10 lessons I’ve learned from the Covid–19 pandemic
On the afternoon of New Year’s Eve, just hours from when 2019 was going to…
Author: STAT
STAT+: In a ‘baffling’ disappointment, BridgeBio’s heart drug misses primary goal in pivotal study
A treatment developed by BridgeBio for an increasingly common heart disease missed its primary endpoint…
Opinion: Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s foot-dragging on patient irradiation suggests regulatory capture
Government agencies responsible for protecting the public from negligence and harm must act with independence…
STAT+: 3 pharma trends to watch in 2022
As 2021 winds down, the proverbial rearview mirror displays a mix of spectacular success, vexing…
Forecasting the Omicron winter: Experts envision various scenarios, from bad to worse
Since the Omicron variant was discovered four weeks ago, epidemiologists have been crunching data as…
STAT+: How Brigham Health helped create a Chinese hospital for elites — and almost nobody came
It was worlds away from the Boston medical hub: There were no traffic-clogged intersections, no…
Opinion: 5 most widely read First Opinion essays of 2021
In the second turbulent year defined by a global pandemic, 2021 provided an abundance of…
FDA authorizes Merck’s Covid-19 pill, but stresses its use should be limited
The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday granted emergency authorization to Merck’s molnupiravir, an antiviral…
To lawyers, conviction of Harvard chemist with China ties shouldn’t chill science. Researchers aren’t so sure
The trial was supposed to be a bellwether — an indicator of whether federal investigators…
Opinion: Gain-of-function research advances knowledge and saves lives
Congress is considering a massive overhaul of the nation’s scientific enterprise, much of it in…
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Opinion: I work in a locked psychiatric ward. These days, you do too
At parties, I used to explain to people who wanted to know what I do…
Opinion: At a time when the U.S. needed Covid-19 dialogue between scientists, Francis Collins moved to shut it down
This week, emails released through a Freedom of Information Act request filed by the American…
STAT+: 3 contentious decisions the FDA will make in 2022
WASHINGTON — It’s going to be a bumpy 2022 for the Food and Drug Administration….
STAT+: 7 challenges that could make or break Biogen’s 2022
Can Biogen pull itself back from the brink? The company is ending 2021 with dismal…
Top regulator says need for Omicron vaccine depends on staying power of variant
WASHINGTON — Whether Americans will need additional vaccines specifically tailored to the rapidly spreading Omicron…
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Opinion: An Omicron oddity: The number of cases doesn’t predict the number of deaths
Early in the Covid-19 pandemic, the case fatality rate was frightening. This metric represents the…
FDA authorizes Pfizer pill to treat Covid-19 in patients as young as 12
The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday authorized Paxlovid, a pill developed and made by…
A computational biologist weighs in on Omicron, the future of vaccines, and the CDC’s variant forecast
What do the data so far tell us about Omicron and whether it causes milder…
STAT+: Pharmalittle: Japan panel nixes Biogen Alzheimer’s drug; Oxfam urges SEC to probe Moderna over patent dispute remarks
Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the middle of the week. Congratulations on making it…
Opinion: Listen: Looking back on the first year of ‘First Opinion Podcast’
We started the “First Opinion Podcast” in February 2021 because we knew there was rich,…
Opinion: Inflexible methadone regulations impede America’s efforts to reduce overdose deaths
Imagine if people who needed insulin to control their diabetes had to trek across town…
With a ‘biological computer,’ scientists look to target cancer while sparing healthy cells
The holy grail of cancer drug targets is akin to a unicorn horn: a marker…
3 issues to watch in global health in 2022
Welcome to Year 3 of the Age of Covid. We’d hoped by now, with the…
STAT+: 4 epilepsy-focused biotech companies to watch
More companies than ever before are training their sights on developing treatments for epilepsy, which…
STAT+: Harvard nanoscientist found guilty of lying about financial ties to Chinese university
A federal jury found Harvard University professor and renowned nanoscientist Charles Lieber guilty of all…
Omicron by the numbers: Where things stand now
For the last four days, New York has posted all-time record case numbers of Covid-19….
STAT+: Verily shakes up its leadership team, with a new president and a shift for CEO Conrad
Alphabet’s life sciences arm Verily is in the midst of a shakeup of its leadership….
STAT+: Oxfam wants the SEC to investigate Moderna for ‘misleading’ investors about its Covid patent dispute with NIH
Oxfam America has filed a complaint with securities regulators accusing Moderna (MRNA) of providing “misleading…
STAT+: By endorsing a first injectable for HIV prevention, FDA creates alternative to pills and a battle among drug makers
In a notable development, the first long-acting injectable shot for preventing HIV was approved by…
STAT+: Pharmalittle: Moderna says booster shot raises antibody levels to thwart Omicron; Sanofi buys yet another biotech
Rise and shine, everyone, another busy day is on the way. Although it may feel…
White House to buy, ship 500 million rapid tests for free beginning in January
The White House will buy and distribute 500 million rapid Covid-19 tests for free beginning…
Opinion: Claims of vaccine hesitancy in African countries are at odds with the reality on the ground
MBARARA, UGANDA — When word gets out that Covid-19 vaccines are locally available, crowds rush…
Opinion: STAT+: Forget the hype and embrace the reality: How AI can improve health outcomes right now
The story of artificial intelligence (AI) driving better health care outcomes has been a convoluted…
Despite Covid’s ‘hellacious impact,’ NCI chief sees some advances for cancer patients
Looking at cancer often means taking the long view. Research scientists, oncologists, and patients are…
How medicine erased Black women from a ‘white man’s disease’
What Christi Taylor-Gentry remembers most about third grade are the times when the teaching stopped…
STAT+: Worst biopharma CEO of 2021? There are too many to choose just one
I’m not naming the Worst Biopharma CEO for 2021. I chose 10. It’s been that…
STAT+: It’s the cardiovascular version of Alzheimer’s — and, for a biotech with a promising drug, it could be a windfall
Surprise diagnoses have a way of making Ph.D. candidates out of everyday people. Walter Feigenson’s…
Omicron variant now makes up 73% of Covid infections diagnosed in U.S.
The Omicron variant now accounts for 73% of Covid-19 infections being diagnosed in the United…
STAT+: University of Chicago professor charged with insider trading over a cancer drug trial
A University of Chicago associate professor who worked as a clinical trial investigator for Five…
STAT+: Oracle to buy electronic health records giant Cerner for $28.3 billion
In what will be the year’s largest deal in health tech, software giant Oracle has…
STAT+: Pharmalittle: Biogen cuts price of Alzheimer’s drug in half and plans cost cuts; Moderna test suggests booster works against Omicron
Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope the weekend respite was…
Biogen slashes price of Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm in half, plans $500M in cost-cutting
Biogen said Monday that it has reduced the price of its Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm by…
STAT+: AbbVie asks the U.S. International Trade Commission to investigate Alvotech’s plans for a biosimilar Humira
In its latest bid to defend its franchise product, AbbVie (ABBV) has filed a complaint…
Opinion: Clinical labor pricing updates are needed to address workforce shortages, financial strain
The ongoing effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on primary care physicians are jarring. Fewer than…
For an antiviral researcher, Covid brings a flood of attention — and opportunity
In February 2020, Jeffrey Glenn was prepping for a meeting at the Food and Drug…
Scientists are just starting to tease out the microbiome’s role in CAR-T outcomes among cancer patients
As cancer-killing CAR-T cells course through the body, they make occasional pit stops at the…
STAT+: Here are the finalists for best biopharma CEO of 2021. And a winner
It’s that time of the year again when we recognize the Best Biopharma CEO of…
STAT+: Facing intense criticism, Moderna pauses bitter dispute with the NIH over Covid-19 vaccine patents
Moderna (MRNA) has halted a rancorous patent dispute with the U.S. government over assigning credit…
Opinion: Justice for Sackler family members, not immunity
Your neighbor’s kid is still sitting in jail for selling heroin — to people who…
Pfizer testing extra Covid vaccine dose for kids under 5
Pfizer said Friday it was changing plans and testing three doses of its Covid-19 vaccine…