June 18, 2025
A nurse practitioner prepares a flu vaccine for a patient at a CVS in Key Biscayne, Fla.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

STAT+ | Vaccine advisers to consider MMRV vaccines, ‘thimerosal containing’ flu shots in pared-down meeting

The meeting will give the public its first look at how Kennedy’s new ACIP panel will weigh the evidence for vaccines.

By Chelsea Cirruzzo


HIV protection with just two shots a year: FDA approves Gilead drug

Gilead's PrEP drug lenacapavir, to marketed under the name Yeztugo, provides six months protection from HIV with a single shot.

By Jason Mast and Ed Silverman


STAT+ | Vinay Prasad named chief medical and science officer at FDA

Vinay Prasad is taking on top roles at the FDA, solidifying his position as a top advisor to Commissioner Marty Makary.

By Lizzy Lawrence



Adobe

STAT+ | Psychedelics proponents hope Trump administration will foster a new era

RFK Jr. and Trump allies push for psychedelics to treat PTSD and depression. FDA in position to greenlight MDMA and psilocybin for mental health treatment.

By Olivia Goldhill and Meghana Keshavan


Supreme Court ruling on gender-affirming care delivers major setback for transgender rights

Supreme Court, in U.S. v. Skrmetti, upholds Tennessee ban on gender-affirming care for minors, sets precedent for more than states with similar laws.

By Theresa Gaffney


STAT+ | Does the FDA commissioner’s new voucher program open a Pandora’s box?

The notion of faster drug reviews makes sense, but the "Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher" program also threatens to come at a cost.

By Matthew Herper


Adobe

Opinion: Following second patient death, Duchenne muscular dystrophy families deserve answers about Elevidys

Gene therapy holds promise for treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy. But after a second Elevidys death, the system must work better.

By Christine McSherry


Opinion: Thousands, including my husband, died because of tainted blood. I’m afraid it could happen again

The Trump administration’s reckless slashing makes me worry we will be underprepared if a new virus or pathogen enters our blood supply.

By Kathy Seward MacKay


Research funding has unexpected benefits. A lizard study led to Ozempic

STAT Video: With the future of NIH funding in jeopardy, Reed Jobs tells us how studying a lizard brought the world a blockbuster drug — Ozempic.

By Alex Hogan


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