Before Aduhelm, Billy Dunn was a superstar at the FDA
You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s weekly newsletter about the politics and…
Author: STAT
Opinion: Covid-19 vaccine policy should be made by public health experts, not company executives
In a March 13 interview with CBS, Albert Bourla, Pfizer’s CEO, said his company intended…
STAT+: Pharmalittle: FDA faces immense pressure over an ALS drug; former Biogen R&D chief seeks a reset at another biotech
Good morning, everyone, and how are you today? We are doing just fine, thank you,…
STAT+: Al Sandrock, former top scientist at Biogen, named CEO at Voyager Therapeutics
Al Sandrock, the top scientist at Biogen who exited last year in a dispute over…
STAT+: Pfizer inks deal with UNICEF to supply Covid pill to poor countries, but advocates say it isn’t enough
As part of an effort to widen access to its Covid-19 pill, Pfizer has reached…
Opinion: The case for decriminalizing the street sale of buprenorphine
Isolation and anxiety caused by the Covid-19 pandemic has fueled an already out of control…
Opinion: Checklists work well for complicated health care problems. But they don’t work to solve complex ones, like pandemics
Federal public health officials did many good things in response to Covid-19, like investing in…
STAT+: The biggest PBMs are handling more and more of the country’s drug price negotiations
Alex Schmelzer didn’t think he’d be the most-hated person in drug pricing negotiations, but he…
STAT+: An ALS therapy sets up a crucial test of the FDA’s independence
WASHINGTON — A high-profile, experimental therapy for ALS is teeing up a crucial test of…
STAT+: ‘Harmful and wasteful’: Many pediatric clinical trials end early or don’t report results
An extensive analysis of thousands of pediatric trials found one in 10 ended early —…
STAT+: Teva and Allergan reach $107 million deal with Rhode Island over opioid crisis
Just as a trial was getting underway, AbbVie and Teva Pharmaceutical reached a settlement worth…
STAT+: What makes a biotech a biotech?
The prototypical biotech company is easy to envision: think Moderna, Alnylam, and Genentech. But what…
STAT+: Pharmalittle: Covid-19 vaccine market is getting crowded as demand wanes; Russia looks to India to supply pharmaceuticals
Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope the weekend respite was…
Opinion: The Breen bill to protect health providers is well-intentioned. But it won’t stop burnout
Both the Senate and the House of Representatives have passed a bill to “improve the…
When AI takes a human touch: How a team effort to improve patient care in hospitals paid off
The project began with a vexing problem. Imaging tests that turned up unexpected issues —…
STAT+: 5 tech strategies health systems are testing to combat clinician burnout
Health care workers are experiencing unprecedented levels of burnout during the pandemic, leading many to quit…
The Covid-19 vaccine market is getting crowded — as demand begins to wane
CureVac, a pioneer in the effort to use messenger RNA as a vaccine platform, and…
Listen: Medicine lost the trust of many Black Americans. How can it be restored?
In fall 2020, I reported a story about two HBCU presidents in New Orleans who…
STAT+: When should drugmakers go all in and cut off essential medicines to Russia?
Just say nyet? As the war in Ukraine intensifies, several of the world’s largest pharmaceutical…
Opinion: Biden administration (finally) elevates healthy buildings as part of national Covid strategy
The White House announcement on Thursday that it is elevating “clean air in buildings” as…
STAT+: Pharmalittle: Lawmakers face off over FDA’s accelerated approval; ivermectin failed to reduce Covid-19 hospital admissions
And so, another working week will soon draw to a close. This is, as you…
Opinion: Welcome back, Dr. Califf: Patients will see you now
The confirmation of Robert Califf to lead the Food and Drug Administration is among the…
Opinion: If pharma can market to youths by TikTok, it should include them in clinical trials
The pharmaceutical industry has rapidly adapted to promoting prescription drugs to young people on TikTok,…
The new White House Covid coordinator is great on TV. Is that what America’s pandemic response needs now?
WASHINGTON — When it comes to discussing the White House’s pandemic response on TV, there’s…
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STAT+: After a dry spell for cancer immunotherapy, a new target offers a beacon of hope
Oncologists may soon have a new immuno-oncology target in their arsenal. Experts expect the Food…
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STAT+: New details emerge about a U.S. scientist’s obscured role in the ‘CRISPR babies’ scandal
More than three years after the now-infamous Chinese scientist He Jiankui sent shockwaves around the…
Malawi, neighbors to begin mass vaccination campaigns against polio
The East African nation of Malawi on Monday will launch a mass vaccination campaign against…
‘Is it worth it?’: New report lays bare harassment of public health officials during the pandemic
There’s a mountain of evidence showing the devastating toll of the pandemic on health workers….
STAT+: Illumina sues Guardant Health, saying former employees stole trade secrets to launch liquid biopsy firm
DNA sequencing giant Illumina is suing Guardant Health, a firm that has become both its…
Listen: Doing biotech in Ukraine, drug pricing déjà vu, & Covid surges overseas
How should pharma treat Russia? Why can’t Congress pass a drug pricing bill? And what…
STAT+: Lawmakers face off about the future of the FDA’s accelerated approval pathway
WASHINGTON – Lawmakers are facing off over the future of the Food and Drug Administration’s…
STAT+: Alnylam sues Pfizer and Moderna for patent infringement in development of Covid-19 vaccines
Alnylam Pharmaceuticals has filed separate lawsuits alleging that Pfizer and Moderna infringed its patents in…
Medicare premiums could decrease ‘soon,’ after decision on Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm
WASHINGTON — Whether seniors get an unprecedented mid-year discount on Medicare premiums will hinge on…
STAT+: Pharmalittle: Biogen Alzheimer’s data is published in little-known journal; WHO may reject Medicago Covid shot over ties to Philip Morris
Good morning, everyone, and how are you today? A spot of rain is descending on…
Virtual Event: Taking the pulse of clinical trials
Editor’s note: A livestream of the event will be embedded below at 1 p.m. ET….
Ashish Jha to replace Jeff Zients as White House Covid response coordinator
WASHINGTON — President Biden is replacing Covid response coordinator Jeff Zients with Ashish Jha, the…
Opinion: Health-related artificial intelligence needs rigorous evaluation and guardrails
Algorithms can augment human decision-making by integrating and analyzing more data, and more kinds of…
With infections spiking in Europe and a variant on the rise, experts warn the U.S. could face a Covid resurgence
On the surface, U.S. Covid-19 metrics continue to show improvement, with cases, hospitalizations, and deaths…
At HIMSS, health software companies get creative to sell data sharing
ORLANDO — Of all the health tech industry’s top priorities, interoperability is among the driest. It’s…
STAT+: A battle is brewing between a senator and a nonprofit over pharma patenting practices
As the pharmaceutical industry faces pointed criticism over its patent practices, an effort appears to…
Swapping out the brain’s cleanup crew treats neurological disease in mice, study shows
From anemia to leukemia, unhealthy cells can make for unhealthy people, but replacing these cells…
STAT+: Biogen publishes data on its Alzheimer’s drug in a little-known journal
When it comes to Biogen’s controversial Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm, even publishing the data is steeped…
STAT+: Pharmalittle: Compromise reached on Covid-19 vaccine patent waivers; Biogen reports upbeat data on its Alzheimer’s drug
Hello, everyone, and welcome to the middle of the week. You made it this far,…
Opinion: Emergency response systems must not overlook people with substance use disorders
When the storm unofficially known as Winter Storm Uri barreled across much of North America…
STAT+: Lawmakers accuse PhRMA of providing ‘misleading information’ about drug price hikes
A group of Congressional lawmakers is accusing the pharmaceutical industry’s leading trade group of providing…
Opinion: Listen: The ‘underground market’ for insulin and diabetes supplies
It’s a sad reality that people with diabetes know all too well: The price of…
STAT+: Biden’s agency to ‘end cancer as we know it’ is finally real. But it has a chaotic road ahead
WASHINGTON — Congress has finally funded the agency that President Biden has pledged will help…
Doctors often turn to Google Translate to talk to patients. They want a better option
The patient had just undergone a cesarean section, and now was struggling to put words…
STAT+: A compromise is reached on an intellectual property waiver for Covid-19 vaccines, but does it go far enough?
After 18 months of talks, a compromise was reached on a proposal to waive intellectual…
Inside the push for a permanent pandemic preparedness office at the White House
You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s weekly newsletter about the politics and…