Tag: statnews
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Robotic device could make intubation faster and easier for first responders, small study suggests
Robotic device could make intubation faster and easier for first responders, small study suggests It’s a long-standing challenge for first responders: Opening the airways of critically injured patients struggling to breathe often takes multiple attempts, costing crucial seconds. The problem caught David Haggerty’s attention when he was a graduate student, and he set out to…
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STAT+: House appropriators snub Kennedy, include mRNA vaccine funding in spending bill
STAT+: House appropriators snub Kennedy, include mRNA vaccine funding in spending bill WASHINGTON — House appropriators have snubbed Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. by including an amendment in their 2026 spending bill that specifically funds continued messenger RNA vaccine research, despite his effort to roll it back. In August, Kennedy announced…
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STAT+: An API supplier in India wants you to know its metal detector is working just fine
STAT+: An API supplier in India wants you to know its metal detector is working just fine For those wondering about any metallic particles found in active pharmaceutical ingredients made by a supplier called Hikal, you can rest easy — the company says its metal detector is working again. Since 2020, nearly two dozen complaints…
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STAT+: Dozens of lawmakers urge HHS to abandon a pilot initiative for the controversial 340B program
STAT+: Dozens of lawmakers urge HHS to abandon a pilot initiative for the controversial 340B program More than 160 lawmakers have urged the Trump administration to abandon a newly announced pilot program that would allow pharmaceutical companies to offer rebates for a small number of therapies to hospitals that participate in a federal drug discount…
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Opinion: RFK Jr. ally’s ‘smoking gun’ study on vaccines and chronic illness is fundamentally flawed
Opinion: RFK Jr. ally’s ‘smoking gun’ study on vaccines and chronic illness is fundamentally flawed On Tuesday, Aaron Siri, personal lawyer and close adviser to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., presented his “smoking gun” at a Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations hearing on vaccine science. Siri, who has represented Kennedy in multiple lawsuits against federal health…
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STAT+: Kennedy looks to add new members to federal vaccine panel
STAT+: Kennedy looks to add new members to federal vaccine panel WASHINGTON — Federal health officials are planning to add more members to a key panel of vaccine advisers handpicked by health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ahead of a meeting next week, a former government official with knowledge of the situation confirmed to STAT. The…
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STAT+: CMS delays rule requiring Medicare Advantage insurers to remind members of unused benefits
STAT+: CMS delays rule requiring Medicare Advantage insurers to remind members of unused benefits Medicare is delaying implementation of a Biden-era rule that would have made Medicare Advantage plans notify members about their unused supplemental benefits — services such as vision and dental. Even though taxpayers hand health insurers more than $80 billion each year…
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STAT+: Pig kidneys to enter FDA-backed human trial next year
STAT+: Pig kidneys to enter FDA-backed human trial next year Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Hello there. Today, we learn the FDA is advancing a trial for gene-edited pig organs in humans, see geographical discrepancies in lung cancer trial…
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STAT+: Former top FDA digital leader lands at Mayo Clinic
STAT+: Former top FDA digital leader lands at Mayo Clinic Sonja Fulmer, who recently left her role as a top digital health official at the Food and Drug Administration, last week started a new position focused on health tech policy at the Mayo Clinic. She is the second top health regulator to land at the…
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STAT+: Epic must face claims it used monopoly power to harm a rival business, judge rules
STAT+: Epic must face claims it used monopoly power to harm a rival business, judge rules In a rare legal setback, Epic Systems will face claims that it illegally used monopoly power as the nation’s dominant electronic health record vendor to unfairly butt out a rival from a growing business serving health insurers. Judge Naomi…
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STAT+: Vaccine policy threatens to put Kennedy at odds with Trump
STAT+: Vaccine policy threatens to put Kennedy at odds with Trump WASHINGTON — Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s aggressive moves to change U.S. vaccine policy — adopted by leaders at other federal health agencies — may be putting him at odds with President Trump himself. Now Kennedy’s allies are rallying to support him, believing…
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STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about FDA and imported GLP-1 drugs, a race to develop sleep meds, and more
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about FDA and imported GLP-1 drugs, a race to develop sleep meds, and more Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope the weekend respite was relaxing and invigorating, because that oh-so familiar routine of deadlines, online meetings, and phone calls has predictably returned. But what can you…
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STAT+: Summit Therapeutics hits possible snag on lung cancer drug seen as a blockbuster
STAT+: Summit Therapeutics hits possible snag on lung cancer drug seen as a blockbuster Summit Therapeutics may have a geography problem with its lung cancer drug ivonescimab. In a study update reported Sunday, patients from North America and Europe treated with the drug saw their lung cancer return and progress faster than patients from China…
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RFK Jr. ally sets off furor in U.K. with anti-Covid vaccine remarks
RFK Jr. ally sets off furor in U.K. with anti-Covid vaccine remarks LONDON — A British cardiologist who has touted his connections to top Trump administration health officials has set off a furor in U.K. health circles after giving a speech at a political conference in which he made a number of false claims about…
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Opinion: I inserted myself into a conversation at a bar about Covid and vaccines. Here’s what happened
Opinion: I inserted myself into a conversation at a bar about Covid and vaccines. Here’s what happened This essay was adapted from Jess Steier’s newsletter, “Unbiased Science.” For the last few weeks of summer, my mom visited from Florida. It was amazing, as it always is, to have her here spending time with the family…
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Opinion: STAT readers weigh in on fake CPR, a Nobel Peace Prize for Trump and Operation Warp Speed, and more
Opinion: STAT readers weigh in on fake CPR, a Nobel Peace Prize for Trump and Operation Warp Speed, 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…
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STAT+: RFK Jr.’s sister, nephew call for him to resign from HHS
STAT+: RFK Jr.’s sister, nephew call for him to resign from HHS Kerry Kennedy, sister of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has joined her nephew, former Massachusetts Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy III, calling on her brother to resign as President Trump’s secretary of Health and Human Services. “Medical decisions belong in the hands of trained and…
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STAT+: Bipartisan bill to extend ACA tax credits offers hope for a deal
STAT+: Bipartisan bill to extend ACA tax credits offers hope for a deal WASHINGTON — Republicans in the House and Senate are showing interest in extending the extra subsidies that help make Affordable Care Act health insurance plans cheaper, and that are set to expire at the end of this year. This week, Reps. Jen…
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STAT+: FDA will convene Digital Health Advisory Committee in November
STAT+: FDA will convene Digital Health Advisory Committee in November The Food and Drug Administration will convene a meeting of external digital health advisors on Nov. 6, according to an email reviewed by STAT. The gathering comes as the agency wrestles with myriad issues related to regulating artificial intelligence and other technologies in health care.…
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STAT+: Patient groups cheer as the WHO adds diabetes and cystic fibrosis drugs to its essential medicines list
STAT+: Patient groups cheer as the WHO adds diabetes and cystic fibrosis drugs to its essential medicines list For the first time, the World Health Organization has added various high-cost treatments for diabetes and cystic fibrosis to its list of essential medicines, a move that patient advocates hope will usher in a new era of…
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CDC’s vaccine information no longer entirely trustworthy, former director says
CDC’s vaccine information no longer entirely trustworthy, former director says It pains Rochelle Walensky, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to hear people say that the agency can’t be trusted. But these days, she said, people should be cautious about the vaccination information on its website. “What I can say is…
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Opinion: The Trump administration’s endless quest for vaccine data is public-health gaslighting
Opinion: The Trump administration’s endless quest for vaccine data is public-health gaslighting The public discourse on vaccines has been distorted by a relentless and misleading demand for data that is already available, impractical, or unnecessary. This strategy is regularly deployed by the Trump administration: insisting that science is incomplete, that manufacturers and past regulators are…
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STAT+: Trump administration confirms plan for PEPFAR to distribute Gilead’s new HIV prevention drug
STAT+: Trump administration confirms plan for PEPFAR to distribute Gilead’s new HIV prevention drug After months of uncertainty, the Trump administration confirmed that it will work with Gilead Sciences and The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria to provide a groundbreaking HIV prevention drug to up to 2 million people in low- and…
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New stakes in the vaccine dispute and a boost for biotech
New stakes in the vaccine dispute and a boost for biotech Does President Trump deserve a Nobel Peace Prize for Operation Warp Speed? What will health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. tell Congress about the changes at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention? And is biotech back? We discuss all that and more on…
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The big takeaways from health secretary RFK Jr.’s contentious Senate hearing
The big takeaways from health secretary RFK Jr.’s contentious Senate hearing An archived version of a live blog about the Senate hearing, with more details, can be found here. WASHINGTON — Through shouting matches and gulfs of understanding about basic facts, health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. vigorously defended his aggressive reform agenda in a remarkable…
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LSD can help reduce anxiety, new study finds
LSD can help reduce anxiety, new study finds LSD reduced symptoms of anxiety in a midstage study published Thursday, paving the way for additional testing and possible medical approval of a psychedelic drug that has been banned in the U.S. for more than a half century. The results from drugmaker Mindmed tested several doses of LSD in patients…
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STAT+: Now, even Senate Republicans are pushing back on Kennedy’s vaccine views
STAT+: Now, even Senate Republicans are pushing back on Kennedy’s vaccine views WASHINGTON — For the first time since health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s confirmation in February, visible fractures emerged in Senate Republicans’ united front of support for him. At the heart of the conflict: His stance on vaccines, which some Republicans had determinedly…
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STAT+: After ousting CDC’s director, RFK Jr. mirrors her ideas to reform the agency
STAT+: After ousting CDC’s director, RFK Jr. mirrors her ideas to reform the agency WASHINGTON — In the days after health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pushed out the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, he suggested sweeping changes were needed to reform the agency — and that the ouster was part…
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STAT+: Amneal Pharma is scolded by FDA for using contaminated bags for a sterile injectable drug
STAT+: Amneal Pharma is scolded by FDA for using contaminated bags for a sterile injectable drug In a startling failure of quality control, Amneal Pharmaceuticals relied on contaminated bags for a sterile injectable drug even after identifying the risk and then lowered its standards so that the bags could continue to be used, according to…
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STAT+: 5 concerns raised during House hearing on health AI
STAT+: 5 concerns raised during House hearing on health AI The growing influence of artificial intelligence in health care was on display Wednesday as House lawmakers peppered invited witnesses with pointed questions about how technology might influence seemingly disparate topics like drug development, experimental Medicare models, and teen mental health. The hearing description by the…
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7 burning questions for RFK Jr. as he faces senators on CDC turmoil and more
7 burning questions for RFK Jr. as he faces senators on CDC turmoil and more WASHINGTON — Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is set to testify before Congress on Thursday as he continues to face a political firestorm that might determine his future in the Trump administration. Senators will have an opportunity to grill…
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Washington, Oregon and California governors form a health alliance in rebuke of Trump administration
Washington, Oregon and California governors form a health alliance in rebuke of Trump administration SEATTLE — The Democratic governors of Washington, Oregon and California announced Wednesday that they created an alliance to safeguard health policies, believing the Trump administration is putting Americans’ health and safety at risk by politicizing the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.…
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STAT+: Gilead wants state AIDS drug programs to pay significant price hikes for HIV meds
STAT+: Gilead wants state AIDS drug programs to pay significant price hikes for HIV meds Gilead Sciences, the largest maker of HIV medicines, is seeking to boost prices significantly for several treatments that are widely distributed by state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs. And the move is adding to financial uncertainty for the programs on top…
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STAT+: House bill cuts HHS budget but excludes RFK Jr.’s reorganization, maintains NIH funding
STAT+: House bill cuts HHS budget but excludes RFK Jr.’s reorganization, maintains NIH funding WASHINGTON — House appropriators will mark up legislation on Tuesday that is a mixed bag for researchers. While the Republican bill rejects President Trump’s proposal to slash the National Institutes of Health budget, it proposes deep cuts to the Centers for…
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STAT+: A closely watched legal battle over NIH funding cuts could settle soon
STAT+: A closely watched legal battle over NIH funding cuts could settle soon BOSTON — A widely watched case against the National Institutes of Health over the termination of hundreds of grants was poised to enter a new phase of arguments Tuesday, centered on what to do with removed notices of funding opportunities. Instead, the…
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STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about Trump’s post on Covid data, a Merck cholesterol pill, and more
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about Trump’s post on Covid data, a Merck cholesterol pill, and more Good morning everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope the weekend respite was relaxing and invigorating, because that oh-so familiar routine of deadlines, online meetings, and phone calls has predictably returned. But what can you do? The…
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STAT+: Trump pressures drugmakers amid CDC turmoil
STAT+: Trump pressures drugmakers amid CDC turmoil Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Welcome back from the holiday weekend. Today we have some candor in ALL CAPS from Trump on Covid vaccines, glowy data from Ionis that could lead to…
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Trump says CDC is ‘being ripped apart’ over Covid products, calls for drugmakers to prove their benefits
Trump says CDC is ‘being ripped apart’ over Covid products, calls for drugmakers to prove their benefits WASHINGTON — President Trump on Monday urged pharmaceutical companies to publicly prove that their Covid-19 products work, saying in a Truth Social post that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is “being ripped apart over this question.” …
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STAT+: Cytokinetics drug yielded benefits over common therapy in patients with heart condition, study shows
STAT+: Cytokinetics drug yielded benefits over common therapy in patients with heart condition, study shows An experimental medicine from Cytokinetics improved exercise capacity more than a widely prescribed beta blocker in patients newly diagnosed with a common, inherited heart condition, study results reported Saturday showed. The Cytokinetics drug, called aficamten, is currently being reviewed by…
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Opinion: How the U.S. health system can clear up confusion surrounding seasonal vaccines
Opinion: How the U.S. health system can clear up confusion surrounding seasonal vaccines Each fall, nurses and doctors brace for an all-too-familiar seasonal surge. Patients struggle to breathe. Older adults lean forward, lips pursed as if trying to drink air through a straw. Infants take more than one shallow breath per second, their wide-eyed panic reflected in their parents’…
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STAT+: Alnylam’s hypertension treatment did not significantly lower blood pressure in mid-stage study
STAT+: Alnylam’s hypertension treatment did not significantly lower blood pressure in mid-stage study An investigational therapy from Alnylam Pharmaceuticals did not significantly lower blood pressure in a key Phase 2 trial, raising questions about the benefit of the twice-a-year treatment as it enters late-stage testing. Among high-risk patients already taking at least two common hypertension…
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STAT+: Trump administration restored funding for major diabetes study. The pause still set researchers back
STAT+: Trump administration restored funding for major diabetes study. The pause still set researchers back The Trump administration’s restoration of federal research funding to Columbia University has revived a landmark diabetes study that has tracked patients for nearly 30 years and vastly expanded understanding of the disease, its treatment, and its prevention. The study, which has been…
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STAT+: Abridge CEO downplays impact of Epic’s new AI on call with customers
STAT+: Abridge CEO downplays impact of Epic’s new AI on call with customers Artificial intelligence company Abridge held a meeting with hospital customers on Thursday to address “confusion” about how it may be impacted by new AI products coming to Epic Systems’ widely used electronic health record software. At its annual customer meeting last week,…
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Opinion: Public health leader: Susan Monarez must be reinstated at the CDC
Opinion: Public health leader: Susan Monarez must be reinstated at the CDC The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has long been the world’s most prestigious public health agency. The CDC led the global efforts to eliminate smallpox, combat HIV/AIDS, shift public perception/use of tobacco products and dramatically reduce dental care issues by promoting the…
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Opinion: Dental care is increasingly under threat in the U.S.
Opinion: Dental care is increasingly under threat in the U.S. Major shifts in public health policy can bring unforeseen consequences. But in the case of fluoride bans, we already know what the consequences will be: higher costs of dental care, and higher rates of tooth decay — especially among children. This is particularly alarming because…
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More fallout from CDC director’s firing
More fallout from CDC director’s firing Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. A wild 48 hours at the CDC has me feeling like this meme. The news truly does not stop coming. Let’s get to it. Read the rest… O. Rose Broderick Go…
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STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about Lilly and a China tech giant, Cassidy and a CDC vaccine panel, and more
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about Lilly and a China tech giant, Cassidy and a CDC vaccine panel, 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,…
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Crisis within CDC is spilling into real world, experts say
Crisis within CDC is spilling into real world, experts say The implosion of leadership at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention threatens the agency, its mission, and the trust people place in public health, medical experts told STAT Thursday, a day after Director Susan Monarez refused to dismiss top scientists only to be ousted…
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STAT+: Amid chaos at CDC, Kennedy consolidates his power
STAT+: Amid chaos at CDC, Kennedy consolidates his power WASHINGTON — In another administration, an exodus of top public health officials would’ve been an earth-shattering crisis for the head of the Department of Health and Human Services. In the age of MAHA, it seems like just another week under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. If…
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Jim O’Neill to be acting director of CDC
Jim O’Neill to be acting director of CDC WASHINGTON — Jim O’Neill, deputy to health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., will become acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention after Susan Monarez was suddenly ousted from her role on Wednesday, a White House official confirmed in an email. O’Neill was sworn in as…
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The ouster of CDC’s director, biotech venture firm rankings
The ouster of CDC’s director, biotech venture firm rankings What is happening to the leadership of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention? Which biotech venture capital firm has generated the best returns for investors? And how did cat hair show up inside a major drug manufacturing plant? We discuss all that on this week’s…
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Cassidy calls for meeting of CDC vaccine advisers to be postponed following agency shakeup
Cassidy calls for meeting of CDC vaccine advisers to be postponed following agency shakeup WASHINGTON — A top Senate leader is calling for next month’s meeting of a federal advisory panel on vaccines to be postponed in the wake of a mass exodus of leaders at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Serious allegations…
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FDA issues narrower approvals for Covid boosters, revokes emergency authorizations
FDA issues narrower approvals for Covid boosters, revokes emergency authorizations WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved updated Covid boosters, but removed emergency use authorizations for the vaccines, in a set of moves that could make the shots more difficult to obtain for children under 5, in particular. The moves were announced…
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STAT+: Novo Nordisk links to telehealth providers for patients seeking Wegovy
STAT+: Novo Nordisk links to telehealth providers for patients seeking Wegovy Novo Nordisk has taken the next step in selling its drugs directly to patients by pointing them to telehealth providers that can write prescriptions for its popular obesity medication Wegovy. The company now links to select virtual providers on the NovoCare direct-to-patient pharmacy website…
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CDC Director Susan Monarez is ousted as senior leaders exit agency
CDC Director Susan Monarez is ousted as senior leaders exit agency WASHINGTON — Susan Monarez, the first Senate-confirmed director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has been ousted after just a month on the job — part of a series of high-ranking exits at the CDC. The Trump administration confirmed her departure but provided…
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STAT+: Third Rock tops STAT’s annual VC ranking
STAT+: Third Rock tops STAT’s annual VC ranking 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. My colleague Allison DeAngelis has been working for months on our annual VC rankings report. Read on for what she found. Third Rock tops…
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STAT+: Epic’s ‘large medical model’ aims to change how hospitals predict patient risk
STAT+: Epic’s ‘large medical model’ aims to change how hospitals predict patient risk 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. Remember how I mentioned the “inexplicable kites” on Epic’s campus last week?…
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STAT+: New report details the state of the biotech industry in Mass. The results are grim
STAT+: New report details the state of the biotech industry in Mass. The results are grim The industry group MassBio has released its annual temperature check on the biotech industry in Massachusetts, and the results are grim. Both public and private funding have plummeted as federal policy changes have thrown the biotech sector into an…
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STAT+: Akeso says its closely watched drug improved patient survival in a lung cancer trial
STAT+: Akeso says its closely watched drug improved patient survival in a lung cancer trial Akeso, a Chinese biotech with a drug positioned to rival Merck’s megablockbuster Keytruda, has reported for the first time that the therapy can improve patient survival. The therapy, ivonescimab, showed a statistically significant survival benefit as a second-line treatment when…
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Trump’s hand bruise renews attention to his health — and his heart
Trump’s hand bruise renews attention to his health — and his heart President Trump’s bruised hand and his apparent use of makeup to cover the discolored patch of skin have renewed attention to his health in general and his cardiovascular health in particular. His case also highlights an often underrecognized and undertreated condition. It’s called…
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STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about an AbbVie deal for a psychedelic, Lilly obesity pill trial results, and more
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about an AbbVie deal for a psychedelic, Lilly obesity pill trial results, and more Top of the morning to you, and a fine one it is. Clear blue skies and pleasant breezes are wafting across the Pharmalot campus, where the official mascots are foraging for their breakfast and rousing the neighbors.…
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HHS terminates NIH program aimed at diversifying biomedical workforce
HHS terminates NIH program aimed at diversifying biomedical workforce The Department of Health and Human Services is terminating a National Institutes of Health grant program that supports students from marginalized backgrounds in the biomedical sciences. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the elimination of the program — the Minority Biomedical Research Support Program —…
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Maryland resident is diagnosed with New World screwworm. What to know about the parasite
Maryland resident is diagnosed with New World screwworm. What to know about the parasite NEW YORK — A Maryland resident who traveled to El Salvador has been diagnosed with New World screwworm — the first reported U.S. case tied to travel to a country with a current outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention…
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STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about FDA reporting side effects, pharma plants near disaster zones, and more
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about FDA reporting side effects, pharma plants near disaster zones, and more Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope the weekend respite was relaxing and invigorating, because that oh-so familiar routine of deadlines, online meetings, and phone calls has predictably returned. But what can you do? The…
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STAT+: AbbVie to buy Gilgamesh’s psychedelic drug for up to $1.2 billion
STAT+: AbbVie to buy Gilgamesh’s psychedelic drug for up to $1.2 billion AbbVie on Monday said it will buy Gilgamesh Pharmaceuticals’ investigational psychedelic drug to treat major depression, a sign that pharma companies are warming up more to the burgeoning field. The pharma giant will acquire the treatment, called bretisilocin, for up to $1.2 billion,…
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Gene-edited pig lung transplanted into a brain-dead patient for first time
Gene-edited pig lung transplanted into a brain-dead patient for first time In a milestone for the newly resurgent field of xenotransplantation, a 39-year-old brain-dead person in China has become the first human to receive a lung from a pig. With consent from the person’s family, researchers took the organ from a CRISPR’d pig, trimmed it,…
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HHS moves to strip thousands of federal health workers of union rights
HHS moves to strip thousands of federal health workers of union rights NEW YORK — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has moved to strip thousands of federal health agency employees of their collective bargaining rights, according to a union that called the effort illegal. HHS officials confirmed Friday that the department is…
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No more minimum wage for domestic workers, says Labor Department
No more minimum wage for domestic workers, says Labor Department Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. Are you a psychiatrist or psychologist seeing patients with or working on research about so-called “AI psychosis” or “ChatGPT psychosis”? I want to talk with you. Read…
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STAT+: Supreme Court lets Trump slash NIH research funds
STAT+: Supreme Court lets Trump slash NIH research funds 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. The Supreme Court is allowing the Trump administration to cut $783 million in research grants tied to DEI work. Also, STAT just unveiled…
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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+: He was 21 when he programmed MyChart. Now he’s the president of Epic
STAT+: He was 21 when he programmed MyChart. Now he’s the president of Epic VERONA, Wis. — Employees at electronic health records giant Epic are occasionally asked to complete an exercise in which they list three people who could replace them. It’s a way of identifying future leaders hidden in the ranks. Does CEO Judy…
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STAT+: FDA says it will publish reports of adverse events tied to drugs on daily basis
STAT+: FDA says it will publish reports of adverse events tied to drugs on daily basis WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration announced Friday that it has begun publishing reports of adverse events concerning drugs and biological products on a daily basis. Previously, the database of the reports, called the FDA Adverse Event Reporting…
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CDC attacker likely attempted to enter campus days before shooting
CDC attacker likely attempted to enter campus days before shooting WASHINGTON — The man who attacked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention probably tried to enter the agency’s Atlanta campus days before the shooting, investigators believe. The shooter, identified by authorities as Patrick Joseph White, appears to have been captured in security camera footage…
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STAT+: Major U.S. drug manufacturing plant did not properly investigate cat hair, pests, and other problems, FDA finds
STAT+: Major U.S. drug manufacturing plant did not properly investigate cat hair, pests, and other problems, FDA finds Cat hair, pests, bacteria, and equipment failures. These were among the concerns of a recent regulatory inspection of a key, but historically troubled, manufacturing plant that Novo Nordisk bought last year as part of its parent company’s…
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Supreme Court lets Trump administration cut $783 million of research funding in anti-DEI push
Supreme Court lets Trump administration cut $783 million of research funding in anti-DEI push WASHINGTON — The Trump administration can slash hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of research funding in its push to cut federal diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, the Supreme Court decided Thursday. The high court majority lifted a judge’s order blocking $783 million…
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Viking’s obesity flop, ‘pharma to table’ drug sales
Viking’s obesity flop, ‘pharma to table’ drug sales On this week’s episode of “The Readout LOUD”: vikings. No, not the seafaring Norse people of the 10th century, or the Minnesota football team. The gang will discuss obesity drug developer Viking Therapeutics and the investor cult that embraces it, both of which performed a painful belly…
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STAT+: AI provider tools will probably drive up health care costs. What?
STAT+: AI provider tools will probably drive up health care costs. What? You’re reading the web edition of STAT’s AI Prognosis newsletter, our subscriber-exclusive guide to artificial intelligence in health care and medicine. Sign up to get it delivered in your inbox every Wednesday. I’m at the Epic User Group Meeting in Wisconsin. I’m not allowed to…
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STAT+: Epic’s AI overhaul promises to address EHR headaches for clinicians and patients
STAT+: Epic’s AI overhaul promises to address EHR headaches for clinicians and patients VERONA, Wisc. — Epic CEO Judy Faulkner took to the stage at the company’s sci-fi-themed annual customer meeting Tuesday in a lavender wig, bright green glasses, and silver pants. In the spirit of “making science fiction science fact,” she announced several new…
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Gender-affirming care won’t be covered for federal employees in 2026
Gender-affirming care won’t be covered for federal employees in 2026 Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. Good morning. The theme of today’s newsletter seems to be: $$$ money $$$ Read the rest… Theresa Gaffney Go to statnews
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STAT+: Was the reaction to Viking’s oral data overblown?
STAT+: Was the reaction to Viking’s oral data overblown? 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 learned yesterday that Walmart has recalled some of its frozen shrimp after the FDA warned that they may have been contaminated with…
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What updated thresholds for statin use could mean for patients
What updated thresholds for statin use could mean for patients It’s a math problem with life-and-death consequences. When a new and improved model for estimating the risk of developing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease emerged in November 2023, the calculator won raves for drawing on a larger, more contemporary, and more diverse population of Americans than its…
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STAT+: How Trump may use Democrats’ drug-price negotiation law
STAT+: How Trump may use Democrats’ drug-price negotiation law 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’m happy to report that Last Week Tonight with John Oliver did a segment on…
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STAT+: Elevance loses lawsuit over Medicare Advantage quality ratings
STAT+: Elevance loses lawsuit over Medicare Advantage quality ratings A federal judge in Texas struck down Elevance Health’s lawsuit that argued the government unfairly lowered its Medicare Advantage quality ratings — a decision that could cost Elevance $375 million in bonus revenue. U.S. District Judge Mark T. Pittman, appointed by President Trump in 2019, chastised…
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Early data on over-the-counter birth control
Early data on over-the-counter birth control Get your daily dose of health and medicine every weekday with STAT’s free newsletter Morning Rounds. Sign up here. Good morning. Yesterday I saw a press release with the headline “Seabirds only poop while flying” and thought — wow, science is amazing. Anyway, we’ve got three bits of vaccine/virus news to…
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STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about conflicts on U.S. vaccine panels, pharma DTC sales, and much more
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about conflicts on U.S. vaccine panels, pharma DTC sales, and much more Top of the morning to you, and a fine one it is. Blue skies and unusually cool breezes for this time of year are enveloping the Pharmalot campus, where the official mascots are bounding about the grounds in search…
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STAT+: FDA delays decision on Regenxbio gene therapy
STAT+: FDA delays decision on Regenxbio 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. Good morning. Today we look at what some people in the industry are calling a “pharm to table” trend. Read on to learn more about it.…
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STAT+: Conflicts among CDC and FDA vaccine panel members are not as numerous as you think, study finds
STAT+: Conflicts among CDC and FDA vaccine panel members are not as numerous as you think, study finds Conflicts of interest on federal government vaccine panels have declined to “historically low levels” in recent years according to a new study, findings that are likely to increase debate over a contentious issue pushed by Health and…
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Texas declares its measles outbreak over
Texas declares its measles outbreak over The Texas measles outbreak that sickened 762 people since late January is over, state health officials said Monday. Health officials have not confirmed a new case in the counties where the outbreak was spreading in more than 42 days, passing the threshold public health officials use to declare measles…
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STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about a setback for Pfizer, a boost for Novo Nordisk, and much more
STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about a setback for Pfizer, a boost for Novo Nordisk, and much more Good morning everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope the weekend respite was relaxing and invigorating, because that oh-so familiar routine of deadlines, online meetings, and phone calls has predictably returned. But what can you do?…
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STAT+: Who are the richest people in health care right now?
STAT+: Who are the richest people in health care right now? 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 examine the plush pay packages of health care’s top CEOs in 2024. Also, we discuss Stealth BioTherapeutics’ efforts to rally…
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Draft of major MAHA report calls for more education, less regulation — and offers few policies
Draft of major MAHA report calls for more education, less regulation — and offers few policies WASHINGTON — A much-awaited game plan for how the Trump administration will make Americans healthier largely steers clear of policy recommendations, instead calling for more research on nutrition, agricultural chemicals, and “potential benefits of select high-quality supplements,” among other…
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STAT+: Novo Nordisk’s obesity drug Wegovy cleared to treat MASH
STAT+: Novo Nordisk’s obesity drug Wegovy cleared to treat MASH Novo Nordisk’s obesity drug Wegovy was cleared by U.S. regulators on Friday to treat an increasingly common liver disease, adding to the list of conditions for which the blockbuster therapy is now approved. The Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to Wegovy for patients…
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STAT+: Up and down the ladder: The latest comings and goings
STAT+: Up and down the ladder: The latest comings and goings Hired someone new and exciting? Promoted a rising star? Finally solved that hard-to-fill spot? Share the news with us, and we’ll share it with others. That’s right. Send us your changes, and we’ll find a home for them. Don’t be shy. Everyone wants to know who is…
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Opinion: The CDC shooting was public health’s Jan. 6
Opinion: The CDC shooting was public health’s Jan. 6 A week ago, on Aug. 8, a gunman attacked the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, firing nearly 500 rounds, breaking about 150 windows, and killing a police officer. The shooter had reportedly become fixated on his belief that the Covid-19 vaccine had made him and others sick,…
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STAT+: Eli Lilly says it will hike list prices for drugs abroad. Now what?
STAT+: Eli Lilly says it will hike list prices for drugs abroad. Now what? 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 march-in rights return to the headlines, ponder how Eli Lilly’s plan to hike list prices in Europe…
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Lowering blood pressure reduces dementia risk, new guideline affirms
Lowering blood pressure reduces dementia risk, new guideline affirms A study in rural China demonstrating the power of intensive blood pressure control clinched the deal. The large, cluster-randomized controlled trial convincingly demonstrated that well-controlled blood pressure — below 130/80 mm Hg — lowered the risk of dementia by 15% and cognitive impairment by 16%. That was…