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Sean Kaufman, nominated for Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, has questioned the use of the hepatitis B vaccine in infants and referenced the disproven link between vaccines and autism. The article notes a pattern of vaccine skepticism among some high-ranking officials in the Department of Health and Human Services under Robert F. Kennedy Jr., despite White House efforts to avoid vaccine-related discussions.

Roche has discontinued two Huntington’s gene-silencing drugs due to disappointing data. ARPA-H announced a $160 million initiative to accelerate gene-editing therapies for rare diseases. Drugmakers are promoting Medicare’s new obesity drug discount program.

German lawmakers passed a bill to increase mandatory drug discounts from 7% to 15.5% to address a health insurance budget gap, which industry groups argue could deter investment and reduce access to new medicines. U.S. drug developers are adopting secrecy to prevent Chinese biotech firms from using their data to create competing drugs and accelerate clinical trials.

The FDA has delayed the deadline for banning electric shock devices. The article also mentions a health insurance cost series and a newsletter signup, but focuses on the FDA's action.

Jeremy Faust, a Boston-based doctor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, runs a Substack newsletter called Inside Medicine with nearly 85,000 subscribers. He recently reported on the MV Hondius cruise ship incident, revealing that 26 passengers who disembarked earlier than previously disclosed may have risked spreading hantavirus to the United States.

The Boys’ Club of New York, a 150-year-old organization, provides after-school and weekend activities to around 2,500 boys from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, aiming to support their mental health through a time-tested approach. Many participants face challenges such as living in single-parent households or encountering immigration enforcement threats.

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) report shows primary care in America is succeeding, with nearly all Medicare beneficiaries having a primary care provider (PCP), over three-quarters seeing their PCP within two weeks, and rising compensation for PCPs. However, this data contradicts the common belief that increased investment in primary care is essential to solving the U.S. healthcare crisis.

A whistleblower challenges an insurance contractor over high family health insurance costs, while potential candidates for the new FDA commissioner are discussed on 'The Readout LOUD' podcast. The episode explores rising health insurance prices and regulatory leadership changes.

The article poses the question of who will lead the FDA and mentions STAT's free health newsletter, Morning Rounds, while referencing a World Cup match between France and Morocco.

Northwest Biotherapeutics submitted a marketing application for its brain cancer treatment DCVax to U.K. regulators in late December 2023 under an expedited pathway expecting a 150-day review. Over 931 days later, the U.K.’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has not approved the drug and refuses to comment, deferring updates to the company.

AstraZeneca and Ionis Pharmaceuticals reported that their heart disease drug, Wainua, failed in a pivotal trial for ATTR-CM, showing no improvement over placebo in reducing cardiovascular death and clinical events. The failure caused AstraZeneca's U.S. shares to drop 8% and London-listed shares to fall 9%, while Ionis shares fell 12%.

The Great American State Fair in Washington concludes with two 'MAHA Mondays' events featuring speakers from the Make America Healthy Again movement. Health and Human Services senior adviser Calley Means and acting Surgeon General Stephanie Haridopolos discussed health and wellness and a recent advisory on screen use harms.

Matt Wilsey developed a gene therapy to treat his daughter Grace's NGLY1 deficiency, an ultra-rare genetic disorder, but the treatment caused her to be hospitalized. Wilsey's efforts, which involved assembling scientists and advocates, aim to create a model for curing other rare diseases.

The article discusses how drugmakers like Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk promote classifying obesity as a chronic disease to justify long-term medical treatments. They cite the World Health Organization's recognition of obesity as a disease, aiming to frame it as a medical problem requiring pharmaceutical solutions.

The article describes an incident where a 70-year-old woman experienced a cannabis-related emergency after legalization in Massachusetts in 2016, highlighting the need for medical guidance for elderly users. A doctor at the scene provided care during her episode.

Health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to compile a list of injuries presumed to be caused by Covid-19 vaccines, enabling individuals to seek government compensation. He criticizes vaccines for lacking adequate safety testing and aims to overhaul a program that compensates those injured by federally recommended vaccines. Experts are monitoring which conditions may be included on the list.

The White House is reviewing top contenders to lead the FDA, including Heidi Overton, Jeffrey Vacirca, and Stephen Ferrara. These individuals are under final consideration for the role.

Trump administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., urged pharmaceutical leaders in a private meeting to bring production of essential medications back to the U.S. The discussion focused on strengthening U.S. control over supply chains for 86 medicines deemed essential by the health department’s Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response.

Longevity entrepreneur Bryan Johnson has been diagnosed with autoimmune gastritis, a chronic condition where the body's antibodies attack stomach cells, impairing iron absorption. The disease increases the risk of stomach cancer and can lead to vitamin B12 deficiencies causing anemia and neurological issues.

The FDA approved Trutakna, a kidney disease drug from Vera Therapeutics, for treating IgA nephropathy at an annual price of $425,000. U.K. officials are finalizing a pricing deal with AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo to provide access to Enhertu, a breast cancer drug previously deemed too costly for the U.K. market.