Health & Veritas Science, Politics, and Personality
Howie and Harlan discuss Dr. Vinay Prasad’s departure from the FDA after a backlash against his decisions on Sarepta’s Duchenne muscular dystrophy gene therapy. Also examined: AI in clinical settings, changes in NIH grantmaking, and the 60th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid.
Links:
Sarepta and the FDA
“STAT breaks down the confusing, heartbreaking Sarepta saga”
“For many Duchenne families, halt to gene therapy is heartbreak upon heartbreak”
“FDA launches probe into new Elevidys death as Sarepta, Roche stress gene therapy not at fault”
“FDA Recommends Removal of Voluntary Hold for Elevidys for Ambulatory Patients”
“FDA takes U-turn on Sarepta’s Elevidys, backing Duchenne gene therapy again in ambulatory patients”
“Controversial FDA official Dr. Vinay Prasad departs agency”
“Top F.D.A. Vaccine Official Resigns, Citing Kennedy’s ‘Misinformation and Lies’”
“Vinay Prasad Is a Bernie Sanders Acolyte in MAHA Drag”
“Timeline: The Rise and Fall of Vioxx”
“What have we learnt from Vioxx?”
THC in pizza dough
“C.D.C. Ties 85 Cases of THC-Related Symptoms to Wisconsin Restaurant”
“Tetrahydrocannabinol Intoxication from Food at a Restaurant — Wisconsin, October 2024”
NIH funding
“NIH is shrinking the number of research projects it funds due to a new Trump policy”
NIH: Supporting Fairness and Originality in NIH Research Applications
“Fearful of AI-generated grant proposals, NIH limits scientists to six applications per year”
“Trump budget draft proposes NIH consolidation and 40% spending cut”
Raw milk
“The Dangers of Raw Milk: Unpasteurized Milk Can Pose a Serious Health Risk”
AI in healthcare update
“Ambience Healthcare Announces $243 Million Series C to Scale its AI Platform for Health Systems”
“As ambient scribes face off, Doximity lures doctors with a free option”
Aidoc: “AI Empowering Radiologists”
“Large Language Models as an Inexpensive and Effective Extra Set of Eyes in Radiology Reporting”
Medicare and Medicaid 60th anniversary
“Medicare and Medicaid turn 60 – and face historic cuts decades in the making”
UnitedHealth and Medicare Advantage
“UnitedHealth says 2025 earnings will be worse than expected as high medical costs dog insurers”
“Novo Nordisk slides further on US competition, new CEO concerns”
“Dems Must Really Fix Medicaid, Not Just Undo Trump’s Damage to It”
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