23 May, 2026
Allison covers what hot startups are getting up to, and who’s financing them. She is also co-host of the weekly biotech podcast, “The Readout Loud.” You can reach Allison on…
WASHINGTON — A group of Senate Democrats is proposing that Medicare cover in-home care, which would create the first new benefit in the program since the Part D retail drug…
The Trump administration has made sweeping changes to vaccine policy over the past year justified by invocations of patients’ “personal autonomy.” In January, Department of Health and Human Services head…
Below is a lightly edited, AI-generated transcript of the “First Opinion Podcast” interview with Shelley Wood and Eric Topol. Be sure to sign up for the weekly “First Opinion Podcast”…
Allison covers what hot startups are getting up to, and who’s financing them. She is also co-host of the weekly biotech podcast, “The Readout Loud.” You can reach Allison on…

House speaker supports emergency medical care for immigrants

WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Wednesday that Republicans don’t want to change a law requiring hospitals to provide care to any individual experiencing a medical emergency, including immigrants without legal status.  His remarks capped off more than a week of comments from Republican politicians related to the idea of undocumented immigrants receiving […]

1 min read

Trump official calls for MMR vaccine to be separated into 3 shots

Jim O’Neill, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, called for drastic changes to the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine that aren’t supported by medical research, intensifying the Trump administration’s criticism of a shot that’s a cornerstone of the childhood vaccination schedule.  “I call on vaccine manufacturers to develop safe monovalent vaccines […]

5 mins read

A health social media star’s advice for science communicators

Below is a lightly edited, AI-generated transcript of the “First Opinion Podcast” interview with Morgan McSweeney. Be sure to sign up for the weekly “First Opinion Podcast” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Get alerts about each new episode by signing up for the “First Opinion Podcast” newsletter. And don’t forget to sign […]

45 mins read

FDA approves another generic of abortion pill mifepristone| STAT

WASHINGTON — Federal officials have approved another generic version of the abortion pill mifepristone, a regulatory formality that quickly triggered pushback from anti-abortion groups and politicians aligned with the Trump administration. Drugmaker Evita Solutions announced on its website that the Food and Drug Administration signed off on its low-cost form of the pill, which is approved to end pregnancies through 10 […]

3 mins read

U.K. patient advocates urge antitrust regulator to probe drugmakers

The U.K.’s antitrust regulator has been asked by patient advocacy groups to investigate several large drugmakers and their U.K. lobbying organization for “suspected” and “coordinated” efforts to drive up the prices of medicines. The backdrop to the complaint has been an ongoing row between the pharmaceutical industry and the U.K. government over mandatory rebates that […]

1 min read