Jan 06 A deep dive into newborns’ DNA may reveal potential disease risks — but is the testing worth it? By Andrew Joseph, STAT Looking for diseases in newborns’ DNA that could arise during adulthood is more ethically fraught than focusing on childhood conditions. Continue reading
Dec 26 3 global health challenges to watch in 2019 By Helen Branswell, STAT Will the U.S. get a licensed dengue vaccine? Will Sanofi pocket a coveted prize?… Continue reading
Dec 23 Opinion: ‘Passive’ fentanyl exposure: more myth than reality By Lewis S. Nelson, Jeanmarie Perrone Reports that merely being in a room with fentanyl, a powerful opioid, or its analogues can poison you don't match the action and effects of these drugs. Continue reading
Dec 16 Flu vaccinations rise sharply in both children and adults By Helen Branswell, STAT The increase in early vaccination may be due to fresh memories of how bad last winter was, but other factors may also be at play. Continue reading
Dec 15 Purdue’s secret OxyContin papers should be released, appeals court rules By David Armstrong, Andrew Joseph, STAT A Kentucky appeals court sided with STAT, upholding a ruling ordering the release of Purdue Pharma records about the marketing of the opioid OxyContin. Continue reading
Dec 01 NIH director says there’s work to do on regulating genome editing globally By Lev Facher, STAT The apparent birth this month of the first genetically modified babies is “a lesson in the potential for human hubris to overtake us,” Dr. Francis Collins, the director of the National Institutes of Health. Continue reading
Nov 10 HHS recommended that the DEA make kratom a Schedule I drug, like LSD or heroin By Ike Swetlitz, STAT The Department of Health and Human Services asserted in a letter to the Drug Enforcement Administration that two chemicals in kratom should be classified as Schedule I substances, meaning that the chemicals have “a high potential for abuse” and that… Continue reading
Nov 04 Low income explains poorer survival after a heart attack more than race, study finds By Elizabeth Cooney, STAT A new study examining how long black or white people survive after a heart attack concludes that it’s socioeconomic status, far more than race, that explains who fares better. Continue reading
Nov 04 Voters don’t like ‘Big Pharma.’ But they could soon elect a Senate that includes two pharma lobbyists and a CEO By Lev Facher, STAT If Republicans prevail in just two races on Tuesday, the Senate’s ranks would suddenly include two former drug industry lobbyists and a pharma CEO. Continue reading
Oct 21 With genome sequencing, some sick infants are getting a shot at healthy lives By Meghana Keshavan, STAT Scientists say the data show over and over that early diagnosis of genetic disorders not only saves lives, but can keep long-term health care costs down. Continue reading