Category: Drugs
The Price of Remission
Revlimid is one of the bestselling pharmaceutical products of all time, with total sales of more than $100 billion. It has extended tens of thousands of lives — including my own.
But Revlimid is also, I soon learned, extraordinarily expensive, costing nearly $1,000 for each daily pill. (Although, I later discovered, a capsule costs just 25 cents to make.)
FDA will approve COVID-19 vaccine only for older adults and high-risk groups – a public health expert explains the new rules
Although the FDA states that its new policy aims to promote greater transparency and evidenced-based decision-making, the change is controversial – in part because it circumvents the usual process for evaluating vaccine recommendations.
‘A New Era’ of Cancer Therapies
Now experts say that new therapies are beginning to surpass challenges that previous treatments couldn’t, providing safer, more targeted delivery directly to tumors. These include drugs that contain radioactive substances, called radiopharmaceuticals, which are used to diagnose or treat cancer; medications that can influence the genes that spur or suppress tumor growth; and therapeutic cancer vaccines.
Biden wanted Medicaid to pay for weight-loss drugs. Trump just said it doesn’t have to.
While doctors and patient advocates say these drugs are critical to helping patients struggling with obesity and can save money in the long run by reducing comorbidities such as heart disease, others say the medications are just too expensive for most states to afford.
The MMR vaccine doesn’t contain ‘aborted fetus debris’, as RFK Jr has claimed. Here’s the science
Despite what Kennedy would have you believe, there’s no fetal debris in the MMR vaccine, and the trace amounts of DNA fragments that may remain pose no health risk.
What the evidence does show, however, is that vaccines like the MMR vaccine offer excellent protection against deadly and preventable diseases, and have saved millions of lives around the world.
Commentary: Rural Americans Need the Trump Administration to Provide an Additional Path to Fight Obesity
The prevalence of obesity among rural Americans is six times higher.
Washington Health Officials Urge Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccines amidst national outbreak
Childhood immunization rates in Washington state have dropped since the COVID-19 pandemic, putting communities at risk for outbreaks
Are New Immune-Based Treatments for Kidney and Pancreatic Cancer on the Horizon?
New immune-based treatments for kidney and pancreatic cancer have shown promising results in two small clinical trials. In both trials, the treatments appeared to prevent cancer from returning in patients who had successful surgery to remove their tumors. The treatments are called therapeutic cancer vaccines because they help the immune system eliminate an existing cancer.
Measles Misinformation Is on the Rise — And Americans Are Hearing It, Survey Finds
Republicans are far more skeptical of vaccines and twice as likely (1 in 5) as Democrats (1 in 10) to believe the measles shot is worse than the disease.
Rural Pharmacies Are Transforming to Take on More Healthcare Responsibilities
As hospitals in rural communities close, pharmacists are changing their workflow and business models to focus on providing more services.
Measles can ravage the immune system and brain, causing long-term damage – a virologist explains
Measles can wipe out immune cells’ ability to recognize pathogens. Peter Kasson, Georgia Institute of Technology The measles outbreak that began in west Texas in late January 2025 continues to grow, with 400 confirmed cases in Texas and more than…
The CDC Buried a Measles Forecast That Stressed the Need for Vaccinations
In an aborted plan to roll out the news, the agency would have emphasized the importance of vaccinating people against the highly contagious and potentially deadly disease that has spread to 19 states, the records show.
Medetomidine is replacing xylazine in Philly street fentanyl − creating new hurdles for health care providers and drug users
Kory London, Thomas Jefferson University and Karen Alexander, Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia’s street opioid supply – or “dope” market – is constantly changing. As health care workers and researchers who care for people who use drugs in our community, we…
Combatting the measles threat means examining the reasons for declining vaccination rates
The anti-vaccine literature is not anti-science. It is filled with statistics and references to scientific studies, although the facts are often wrong. Parents who read this literature need more than the simple reassurance of experts that vaccines are safe and effective. They need to be shown evidence and have confidence that their concerns are being taken seriously.
Second measles case identified in Washington state
Measles is a highly contagious and potentially severe disease that causes fever, rash, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes. If one person has it, up to 9 out of 10 people nearby will become infected if they are not protected. It mainly spreads through the air after a person with measles coughs or sneezes.