STAT+: Can gene therapies make for a profitable business? Keep your eye on Bluebird Bio
Happy Groundhog Day eve. Some takes and thoughts on Bluebird Bio’s quest for gene therapy…
Author: STAT
Opinion: Why I left the editorial board of the prestigious scientific journal NeuroImage — and helped start something new
Last spring, I joined a rebellion. The entire editorial board of the prestigious scientific journal…
STAT+: Obscure vertigo drug could bring rare hope for patients with devastating neuron disease
About a decade ago, Tatiana Bremova-Ertl’s graduate adviser was studying an obscure, 1950s-era French vertigo…
STAT+: Medicare Advantage insurers face slight proposed cut to 2025 payments
The federal government is cutting the average benchmark payments for 2025 Medicare Advantage plans by…
STAT+: Judge skeptical of arguments against Medicare drug price negotiation
WILMINGTON, Del. — Today was the first time that a federal judge asked questions in-person…
Congressmen: This Covid hearing ‘could have been an email’
WASHINGTON — House Republicans have repeatedly accused Biden health officials of withholding and censoring documents…
STAT+: WTO appears close to rejecting a proposed waiver on patents for Covid diagnostics and therapies
After more than a year of deliberation, the World Trade Organization appears close to rejecting…
Some dementia patients might have reversible symptoms caused by cirrhosis, study says
The descent into dementia can feel like traversing a minefield, coming across new symptoms without…
We’re naming cancers all wrong, oncology leader says
Naming cancers solely by the organs they originate in is getting a bit old, according…
Cigna to sell Medicare Advantage plans to Blue Cross Blue Shield insurer for $3.3 billion
Cigna is officially exiting the Medicare business, agreeing to sell all of its Medicare insurance…
Pfizer’s reset year starts with a little profit
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STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about Wegovy supplies, Biogen ditching Aduhelm, and more
Rise and shine, everyone. The middle of the week is upon us. Have heart, though….
STAT+: Years after a polarizing approval, Biogen walks away from Aduhelm
Biogen is giving up its ownership of Aduhelm, the Alzheimer’s disease treatment whose 2021 approval…
STAT+: Experts critique flawed system for monitoring drugs’ side effects in wake of asthma drug report
After a drug enters the market, it’s up to Food and Drug Administration regulators to…
Opinion: The Biden administration should not support a WTO petition to strip IP protections from Covid-19 treatments
The Biden administration may soon double down on one of its gravest mistakes. In 2022,…
Opinion: What the pope is missing about commercial surrogacy
Over the past few years, I have watched a wonderful young boy I’ll call Chad…
STAT+: As supply crunch starts to ease, Novo Nordisk to offer more doses of obesity drug Wegovy to U.S. patients
LONDON — Novo Nordisk said Wednesday that it had started to increase the availability of…
STAT+: Vertex pain drug results met with measured optimism — and questions — by observers and experts
Late-stage trial results for a pain medication developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals reinforced experts’ sense that…
STAT+: CMS will use outcomes-based agreements in bid to help Medicaid pay for sickle cell gene therapies
In response to concerns over multimillion-dollar price tags for new gene therapies for sickle cell…
The U.S. hasn’t seen syphilis numbers this high since 1950. Other STD rates are down or flat
NEW YORK — The U.S. syphilis epidemic isn’t abating, with the rate of infectious cases…
STAT+: Here are the new hotspots for Boston-area biotech
Move over, Kendall Square. Folks in the biotech nerve center may shudder at the notion….
Philips to stop selling sleep apnea machines in U.S. under tentative agreement with FDA, DOJ
WASHINGTON (AP) — The company behind a global recall of sleep apnea machines said Monday…
How an immunological Trojan horse could treat disease
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STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about a Vertex pain pill, an abortion pill hearing, and more
Top of the morning to you. And a fine one it is. Despite gray skies,…
STAT+: Vertex’s closely-watched pain relief drug succeeds in late-stage trials — with a catch
A pain relief drug developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals succeeded in late-stage clinical trials, the company…
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STAT+: Cour Pharmaceuticals, a biotech taking aim at autoimmune diseases, raises $105 million
John Puisis was dubious when he first heard about the autoimmune science being developed by…
STAT+: Ultima Genomics launching high-end DNA sequencers that can read genome for $100
Ultima Genomics, an upstart some observers have called a “dark horse” in the world of…
Opinion: The emergency room is where the United States’ social problems come home to roost
From “Legacy” by Uché Blackstock, M.D., published by Viking, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group,…
STAT+: Can Wegovy treat depression as well as obesity? New research looks to GLP-1 drugs for mental illnesses
Drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy — already game changers for diabetes and obesity — are…
STAT+: FDA’s Woodcock reflects on more than 30 years at agency — and hints at what’s next
WASHINGTON — It’s the end of an era for the Food and Drug Administration’s longtime…
STAT+: Sophisticated phishing and deepfakes: How generative AI brings new threats for hospitals
The ubiquity of AI tools like ChatGPT could be a boon to hospitals eager for…
Can the government ask social media sites to take down Covid misinformation? SCOTUS will weigh in
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court will this March hear arguments centered on the government’s role…
Supreme Court slates abortion pill case for March
WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court will hear arguments about access to the abortion medication mifepristone…
Opinion: I’m an anesthesiologist. Kenneth Smith’s execution by nitrogen gas was far from ‘textbook’
On Thursday evening, the state of Alabama executed Kenneth Eugene Smith by nitrogen gas. Now,…
Scientists document first-ever transmitted Alzheimer’s cases, tied to no-longer-used medical procedure
LONDON — There was something odd about these Alzheimer’s cases. Part of it was the…
STAT+: European regulators tout their accomplishments against pharma’s anticompetitive practices
European antitrust regulators want you to know that fighting crime in the pharmaceutical industry pays….
23andMe breach targeted Chinese, Jewish populations
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STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about Medicaid and sickle cell, pharma CEOs, and more
Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope the weekend respite was…
Pricey sickle cell treatments raise daunting new challenges for Medicaid programs
Living with sickle cell disease has not been easy on Kourtney Cunningham. The genetic blood…
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Opinion: Which country has the best health care? That’s the wrong question
I’ve spent my career studying how different health care systems work. People love to ask…
STAT+: Cognito raises $35 million for Alzheimer’s treatment device, touts benefits compared to drugs
Just as a new wave of approved drugs for Alzheimer’s disease reaches patients, medical device…
STAT+: From a small town in Wales, a scientific sleuth has shaken Dana-Farber — and elevated the issue of research integrity
PONTYPRIDD, Wales — The blog post that has shaken the leadership of Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer…
STAT+: Merck, Johnson & Johnson CEOs agree to testify in Congress on high drug prices, avoiding Bernie Sanders’ subpoena
WASHINGTON — Merck CEO Robert Davis and Johnson and Johnson CEO Joaquin Duato have agreed…
STAT+: Vaccines save lives and generate profits. Why is investment lagging?
Covid vaccines saved nearly 20 million lives worldwide, by one estimate, and generated billions of…
Eli Lilly overtakes Tesla in market value
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STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about Sanders jabbing Merck’s CEO, fixing drug shortages, and more
And so, another working week will soon draw to a close. Not a moment too…
A call to add sexual orientation and gender identity data to electronic health records
There are more openly LGBTQ+ people in the U.S. than ever, but little is known…
Opinion: Congress must pass the child tax credit deal to support kids’ health
When I enter, “what is pediatrics?” into an image search engine, I get back dozens…
STAT+: Democrats urge government to rein in Medicare Advantage overpayments and denials
The Biden administration is about to set the ground rules for next year’s Medicare Advantage…
STAT+: FTC sues to block a proposed hospital deal in North Carolina
The federal government is suing to block a proposed hospital deal in North Carolina, alleging…