge on Tuesday formally approved OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma’s plan to settle thousands of lawsuits over the harms of opioids. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Sean Lane gave reasoning Tuesday for approving the plan, which requires members of the Sackler…
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STAT+: A revelatory profile of RFK Jr.
STAT+: A revelatory profile of RFK Jr. 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 haven’t read Olivia Nuzzi’s new book, but I dare say my favorite line about her relationship…
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STAT+: FDA’s stronger warning on Sarepta gene therapy raises new questions about heart risk
STAT+: FDA’s stronger warning on Sarepta gene therapy raises new questions about heart risk New warnings and restrictions placed on Sarepta Therapeutics’ gene therapy last week by the Food and Drug Administration have cast a spotlight on an important but overlooked heart-safety risk. “Acute, serious, and life-threatening” cases of heart inflammation called myocarditis and elevations…
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STAT+: FDA clears spinal cord stimulator for home use
STAT+: FDA clears spinal cord stimulator for home use The Food and Drug Administration has green-lit home use of a device that helps people with spinal cord injuries regain mobility and functioning. Onward Medical announced Monday that the company had received clearance to expand the use of its spinal cord stimulator outside of clinics. “People…
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STAT+: Many poor countries where experimental drugs are tested fail to benefit after approval, analysis finds
STAT+: Many poor countries where experimental drugs are tested fail to benefit after approval, analysis finds Numerous medicines are not accessible in many of the countries where they were tested before approval by the Food and Drug Administration, raising concerns about whether pharmaceutical companies are adhering to ethical standards, a new study finds. The researchers reviewed 172…
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STAT+: Cassidy pitches his alternative to extending extra ACA subsidies
STAT+: Cassidy pitches his alternative to extending extra ACA subsidies WASHINGTON — Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) is pitching Democrats on his compromise to make Affordable Care Act marketplace plans affordable without extending the extra tax credits that currently lower premium payments. Cassidy, the chair of the Senate health committee, is among the team of Republican…
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STAT+: Johnson & Johnson acquires Halda Therapeutics for $3 billion, a big win for a buzzy new technology
STAT+: Johnson & Johnson acquires Halda Therapeutics for $3 billion, a big win for a buzzy new technology Johnson & Johnson said Monday it will purchase Halda Therapeutics and its experimental prostate cancer drugs for $3.05 billion, marking the first major buyout for a startup built around a field that has attracted significant investment but not…
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NIH funding cuts have affected over 74,000 people enrolled in experiments, a new report says
NIH funding cuts have affected over 74,000 people enrolled in experiments, a new report says NEW YORK — Over 74,000 people enrolled in experiments have been affected by the National Institutes of Health’s funding cuts, according to a new report. Between the end of February and mid-August, funding ceased for 383 studies that were testing treatments for conditions…
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Opinion: A close friend grapples with James Watson’s complicated legacy
Opinion: A close friend grapples with James Watson’s complicated legacy Below is a lightly edited, AI-generated transcript of the “First Opinion Podcast” interview with Nancy Hopkins. Be sure to sign up for the weekly “First Opinion Podcast” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Get alerts about each new episode by signing up for…
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Opinion: I spent two hours telling a chatbot about mental health problems. Its responses scared me
Opinion: I spent two hours telling a chatbot about mental health problems. Its responses scared me A version of this essay first appeared on the website of the U.S. PIRG Education Fund. With the rise of ChatGPT and social media companies like Snapchat and Instagram integrating AI chatbots into their platforms, conversing with an AI…
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STAT+: Medicare premiums to jump 10% heading into 2026
STAT+: Medicare premiums to jump 10% heading into 2026 Most Medicare enrollees will face premiums that are 10% higher next year, creating budget anxiety for millions of seniors. Older adults and people with disabilities will pay almost $203 per month in 2026 for their Medicare Part B premium, the Trump administration said late Friday. That’s…
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STAT+: Pfizer closes $10 billion Metsera deal
STAT+: Pfizer closes $10 billion Metsera deal Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Morning! If you’re still wondering “What the heck happened with Moderna?” the latest episode of the video series STATus Report spells it out quite nicely. Also, a KFF…
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Advocates decry intersex exceptions in trans health bans
Advocates decry intersex exceptions in trans health bans The scars have been there as long as Emory Hufbauer can remember. When Hufbauer was a baby, doctors performed an operation that Hufbauer describes generally as one that took away their fertility and their ability to produce their own hormones; they also describe it emphatically as intersex…
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Opinion: Celebrating a new, faster path to gene-editing medicines on demand
Opinion: Celebrating a new, faster path to gene-editing medicines on demand In May, news broke of a biomedical first: the on-demand design and clinical use of a personalized gene editor for a baby boy born with a rare, severe genetic condition. At the STAT Summit in October, the child’s treating physician from the Children’s Hospital…
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Judge says he’ll approve opioid settlement with OxyContin maker Purdue and Sackler family
Judge says he’ll approve opioid settlement with OxyContin maker Purdue and Sackler family NEW YORK — A federal bankruptcy court judge on Friday said he will approve OxyContin-maker Purdue Pharma’s latest deal to settle thousands of lawsuits over the toll of opioids that includes some money for thousands of victims of the epidemic. The deal…
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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+: Makary, Prasad outline pathway for bespoke gene therapy
STAT+: Makary, Prasad outline pathway for bespoke 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. Today, we learn AbbVie has ended its partnership with Calico, the FDA outlines how bespoke gene-editing treatments can make it through the regulatory pipeline,…
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STAT+: GOP ACA proposal complicates negotiations
STAT+: GOP ACA proposal complicates negotiations 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. Packing “longevity” items for a flight to a MAHA event in Washington was such a pain that it…
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STAT+: Kura Oncology secures approval for leukemia drug, its first
STAT+: Kura Oncology secures approval for leukemia drug, its first The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved a drug made by Kura Oncology to treat patients with a certain type of genetically altered leukemia. The medicine will be sold under the brand name Komzifti. The FDA cleared the drug to treat patients with relapsed…
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Merck’s heart disease win and the FDA’s new drug regulator
Merck’s heart disease win and the FDA’s new drug regulator What does Rick Pazdur’s new role mean for the Food and Drug Administration? Has Merck solved the PCSK9 access issue? And how much credit can the president take for lowering GLP-1 drug prices? Dean Li, the head of R&D at Merck, joins us to discuss…
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Creatine-filled swag bags and an embrace from Vance: MAHA marks its ascendance in Trump’s Washington
Creatine-filled swag bags and an embrace from Vance: MAHA marks its ascendance in Trump’s Washington WASHINGTON — Vice President JD Vance lauded the Make America Healthy Again movement as an “incredible part” of the Trump administration’s success at a mostly closed-door event at the glitzy Waldorf Astoria on Wednesday. Dubbed the “Official MAHA Summit,” top…
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STAT+: Why is Eli Lilly worth nearly $1 trillion?
STAT+: Why is Eli Lilly worth nearly $1 trillion? Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Good morning. We’ve got big FDA news to get into today — let’s get straight into it. FDA names Richard Pazdur as top drug regulator The…
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STAT+: AbbVie cuts ties with Google-backed longevity company, lays off scientists
STAT+: AbbVie cuts ties with Google-backed longevity company, lays off scientists AbbVie is ending a decade-long partnership with Calico Life Sciences, an Alphabet-funded biotech company focused on aging research, and laying off chemists working on discovering new drugs. The moves, detailed in internal emails sent Tuesday and viewed by STAT, come as the pharmaceutical giant…
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STAT+: The real story behind AI water usage
STAT+: The real story behind AI water usage 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. As you’ll see, AI Prognosis looks a little different today because I’ve been busy attending and traveling…
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STAT+: FDA chiefs offer roadmap to expand custom gene-editing treatments like Baby KJ’s
STAT+: FDA chiefs offer roadmap to expand custom gene-editing treatments like Baby KJ’s Top Food and Drug Administration officials on Wednesday detailed a roadmap for approving the world’s first personalized gene-editing treatments. The perspective, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, comes six months after researchers announced they had crafted a custom gene-editing treatment…
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STAT+: Richard Pazdur, longtime cancer regulator, named drug center director at FDA
STAT+: Richard Pazdur, longtime cancer regulator, named drug center director at FDA WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday named Richard Pazdur, its longtime overseer of cancer therapies, as its top drug regulator. Pazdur replaces former Center for Drug Evaluation and Research Director George Tidmarsh, who exited the agency earlier this month amid…
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Covid-era rules for addiction medication, Ritalin are extended again
Covid-era rules for addiction medication, Ritalin are extended again The Trump administration appears poised to extend a temporary, Covid-era rule allowing health providers to prescribe certain controlled substances, like ADHD medications and treatments for opioid addiction, via telemedicine. Under the current rules, providers can initiate prescriptions for drugs like Ritalin or Adderall for ADHD, or…
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STAT+: At ‘hush-hush’ MAHA summit, RFK Jr. and deputies to mix with biotech leaders
STAT+: At ‘hush-hush’ MAHA summit, RFK Jr. and deputies to mix with biotech leaders WASHINGTON — Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and many top deputies are scheduled to speak alongside industry executives and health activists at a daylong MAHA event on Wednesday that has not been publicly disclosed by administration officials or event organizers.…
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STAT+: Chinese government’s support for biotech fuels huge rally
STAT+: Chinese government’s support for biotech fuels huge rally 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 just had our first snow of the season in Chicago, I just ordered a pie for Thanksgiving, and I’m still in denial that…
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Opinion: I’m a physician who went to the anti-vaccine movement’s biggest gathering. More of my colleagues should too
Opinion: I’m a physician who went to the anti-vaccine movement’s biggest gathering. More of my colleagues should too As I stepped into line to pick up my badge for the Children’s Health Defense (CHD) conference last weekend in Austin, Texas, a gregarious man approached holding two tall plastic tubes he said contained “clots” from Covid…
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FDA reverses decades-old warning on hormone therapy products for menopause
FDA reverses decades-old warning on hormone therapy products for menopause WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration is reversing a 2003 decision that put a stringent warning on hormone therapy products for menopausal women, saying that the treatments offer heart, brain, and bone health benefits. Commissioner Marty Makary wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed…
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STAT+: Fate of ACA subsidies still clouded after deal to reopen the government
STAT+: Fate of ACA subsidies still clouded after deal to reopen the government WASHINGTON — Democrats failed to achieve their main objective of extending enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits in return for reopening the government. The result is that ACA subsidies will remain front and center into December and possibly next year. With a key…
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STAT+: The $10 billion question: Will Pfizer hit it big with Metsera, or have regrets?
STAT+: The $10 billion question: Will Pfizer hit it big with Metsera, or have regrets? At a price of up to $10 billion, Pfizer has claimed victory in its bidding war against Novo Nordisk to acquire Metsera and its investigational obesity treatments. But in doing so, the company has also taken on significant risks. Will…
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Canada loses measles elimination status — as does the entire Americas region
Canada loses measles elimination status — as does the entire Americas region Canada has formally lost its measles elimination status, the country’s public health agency announced Monday, meaning all of the Americas have lost that status as well. The decision, which was widely expected, comes after a meeting last week where an expert committee of the…
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STAT+: Does coffee mix with AFib, and other new data from heart meeting
STAT+: Does coffee mix with AFib, and other new data from heart meeting This is the online version of AHA in 30 Seconds, the latest from the American Heart Association’s scientific sessions. Hello from New Orleans. Coming from Boston, running on the River Walk this morning felt balmy, not as shockingly hot and humid…
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New AHA leader sees AI as way to address cardiology’s blind spot: women
New AHA leader sees AI as way to address cardiology’s blind spot: women NEW ORLEANS — Stacey Rosen is a cardiologist who has been coming to American Heart Association meetings for 30 years. Executive director of Northwell’s Katz Institute for Women’s Health, she is also senior vice president of Women’s Health at Northwell, a professor…
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STAT+: Trump renews a Republican battle cry: Repeal Obamacare
STAT+: Trump renews a Republican battle cry: Repeal Obamacare Over the weekend, in the face of the longest federal government shutdown in history, a familiar refrain has arisen from President Trump and other Republicans: Repeal Obamacare. Republicans have long said Democrats’ Affordable Care Act is to blame for skyrocketing health care costs and what they…
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STAT+: Cassidy drops into Liver Meeting to talk of shutdown, insurance overhaul and vaccines
STAT+: Cassidy drops into Liver Meeting to talk of shutdown, insurance overhaul and vaccines WASHINGTON — On day 39 of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) said he is still working toward finding bipartisan compromise on health care costs. In a surprise appearance Saturday at the annual American Association for…
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STAT+: Francis Collins issues call to action at Liver Meeting
STAT+: Francis Collins issues call to action at Liver Meeting Francis Collins, the former NIH director, tells liver researcher that the partisanship that has pervaded science “is really a dangerous sign for the future of our society.” Isabella Cueto and Katherine MacPhail Go to statnews
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STAT+: Merck’s pill to reduce cholesterol on top of statins matches results from injectables
STAT+: Merck’s pill to reduce cholesterol on top of statins matches results from injectables NEW ORLEANS — A pill designed to further lower cholesterol in people already on statins but at risk of a serious cardiovascular event — their first or a recurrence — reduced LDL cholesterol by up to 60%, a new late-stage trial…
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STAT+: Amgen’s cholesterol shot prevented first heart attacks and strokes, more detailed data affirm
STAT+: Amgen’s cholesterol shot prevented first heart attacks and strokes, more detailed data affirm NEW ORLEANS — A cholesterol-lowering injection that’s been on the market for nearly a decade has now shown its power to cut cardiovascular events in people considered at high risk but who haven’t yet suffered a heart attack or stroke. A…
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STAT+: How Children’s Health Defense plans to cement its agenda beyond RFK Jr.
STAT+: How Children’s Health Defense plans to cement its agenda beyond RFK Jr. WASHINGTON — Children’s Health Defense, the vaccine-skeptical organization once led by now-health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is playing the long game. The group has more power in Washington than the group’s CEO, Mary Holland, imagined possible in her lifetime. In an…
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STAT+: CRISPR-based treatment cuts cholesterol and triglycerides in early study
STAT+: CRISPR-based treatment cuts cholesterol and triglycerides in early study A CRISPR-based gene editing therapy dramatically reduced levels of low-density lipoprotein, often called “bad cholesterol,” and triglycerides in patients with heart disease, a new study found. Some researchers said that the treatment, developed by the biotech CRISPR Therapeutics and so far tested in just 15…
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Opinion: These bioethicists want to start a conversation on ‘faking’ CPR
Opinion: These bioethicists want to start a conversation on ‘faking’ CPR Below is a lightly edited, AI-generated transcript of the “First Opinion Podcast” interview with Jason Wasserman and Parker Crutchfield. Be sure to sign up for the weekly “First Opinion Podcast” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Get alerts about each new episode…
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STAT+: States might not get cheaper drugs in Trump’s most-favored nation Medicaid pilot program
STAT+: States might not get cheaper drugs in Trump’s most-favored nation Medicaid pilot program WASHINGTON — When President Trump announced the administration’s deal to cut prices for weight-loss drugs, he proclaimed that “you will pay the lowest price anywhere in the world.” But state Medicaid programs might already be getting lower prices, according to a research…
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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+: UnitedHealthcare drops remote monitoring coverage in defiance of Medicare policies
STAT+: UnitedHealthcare drops remote monitoring coverage in defiance of Medicare policies Beginning in January, UnitedHealthcare will no longer pay physicians to remotely monitor the data that patients collect at home about chronic conditions like hypertension. The updated medical policies for both Medicare and commercial health plans from the country’s largest insurer were posted in September…
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STAT+: FDA broadens search for new top drug regulator after early setbacks
STAT+: FDA broadens search for new top drug regulator after early setbacks WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration is struggling to select a new head of its drug center after the sudden and chaotic exit of the previous director, George Tidmarsh. Richard Pazdur, the director of the FDA’s Oncology Center for Excellence, was approached about…
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James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers
James Watson, dead at 97, was a scientific legend and a pariah among his peers When biologist James Watson died on Thursday at age 97, it brought down the curtain on 20th-century biology the way the deaths of John Adams and Thomas Jefferson on the same day in 1826 (July 4, since the universe apparently…
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STAT+: Seven burning questions about Trump’s big deal for cheaper weight loss drugs
STAT+: Seven burning questions about Trump’s big deal for cheaper weight loss drugs WASHINGTON — The Trump administration’s deal to expand access to and lower the cost of weight loss drugs has left industry leaders, public health experts, and patients with a host of open questions. The administration’s agreements with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk…
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STAT+: Kennedy, a longtime pharma critic, embraces Trump deal to expand access to obesity drugs
STAT+: Kennedy, a longtime pharma critic, embraces Trump deal to expand access to obesity drugs WASHINGTON — Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was uncharacteristically chummy with pharma executives at the White House on Thursday as he cheered the Trump administration’s plan for lowering obesity medication prices. Kennedy has railed against drugmakers in the past, and…
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Melodrama at the FDA and the Pfizer-Novo bidding war
Melodrama at the FDA and the Pfizer-Novo bidding war On this week’s episode of “The Readout LOUD”: “Mean Girls” melodrama at the top of the FDA and the latest on the Pfizer-Novo Nordisk bidding war for Metsera. On a jam-packed show, your co-hosts, minus the vacationing Allison DeAngelis, chat with STAT’s D.C. correspondent Lizzy Lawrence…
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Federal judge orders Trump administration to fully fund SNAP benefits in November
Federal judge orders Trump administration to fully fund SNAP benefits in November A federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration Thursday to find the money to fully fund SNAP benefits for November. The ruling by U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr. gave President Donald Trump’s administration until Friday to make the payments…
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STAT+: FDA announces next round of priority review vouchers
STAT+: FDA announces next round of priority review vouchers WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday announced the second batch of companies being granted a “Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher,” a ticket to speedier reviews of drug candidates aligned with U.S. priorities. The announcement came as the Trump administration unveiled agreements with Eli Lilly and…
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Appeals court judges seem skeptical of Trump administration’s defense of capping NIH overhead payments
Appeals court judges seem skeptical of Trump administration’s defense of capping NIH overhead payments Federal appeals court judges’ questions and comments during a hearing Wednesday suggested they may be skeptical of some of the Trump administration’s central arguments in a lawsuit challenging its proposed changes to research overhead payments. The case revolves around a multibillion…
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STAT+: FTC raises concern about Novo Nordisk attempt to acquire obesity startup Metsera
STAT+: FTC raises concern about Novo Nordisk attempt to acquire obesity startup Metsera The Federal Trade Commission has raised concerns about Novo Nordisk’s attempt to outbid Pfizer to acquire obesity startup Metsera, the latest complication in a dramatic bidding war between two pharma giants. Companies normally have to seek FTC review for acquisitions under a…
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The long-term risks of spinal injuries
The long-term risks of spinal injuries Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. Did you know: Yesterday was STAT’s official 10-year anniversary! The site was launched on Nov. 4, 2015. Stories from that first day include: A man who was infected with tapeworm cancer;…
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STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about a Trump deal with Lilly and Novo, fewer U.S. generic drug plants, and more
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about a Trump deal with Lilly and Novo, fewer U.S. generic drug plants, and more Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the middle of the week. Congratulations on making it this far, and remember there are only a few more days until the weekend arrives. So keep plugging away. After all,…
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STAT+: Pfizer’s view on the Metsera bidding war
STAT+: Pfizer’s view on the Metsera bidding war 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 hosting a virtual event tomorrow about the rise and unraveling of Moderna. My colleagues Jason Mast and Damian Garde will be there to talk about…
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STAT+: Scandal and controversy take toll on FDA credibility
STAT+: Scandal and controversy take toll on FDA credibility Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Good morning. We’ve got another busy week of earnings — Pfizer reported this morning and Novo Nordisk will be reporting tomorrow. We’ll be watching for any…
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STAT+: Trump administration nears deals for cheaper weight loss drugs with Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly
STAT+: Trump administration nears deals for cheaper weight loss drugs with Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is nearing deals with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to lower the prices of their weight loss drugs and expand access to them, people familiar with the talks told STAT. The companies have been close to…
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STAT+: Children’s hospital lobby shifts strategy amid MAHA’s rise in Washington
STAT+: Children’s hospital lobby shifts strategy amid MAHA’s rise in Washington WASHINGTON — As long-revered health institutions come under new scrutiny in President Trump’s Washington, one powerful group is shifting its strategy. The Children’s Hospital Association, which represents more than 200 hospitals and spends millions on lobbying each year, announced Tuesday a new messaging approach…
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STAT+: Arena BioWorks, an ambitious biomedical institute backed by billionaires, abruptly shuts down
STAT+: Arena BioWorks, an ambitious biomedical institute backed by billionaires, abruptly shuts down Arena BioWorks, the buzzy research institute that launched nearly two years ago with $500 million to support a decade of scientific R&D, is abruptly shutting down, the institute confirmed to STAT. Approximately 50 staff members, including co-founder Stuart Schreiber and CEO Harvey…
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STAT+: UnitedHealth pays its own physician groups 17% more than outside ones, study shows
STAT+: UnitedHealth pays its own physician groups 17% more than outside ones, study shows UnitedHealth Group pays its own physician practices much more than it pays competing practices, a new study finds, reinforcing STAT’s own analysis on the subject and presenting fresh evidence that the conglomerate may be skirting a rule designed to curb health…
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STAT+: Lawsuit against top FDA drug regulator is packed with incendiary texts, emails
STAT+: Lawsuit against top FDA drug regulator is packed with incendiary texts, emails On the day the top drug regulator at the Food and Drug Administration resigned amid an investigation into his conduct, he also faced an explosive lawsuit that includes a series of incendiary texts and emails he is said to have sent to…
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STAT+: Novo Nordisk spent millions on weight loss searches that took people to its Ozempic website, analysis found
STAT+: Novo Nordisk spent millions on weight loss searches that took people to its Ozempic website, analysis found Over a recent two-year period, Novo Nordisk spent an estimated $7.5 million on more than 15,000 paid keywords related to weight loss searches and generated more than 2.4 million visits to Ozempic.com, even though the medicine is…
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Trump administration says SNAP will be partially funded in November
Trump administration says SNAP will be partially funded in November PROVIDENCE, R.I. — President Donald Trump’s administration said Monday that it will partially fund SNAP after two judges issued rulings requiring it to keep the nation’s largest food aid program running. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, had planned to freeze…
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Opinion: A sports device to ‘protect the brain’ illustrates a major problem with the FDA de novo pathway
Opinion: A sports device to ‘protect the brain’ illustrates a major problem with the FDA de novo pathway The Q-Collar — a neck collar inspired by the woodpecker — has been worn by NFL players and thousands of young athletes. When it debuted in 2012, it originally promised to reduce concussion risk by lightly squeezing the…
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Trump says he will help ‘Dilbert’ creator get cancer drug
Trump says he will help ‘Dilbert’ creator get cancer drug WASHINGTON — President Trump said Sunday that he planned to help the creator of the satirical comic strip “Dilbert” get access to a prostate cancer drug. Scott Adams, known for his office humor comic Dilbert as well as his controversial opinions live-streamed on YouTube, wrote…
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STAT+: FDA’s top drug regulator placed on leave amid investigation
STAT+: FDA’s top drug regulator placed on leave amid investigation WASHINGTON — George Tidmarsh, the Food and Drug Administration’s top regulator of drugs, has been placed on administrative leave after being accused of using his regulatory authority to inflict financial harm on a former business associate, STAT has learned. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary relieved Tidmarsh of…
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STAT+: Medicare finalizes rule to lower payments for surgeries
STAT+: Medicare finalizes rule to lower payments for surgeries Medicare on Friday followed through with its earlier proposal to reduce payment for surgeries, outpatient procedures, and other services it believes can be done more efficiently starting in 2026. The controversial move represents a significant change to how thousands of physician services are priced under Medicare.…
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Opinion: A global health expert on Covid’s lessons — and warnings — for the future
Opinion: A global health expert on Covid’s lessons — and warnings — for the future Below is a lightly edited, AI-generated transcript of the “First Opinion Podcast” interview with vaccine and global health expert Seth Berkley. Be sure to sign up for the weekly “First Opinion Podcast” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.…
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Delays and uncertainty around SNAP; health care subsidies expire
Delays and uncertainty around SNAP; health care subsidies expire WASHINGTON — The crises at the heart of the government shutdown fight in Washington were coming to a head Saturday as the federal food assistance program faced delays and millions of Americans were set to see a dramatic rise in their health insurance bills. The impacts on basic needs — food…
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STAT+: States reject Dr. Oz’s claims of Medicaid spending on undocumented immigrants
STAT+: States reject Dr. Oz’s claims of Medicaid spending on undocumented immigrants WASHINGTON — Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz said Friday that “more than $1 billion of federal taxpayer dollars were being spent on funding Medicaid for illegal immigrants” by five states and the District of Columbia in recent months. But…
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Amid attacks on such work, NIH-led research links structural racism to increased heart disease
Amid attacks on such work, NIH-led research links structural racism to increased heart disease The long-drawn-out process of science can mean that work is published in a very different world than when it was conceived. That helps explain how research on the health impact of structural racism that was led by the National Institutes of…
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Judges order the Trump administration to use contingency funds for SNAP payments during the shutdown
Judges order the Trump administration to use contingency funds for SNAP payments during the shutdown BOSTON — Two federal judges ruled nearly simultaneously on Friday that President Donald Trump’s administration must continue to pay for SNAP, the nation’s biggest food aid program, using emergency reserve funds during the government shutdown. The judges in Massachusetts and…
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STAT+: Pfizer sues Novo Nordisk, Metsera for breach of merger agreement
STAT+: Pfizer sues Novo Nordisk, Metsera for breach of merger agreement Pfizer said Friday it’s suing Novo Nordisk and obesity biotech Metsera, a day after Novo set off a bidding war against Pfizer to acquire Metsera. A month ago, Pfizer said that it would acquire Metsera for $4.9 billion. But Novo on Thursday launched a…
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STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about feuds at FDA’s CBER, an antibiotic warning in Europe, and more
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about feuds at FDA’s CBER, an antibiotic warning in Europe, 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 coming into focus, but 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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BridgeBio’s great week and Moderna’s unraveling
BridgeBio’s great week and Moderna’s unraveling Has BridgeBio’s business model worked? How are executives at Moderna dealing with the company’s slump? And who will the hosts dress up as for Halloween? We discuss all that on this week’s episode of the “The Readout LOUD,” STAT’s biotech podcast. We bring on BridgeBio CEO Neil Kumar to…
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STAT+: Alnylam raises guidance as sales of heart drug match expectations
STAT+: Alnylam raises guidance as sales of heart drug match expectations 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 have a deep probe into Moderna’s travails from STAT’s tireless Jason Mast. Also, a pharma bidding war, thoughts on psychedelic regulation,…
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STAT+: Cigna stock nosedives on news that ending PBM rebates will lower that segment’s profit
STAT+: Cigna stock nosedives on news that ending PBM rebates will lower that segment’s profit The stock market pummeled Cigna on Thursday after the company’s leaders revealed that their new plan to ditch pharmacy benefit rebates will lower that segment’s profit in the coming years. By midmorning, the company’s stock had plunged more than 15%. …
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STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about a bidding war for Metsera, HHS plans for speeding biosimilars, and more
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about a bidding war for Metsera, HHS plans for speeding biosimilars, and more Hello, everyone, and how are you today? We are just fine, thank you, despite the steady rain drenching the sleepy Pharmalot campus. Our spirits remain sunny thanks, in part, to sage advice from the Morning Mayor: “Every new…