Life

Briefing: Opinion: I have a genetic mutation linked to ALS. The Trump administration terrifies me

Strategic angle: "Watching my mom die of ALS was one of the most awful things I’ve gone through. I don’t want my children to see me suffer like that."

Editorial Staff Mar 16

Briefing: How STAT would cover ‘The Fugitive’ if its pharma scandal were real

Strategic angle: It's Oscar season, so we're bringing you a special STATus report on how we'd cover the drug scandal in 'The Fugitive' if it were real.

Briefing: Major changes to cardiovascular guidelines suggest taking statins as young as 30

Strategic angle: Cardiology groups say adults as young as 30 should assess cholesterol risk and consider treatment to prevent heart attacks and strokes.

Briefing: STAT+: Up and down the ladder: The latest comings and goings

Strategic angle: From new hires to departures, promotions and transfers, here are the latest comings and goings in the pharmaceutical industry.

Briefing: Most Medicare Beneficiaries Affected by Plan Terminations in 2025 Have Robust Medicare Advantage Options in 2026

Strategic angle: Virtually all (98.9%) of the 2.6 million Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan that terminated coverage at the end of 2025 have at least one MA-PD available in 2026.

Epstein’s pal attempts a biotech comeback, and Prasad exits the FDA

On this week's The Readout LOUD podcast: A friend of Jeffrey Epstein attempts a biotech comeback, and (another) Prasad FDA exit.

Briefing: Trump's Influence on Drug Prices: A Closer Look

Strategic angle: Exploring the ongoing battle over drug pricing and the contrasting approaches of Trump and Biden.

Recent Trends in Medicaid Outpatient Prescription Drugs and Spending

This issue brief describes recent trends in the number of Medicaid outpatient prescriptions and the spending on those drugs and examines the implications of recent federal actions on future trends.

Briefing: Make next year’s flu shots, says FDA committee

Strategic angle: Vaccine skepticism, FDA-authorized vape flavors, and more health news from Morning Rounds

Poll: Public Worries About Prescription Drug Costs Reach New High

Most Across Political Parties Want Government to Do More to Regulate Prices

Briefing: Trump is getting more credit than Biden for efforts to lower drug prices

Strategic angle: Trump is drawing more attention to his efforts to lower drug prices, like TrumpRx.

Briefing: FDA move on flavored vapes rattles public health experts

Strategic angle: New FDA guidance suggests mint, coffee, and spice vape flavors could be authorized, raising debate over toxic additives and youth vaping risks.

Briefing: Leapfrog Group’s legal defeat underscores challenges of rating hospital quality

Strategic angle: The legal battle underscores the complicated questions surrounding how best to evaluate hospital safety.

Briefing: White House says it’s ‘done’ with vaccines. MAHA begs to differ

Strategic angle: As Trump political advisers try to move on from vaccine policy debates, MAHA movement insiders push back, calling RFK Jr. supporters vital to GOP's success.

Briefing: Congressional Advisers Call to Rein in Medicare Advantage Spending Amid Industry Pressure

Strategic angle: Lobbying groups supported by insurance companies have criticized the research and promoted their own.

Briefing: Cancer cells can ‘barf’ proteins onto their cell surface, creating new targets for immunotherapies

Strategic angle: An unexpected discovery may bring scientists closer to a long-sought goal: finding an ideal immunotherapy target for solid tumors.

Briefing: The Impact of Gun Violence on Youth Mental Health and Well-Being

Strategic angle: Exposure to gun violence can severely affect the mental health of children and adolescents.

Briefing: Child and Adolescent Firearm Deaths: National Trends and Variation by Demographics and States

Strategic angle: This brief analyzes the latest youth mortality data from the CDC, revealing alarming trends in firearm-related deaths among children and adolescents.

Briefing: Status of State Medicaid Expansion Decisions

Strategic angle: Explore the current status of state decisions on Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act.