Andrew’s Recent Stories
Science Jan 06
A deep dive into newborns’ DNA may reveal potential disease risks — but is the testing worth it?Looking for diseases in newborns’ DNA that could arise during adulthood is more ethically fraught than focusing on childhood conditions.
Science Dec 15
Purdue’s secret OxyContin papers should be released, appeals court rulesA Kentucky appeals court sided with STAT, upholding a ruling ordering the release of Purdue Pharma records about the marketing of the opioid OxyContin.
Science Oct 14
Rewriting reproduction: With stem cells and CRISPR, scientists breed mice with same-sex parentsFor the first time, scientists said Thursday that they had bred mice with two genetic fathers.
Health Sep 13
Seven U.S. states now have adult obesity rates of 35 percent or higherSeven U.S. states now have adult obesity rates of 35 percent or higher, up from zero states just five years ago, according to federal data.
Health Jun 16
Controversial NIH study of ‘moderate drinking’ will be terminated after scathing reportThe National Institutes of Health will shut down a controversial industry-funded study of moderate drinking and heart disease after a task force found severe ethical and scientific lapses in the study’s planning and execution, the agency’s director said Friday.
Health Jan 14
At $850,000, price for new childhood blindness gene therapy four times too high, analysis saysLuxturna, a gene therapy with a list price $850,000, is the latest flashpoint in the debate over how to afford innovative medicines.
Health Aug 10
These states declared an emergency over the opioid crisis. Here’s what happenedMost national emergency declarations, which grant the government temporary new powers with little in the way of oversight, have come in response to natural disasters or the spread of infectious diseases like the H1N1 virus. They allow the federal government…
Health May 25
In a first, marijuana substance reduces seizures for some epilepsy patients in clinical trialA component of cannabis reduced seizures in children with a rare form of epilepsy, marking a significant step in efforts to use marijuana and its derivatives to treat serious medical conditions.
Health May 06
How Virginia dramatically expanded treatment options for addiction (and skirted federal law)A new type of “waiver” from federal rules has dramatically expanded options for Medicaid beneficiaries, and could help other states serve those in need.
Science Apr 18
Meet Nate Butkus, the 6-year-old with a science podcastOn his podcast, six-year-old Nate Butkus has talked radiation with a US government scientist, evolution with a Harvard researcher, and, most recently, genome-editing with MIT’s Kevin Esvelt.