BUSINESS
Social media's age limits won't protect your kids
The real problem is the apps’ addictive features and how they prey on developing brains
BUSINESS
Pharma deals show targetted cancer drugs finally living up to the hype
Pharmaceutical companies, in need of assets to counter flagging sales, are making these so-called antibody-drug conjugates the technology of choice in oncology dealmaking. After decades of fits and starts, the science around designing and testing this class of drugs has finally coalesced
BUSINESS
Crispr offers hope for a one-time cholesterol drug
Initial data from a human clinical trial suggests an experimental drug from Verve Therapeutics that uses gene editing to permanently lower cholesterol raises hopes that people can one day trade daily lipid-lowering pills for a one-time treatment
BUSINESS
Colorectal Cancer Treatment: Socioeconomic lessons from US hospitals
A new analysis from researchers at the American Cancer Society suggests that the distressing disparity in outcomes for Black and White colon cancer patients could narrow if hospitals simply treated all patients with the same level of high-quality care
TRENDS
The pandemic is over but our mental stress isn’t
Humans have finite mental resources, and they’ve been decidedly depleted by years of dealing with Covid and its fallout, plus economic woes and worries about geopolitical upheaval
TRENDS
Drop that hot dog if you value your health
Two new studies highlight the health risks of favoring processed meats over legumes and vegetables
TRENDS
Nobel for mRNA vaccine shows power of perseverance
The Covid-19 shots that seemed to appear overnight built on decades of work by Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman
BUSINESS
Long COVID is real. Now the evidence is piling up
A new study, led by the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Yale School of Medicine and published in Nature, defines some critical differences in certain biomarkers of people with long COVID. The next step is even more critical: coming up with a way to cure them
TRENDS
Teen mental health crisis could be exacerbated by anxious parents
There are downsides to constantly tracking our kids, whether that’s using FindMyPhone to keep tabs on their locations, or monitoring social media accounts which parenting experts often suggest. A shift from “monitoring” to “mentoring” so that teens learn to make their own wise choices can help
BUSINESS
Google DeepMind's AI tool could pinpoint our genetic faults
There’s been plenty of worrying about the damage AI could do, but discoveries like the Google tool that can pluck harmful genome mutations from thousands of minute-but-benign ones show how AI can accelerate progress on the most vexing questions about human biology and health
BUSINESS
Ozempic cuts alcohol cravings. Liquor companies aren’t ready
GLP1 drugs are poised to reshape the weight-loss market and US waistlines. There are implications for booze companies, too
BUSINESS
How drugs for obesity and Alzheimer's propelled Eli Lilly to the top
Two of the biggest stories in medicine this year — the arrival of the first disease-modifying treatments in Alzheimer’s and the stunning transformations made possible by new weight-loss drugs — have something in common: Eli Lilly & Co
BUSINESS
If you never got sick from COVID, thank your genes
Researchers are finding that variations in the human genome could be behind asymptomatic COVID cases and triggering Long COVID. The existing vaccines all try to prevent infection altogether, but there could be merit in focusing on vaccines designed to take advantage of that memory T-cell response that seems to work so well for people with the right genetics
BUSINESS
Eli Lilly’s new weight-loss drug is even better than Ozempic
When it comes to manipulating the human metabolism, we’re entering entirely new territory
TRENDS
Goodbye, Body Mass Index. You won’t be missed
BMI has meant slapping an “overweight” or “obese” label on some people who are perfectly healthy, while overlooking others whose BMI is considered normal, but could use better guidance on exercising or eating healthy foods
TRENDS
Can Taurine help you live longer and healthier?
Mice fed Taurine, an amino acid, lived 10–12 percent longer; worms’ lives were extended 10-23 percent; and middle-aged monkeys showed improvements across health parameters. But we don't know the dangers of Taurine supplements to human health, including on cancerous cells. Years of research lie ahead
TRENDS
Breast cancer vaccine trials have started and show promise
Researchers and doctors are inching closer to making mastectomies a thing of the past. Women who were part of one breast cancer vaccine trial had a 50 percent chance of dying from the disease within five years of treatment, but after a decade, 80 percent are still alive.
BUSINESS
Bats, cheetahs and hippos unlock mysteries of the human genome
The decade-long Zoonomia project shows that animals have a lot to teach us about our health, disease, and potentially new ideas for medicines
TRENDS
Teen mental health crisis was getting worse even before the COVID pandemic
The increase in mental health hospitalisations in the US is happening across the board, regardless of a child’s race, socioeconomic status, or location. Girls experienced a much sharper rise in hospitalisations than boys
TRENDS
An urgently needed TB shot could democratise vaccines
A new strategy holds the promise of developing an important tool to fight the world’s deadliest infectious disease while easing a reliance on wealthier nations
TRENDS
Schizophrenia drug from Karuna Pharmaceuticals may offer much needed progress
Late stage trial data indicate that the harsh side effects associated with older drugs that made patients stop taking medication have been sharply reduced
BUSINESS
Pfizer and Seagen bet on the future of cancer drugs
The biotech company’s oncology treatments are so complex that generic drugmakers will have a hard time siphoning off revenue
BUSINESS
Seagen could be the deal Pfizer investors have been craving
The innovative cancer drug maker is an appealing target for a pharma giant with plenty of cash to spend
TRENDS
Male birth control pill gets closer to reality. It's about time
A breakthrough in mice suggests that men may one day get a contraception alternative to condoms and vasectomies
