By Tina Reed Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios Scientists are sounding new alarms about man-made organisms whose constituent molecules are mirror images of what’s found in nature and could pose unprecedented risks to humans, animals and the environment.Why it matters: While the ability to create “mirror life” is probably at least a decade away, researchers already have synthesized...
Category: <span>News</span>
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GLP-1 drugs spark disagreements in Trump’s circle
From STAT’s Elaine Chen: GLP-1 drugs seem to be a source of contention among the people in President-elect Trump’s circle. Earlier this week, Elon Musk tweeted: “Nothing would do more to improve the health, lifespan and quality of life for Americans than making GLP inhibitors super low cost to the public.” It’s a sentiment he’s expressed several times before. (The...
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Self-collection for HPV instead of pelvic exams
Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios Women at age 30 can start collecting their own vaginal sample for cervical cancer screening at a physician’s office and forego pelvic exams, a federal health advisory committee said on Tuesday. Why it matters: The draft guidance from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force marks the first time self-collection for human papillomavirus has been...
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1 big thing: Supplement makers seize on GLP-1 boom
By Maya Goldman Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios Some supplement companies are vying to get into the booming GLP-1 space, adding a new layer of complexity to accessing anti-obesity treatments.Why it matters: GLP-1s are expensive and in short supply. Supplements promoted with similar claims may be easier to come by, but experts warn they don’t have to meet...
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Teenage girl gets long-awaited Duchenne treatment
Sarah Jenssen is the rarest of the rare — a girl with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which almost always afflicts boys, as STAT wrote about in 2019. She wasn’t eligible to enroll in clinical trials for cutting-edge Duchenne therapies, but her family was elated when the FDA this year approved a gene therapy called Elevidys from Sarepta...
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BIOTECH REVIEW DEAL
BIOTECH REVIEW DEAL — Lawmakers are floating a compromise to break an impasse on legislation that would hamper Chinese biotech firms’ ability to do business in the U.S., three people familiar with the negotiations told Ben.The BIOSECURE ACT, which the House passed 306-81 in September, would halt federal contracts for companies partnering with specific Chinese biotech companies...
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CYBER SECURITY
Breaches on the rise2024 was another record year for health data breaches, according to a STAT analysis of records from the federal health department’s Office for Civil Rights. As many as 172 million people may have been impacted, and 532 of the 656 breaches reported resulted from hacks and ransomware attacks. The reports include the cyberattack on Change Healthcare, the UnitedHealth...
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Red light shines bright
Kelsie Whitmore uses red light therapy in her locker room at Richmond County Bank Ball Park in September 2022 in Staten Island, N.Y. Photo: Al Bello/Getty ImagesRed light is one type of light that doctors aren’t shielding us from.Why it matters: It’s a therapy surging in popularity, especially for the treatment of wrinkles and acne. Red light...
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WOMEN’S HEALTH
Effective therapies for menopause symptoms are largely unused Why? It starts with one study. The Women’s Health Initiative was a 2002 landmark study that suggested hormone therapy came with an increased risk of heart disease and breast cancer. The study specifically focused on older, postmenopausal women, most of whom were not experiencing symptoms like hot...
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Not your grandfather’s radiation therapy
Radiation has been a core part of cancer treatment for generations. But over the last couple of years, there’s been a surge of interest in a new type of treatment. Radiopharmaceuticals can more precisely target cancerous cells by fusing radioactive isotopes with a tool that will guide the compound to cancer cells like a missile,...