2023

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Here are the worst biopharma CEOs of 2023

STAT

Pfizer is this year’s anti-Eli Lilly. If David Ricks is the best biopharma CEO of 2023 , then Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla is, unfortunately, the worst. My annual Worst Biopharma CEO list is typically populated with blockheads and scoundrels. That’s not why Bourla is here. The reason is accountability. Strategic missteps , financial miscalculations, and scientific setbacks have plunged Pfizer into a deep crisis.

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As ALS research booms, one treatment center finds itself in the spotlight

BioPharma Dive

The Healey center is at the front of ALS research and care, earning acclaim from patients, doctors and scientists. Still, the complexities of the disease and of drug development have brought hard-felt losses.

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Opinion: Manufacturers need to be more open about a dangerous Alzheimer’s drug side effect

STAT

Since the FDA’s approval of lecanemab (marketed as Leqembi) and Medicare’s recent decision to cover the drug, I have met with Alzheimer’s patients and their loved ones who are anxious to know whether they may benefit from this new treatment. They come in hope that this new medication may slow the progression of a cruel memory-robbing and personality-eroding disease.

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The 2023 PharmaVoice 100

PharmaVoice

This year’s honorees are influential and devoted leaders lifting the pillars of the industry to new heights.

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From Diagnosis to Delivery: How AI is Revolutionizing the Patient Experience

Speaker: Simran Kaur, Founder & CEO at Tattva Health Inc.

The healthcare landscape is being revolutionized by AI and cutting-edge digital technologies, reshaping how patients receive care and interact with providers. In this webinar led by Simran Kaur, we will explore how AI-driven solutions are enhancing patient communication, improving care quality, and empowering preventive and predictive medicine. You'll also learn how AI is streamlining healthcare processes, helping providers offer more efficient, personalized care and enabling faster, data-driven

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WHO grants emergency use listing to SK bioscience’s SKYCovione

Pharmaceutical Technology

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has granted an emergency use listing (EUL) to SK bioscience’s Covid-19 vaccine, SKYCovione. SKYCovione is a self-assembled nanoparticle vaccine and the 12th Covid-19 vaccine to receive a EUL from the regulator. Developed using pharmaceutical company GSK’s pandemic adjuvant, the vaccine targets the receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

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FDA Approves MDMA for Clinical Trial Use Investigating Schizophrenia

Pharmacy Times

The study will assess the use of the drug to treat impaired social motivation, or asociality, which is a difficult-to-treat symptom of schizophrenia that can cause significant functional impairment.

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STAT+: Complications spiked 25% in hospitals bought by private equity

STAT

There’s ample evidence that private equity buyouts in health care drive up costs. A new study shows quality declines, too. Hospitals acquired by private equity saw a 25% uptick in adverse events compared with controls, according to a new study released today in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The findings add to an accumulating body of literature underscoring the harm that occurs when financial investors take over health care providers — not only hospitals, but nur

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Quitting alcohol — or even drinking less — reduces risk of oral cavity and esophageal cancer, per new analysis

STAT

Reducing or eliminating alcohol consumption reduces the risk of developing oral cavity and esophagus cancers, according to a special report from the International Agency for Research on Cancer. But more data are needed to conclude whether the same is true for several other cancer types, including colorectal, breast, and liver cancer. Even so, it is likely that reducing or ceasing to drink alcohol will lessen the risk of these cancers, said Farhad Islami, a cancer epidemiologist at the American C

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We wish we’d written that: STAT staffers share their favorite stories of 2023

STAT

It’s time to take stock of the year that was in health and science: the meteoric rise of weight loss drugs , the approval of the first CRISPR-based therapy , the continuing effects of abortion access restrictions after the Dobbs decision, and much more. Below is our annual list of stories that STAT staffers loved, and wish that they had written.

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U.S. government spent more on health care in 2022 than six countries with universal health care combined

STAT

American taxpayers footed the bill for at least $1.8 trillion in federal and state health care expenditures in 2022 — about 41% of the nearly $4.5 trillion in both public and private health care spending the U.S. recorded last year, according to the annual report released last week by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. On top of that $1.8 trillion, third-party programs, which are often government-funded, and public health programs accounted for another $600 billion in spendin

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Why Every Small Business Needs an HCM Solution: A Comprehensive Guide

Managing HR tasks like payroll, compliance, and employee data can overwhelm small businesses. That’s where a Human Capital Management (HCM) solution comes in. Our eBook, Why Every Small Business Needs an HCM Solution: A Comprehensive Guide , shows how an HCM system automates tedious processes, ensuring your business stays compliant and efficient. You’ll learn how to simplify payroll, eliminate costly errors, and empower your employees with self-service tools.

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Pregnant cancer patients often have to terminate. Abortion pill restrictions could make that choice even harder

STAT

WASHINGTON — The patient had already made the agonizing decision to start chemotherapy to address her colon cancer, even though she was 30 weeks pregnant. Within a day, the decisions got harder: her colon perforated, and the pain was excruciating. She would need urgent surgery — and she would have to undergo an emergency C-section immediately.

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Health data breaches hit an all-time high in 2023

STAT

Odds are, you’ve gotten at least one of the unnerving letters in your mailbox this year: “We’re writing to inform you of a cybersecurity incident,” it might start. It’s the standard notice many health care organizations are required to provide when your protected health information gets exposed — and in 2023, data leaks, hacks, and mishandling led more of them to be delivered than ever before.

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Kate Cox is one of hundreds in Texas denied abortions despite serious health risks, data show

STAT

A Texas woman’s unsuccessful legal fight for an abortion on medical emergency grounds drew nationwide headlines in recent days, but her plight is hardly a rare occurrence amid vague and highly restrictive state laws in the post-Roe era. Kate Cox is likely one of hundreds, if not thousands, of Texans who’ve faced a similar struggle this year to get an abortion for medical reasons, according to a STAT review of studies and abortion data from other states.

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STAT+: Humana used algorithm in ‘fraudulent scheme’ to deny care to Medicare Advantage patients, lawsuit alleges

STAT

Medicare Advantage beneficiaries on Tuesday filed a class-action lawsuit alleging that the health insurance giant Humana illegally used an algorithm to prematurely cut off payment for rehabilitation care after patients suffered serious illnesses and injuries. The suit, filed in U.S. District Court in Western Kentucky, argues Humana’s reliance on the algorithm, known as nH Predict, was part of a fraudulent scheme to reap a windfall by systematically denying claims to desperately ill people

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Best Practices to Streamline Compensation Management: A Foundation for Growth

Speaker: Joe Sharpe and James Carlson

Payroll optimization can be one of the most time-consuming and complex factors of small business management. Yet, organizations that crack the code on streamlining employee compensation often discover innovative avenues for growth. With the right strategies in place, outsourcing and streamlining payroll processes can result in substantial time and resource savings.

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Gene therapy offered this 7-year-old freedom. The price: a grueling year

STAT

PHILADELPHIA — The meds Shelby Campbell needed for her rare blood disorder stopped working just after her sixth birthday. She lost her appetite and was often doubled over in pain. She continued getting blood transfusions but her doctors struggled to manage side effects that threatened her organs. By the time she turned 7, the doctors told her parents they had to do something — soon.

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After ‘SNL’ skit on sickle cell CRISPR therapy, advocates cite errors and stereotypes

STAT

Mary Brown was sipping coffee at home in Ontario, Calif., Sunday morning when a friend sent a video clip that ruined her breakfast. It contained a skit from “Saturday Night Live” the night before about the new gene therapies for sickle cell disease. In it, workers gather for an office white-elephant-style gift exchange. A white employee, played by Kate McKinnon, gives a Black employee with sickle cell, played by Kenan Thompson, enrollment in “Vertex Pharmaceutical and CRISPR

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In historic decision, FDA approves a CRISPR-based medicine for treatment of sickle cell disease

STAT

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday approved the world’s first medicine based on CRISPR gene-editing technology, a groundbreaking treatment for sickle cell disease that delivers a potential cure for people born with the chronic and life-shortening blood disorder. The new medicine , called Casgevy, is made by Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics.

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New gene therapies confront many sickle cell patients with an impossible choice: a cure or fertility

STAT

As a teenager, Marie Tornyenu was always having to explain herself. If it wasn’t the chronic absences that had her doing homework from a hospital bed, it was the quilted blanket she carried with her on the days she could attend class. “It was a running joke that I was like 80 years old,” she said. “I would usually just laugh it off because the alternative was too depressing.

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Position Your Pharmacy for Expansion

Speaker: Chris Antypas and Josh Halladay

Access to limited distribution drugs and payer contracts are key to pharmacy expansion. But how do you prepare your operations to take the next step? Meaningful data: Collect and share clinical data regarding outcomes, utilization, and more Reporting: Limited distribution models require efficient tracking and reporting systems Workflows: Align workflows with specific pharma and payer contractual requirements For in-depth, expert insights on pharmacy expansion, watch this webinar from Inovalon.

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STAT+: Pfizer plans to depart BIO

STAT

WASHINGTON — Pfizer has decided to leave the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, according to two sources familiar with the decision. The departure is a blow to BIO, which represents members ranging from small biotech startups to massive pharmaceutical companies. The group on Tuesday announced its new CEO, rare disease advocate and biotech executive John Crowley.

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STAT+: CVS’s new drug payment plan won’t lower patients’ prices, experts warn

STAT

CVS Health is promising to simplify how its pharmacies get paid for drugs. But that doesn’t mean the drugs will get cheaper. The country’s biggest pharmacy chain said it’s switching to a system where pharmacy benefit managers, employers, and other insurers pay for drugs based on the cost of the drug plus a set markup and dispensing fee.

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Mexico’s activist ‘companion networks’ quietly provide abortion pills and support to U.S. women

STAT

TIJUANA, Mexico — Just over a decade ago, when Crystal Pérez Lira needed an abortion, she had to leave Mexico. The procedure was illegal in her home state of Baja California and so deeply stigmatized that even Pérez Lira supported the procedure only for those who were raped. Until she unexpectedly got pregnant. She traveled to the U.S. for help, walking alone across the border from Tijuana to San Diego, first for a health check and a compulsory ultrasound, and then back for a se

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New England Journal of Medicine reckons with its racist past and complicity in slavery

STAT

The New England Journal of Medicine, the world’s oldest continually published medical journal, publicly reckoned with its history and complicity surrounding slavery and racism Wednesday, publishing the first of a series of essays by independent historians on the role the prestigious publication has played in perpetuating racist thinking in medicine that continues to this day.

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Enhance Healthcare Efficiency With Top Payroll & HCM Services

Running a healthcare facility requires precision and care, not just for patients but also for your staff. Our guide, "A Buyer’s Guide to Payroll & HCM Services," helps healthcare providers choose the best provider. Efficient payroll management ensures timely, accurate payments, critical for maintaining staff morale and trust. Compliance support helps navigate complex healthcare regulations and avoid costly fines.

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STAT+: Critics say HCA’s cost-cutting is endangering Appalachian patients — a warning for the whole U.S. health care system

STAT

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — There was the beeping of monitors, the stiff sheets, the sterile smell of the hospital room. Mostly, there was pain. Sharp, relentless pain. Mike Messino was recovering from a successful surgery, but the nerve blocks had worn off. He spent two full hours waiting for a nurse to inject pain medication. When he’d worked in this hospital, he’d made sure patients didn’t wait longer than 15 minutes for that kind of care.

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Is the flu shot market a slam dunk for mRNA vaccines? Experts aren’t so sure

STAT

Here are two things that are true. The world needs more effective flu vaccines. And pharmaceutical companies that learned of the vaccine-making power of the messenger RNA platform during the Covid-19 pandemic need new markets for their technology.

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STAT+: Mayo Clinic to spend $5 billion on tech-heavy redesign of its Minnesota campus

STAT

Mayo Clinic will spend $5 billion to reinvent its flagship medical campus in Rochester, Minn., infusing digital technologies into several new buildings designed to present a 21st-century vision of clinical care, the organization said Tuesday. The project, to include five new buildings with 2.4 million square feet of space, will merge Mayo’s traditional medical services with its increasing investments in artificial intelligence and digital tools.

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STAT+: FDA investigating whether CAR-T, a treatment for cancer, can also cause lymphoma

STAT

The Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday that it is investigating whether CAR-T therapy, which uses genetically modified white blood cells to attack tumors, can in rare cases cause lymphoma, a blood cancer. “Although the overall benefits of these products continue to outweigh their potential risks for their approved uses, FDA is investigating the identified risk of T cell malignancy with serious outcomes, including hospitalization and death, and is evaluating the need for regulatory

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5 Reasons to Upgrade Your Pharmacy Management Software

Are you still using workarounds to manage your daily operations? To achieve peak performance, it's time to explore other options for specialty and infusion pharmacy software. Streamline pharmacy operations and improve clinical performance with automated processing, real-time data exchange, and electronic decision support. Download this helpful infographic to: Drive efficiency and patient adherence from referral receipt to delivery and ongoing care – all with our Pharmacy Cloud.

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Inhaled vaccines could stop Covid infections, monkey studies show

STAT

Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today?  Sign up  to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox. Hey there. Today, we get into why Amy Abernethy is leaving Verily, and why the ongoing reckoning with AI doesn’t necessarily need the voice of Google to chime in. Plus, Jason Mast pops in to give an update on Uniqure’s puzzling approach to presenting trial results.

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NIH panel calls for fewer, better-paid postdocs in bid to halt loss of scientists to industry

STAT

A National Institutes of Health working group on Friday recommended a sizable increase in salaries of postdoctoral researchers and a cap on the length of the position in an effort to secure the future of academia’s research workforce amid an unprecedented exodus of young life scientists to industry. The group called for raising minimum postdoc salaries to $70,000 beginning next year — an increase of more than 20% — and adjusting wages for annual inflation, as well as limitin

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Sweeping bill to fight opioid addiction will be considered by Senate health committee

STAT

The Senate health care committee will consider a sweeping bill next week meant to combat the opioid epidemic, according to four lobbyists and a congressional aide familiar with the legislation.  The proposal would reauthorize a number of programs first created by the SUPPORT Act, an addiction-focused bill that Congress first passed in 2018. Many of those programs’ authorizations expired earlier this year, however, leading addiction treatment advocates to fret that lawmakers —

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Pandemic-related immunity gap in kids explains surge of respiratory infections in children in China, says WHO

STAT

Reports this week that China is experiencing a surge in respiratory infections in young children triggered flashbacks of the start of the Covid-19 pandemic among infectious disease watchers. But a rapidly organized meeting Thursday between the World Health Organization and health officials in China assuaged much of that concern. The evidence presented to the WHO team pointed to what’s sometimes called an immunity gap that was created by the pandemic.

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Surge of respiratory disease in China triggers anxiety, but experts see likely explanation

STAT

Reports of increased respiratory disease among children in China have put disease watchers elsewhere on alert, triggering anxiety that the outbreak — if it is indeed one outbreak — holds uncomfortable echoes of the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. But at present, a number of experts say the activity has a likely explanation: China’s population, especially its young children, probably developed significant immunological susceptibility to a range of respiratory pathogens d

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