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Moderna CEO Warns of China's Heavy Investment in mRNA Technology Amid US Funding Pullback

Moderna CEO Warns of China's Heavy Investment in mRNA Technology Amid US Funding Pullback

Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel has issued a warning regarding China's substantial state-backed investments in mRNA biotechnology, contrasting it with a reduction in U.S. funding for similar projects. Bancel highlighted that while the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has scaled back nearly $500 million in mRNA vaccine development projects through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), China is actively pouring state money into this sector. The Chinese Communist Party has designated biotechnology as a 'strategic emerging industry,' providing significant financing and subsidies to domestic firms with the aim of dominating key areas of the industry. Bancel emphasized the importance of maintaining drug manufacturing within the U.S., citing Moderna's facilities in Massachusetts, to safeguard both American patients and the nation's leadership in healthcare. He noted that the mRNA technology has demonstrated its efficacy during the COVID-19 pandemic with vaccines and is ...
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FDA Clears Roche's Elecsys pTau217 Blood Test for Alzheimer's Biomarker Detection

FDA Clears Roche's Elecsys pTau217 Blood Test for Alzheimer's Biomarker Detection

Roche has received FDA clearance for its Elecsys pTau217 assay, a blood test designed to detect phosphorylated tau 217 (pTau217), a biomarker associated with Alzheimer's disease. Developed in collaboration with Eli Lilly, this test is approved for use in patients aged 55 and older who exhibit signs of cognitive decline. The Elecsys pTau217 assay is notable as the first FDA-cleared blood test using a single biomarker that can both identify and rule out amyloid pathology, a key indicator of Alzheimer's. High levels of pTau217 suggest a greater likelihood of Alzheimer's, while lower levels can help exclude the disease, potentially reducing the need for more invasive and costly diagnostic procedures like PET scans or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) assessments. The test is designed to operate on Roche's existing cobas laboratory platforms, which are widely installed in U.S. clinical laboratories.
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Hormone Replacement Therapy Linked to Reduced Dementia Risk in Specific Postmenopausal Women

Hormone Replacement Therapy Linked to Reduced Dementia Risk in Specific Postmenopausal Women

A large-scale study conducted by the University of East Anglia and the University of Exeter indicates that Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) may reduce the risk of dementia, particularly for certain groups of postmenopausal women. The research, which tracked over 180,000 postmenopausal women in the UK, found that HRT users had a 16% lower risk of developing Alzheimer's disease compared to non-users. The most significant reduction, 26%, was observed in women who had undergone surgical menopause. Additionally, women with naturally lower lifetime estrogen exposure (due to late onset of periods or early menopause) showed a 16% lower risk of any type of dementia with HRT use. The study also highlighted that women carrying the APOE4 gene variant, a known risk factor for Alzheimer's, experienced stronger benefits from HRT. The optimal age for initiating HRT for dementia risk reduction was identified as between 46 and 56, supporting the 'critical window' hypothesis.
Reuters Reuters
China's drug regulator accepts Novo Nordisk's application for oral Wegovy

China's drug regulator accepts Novo Nordisk's application for oral Wegovy

SHANGHAI, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Novo Nordisk said on Thursday that China's drug regulator had accepted its application to sell the oral version of its GLP-1 weight-loss drug Wegovy, as the Danish drugmaker seeks to catch up with rival Eli Lilly in the world's second-largest pharmaceutical market.
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Alkermes' Alixorexton Shows Positive Results in Phase 2 Study for Narcolepsy Type 1

Alkermes' Alixorexton Shows Positive Results in Phase 2 Study for Narcolepsy Type 1

Alkermes plc announced the publication of data from its Vibrance-1 phase 2 study of alixorexton in adults with narcolepsy type 1 (NT1) in The Lancet Neurology. Alixorexton, an investigational oral, selective orexin 2 receptor (OX2R) agonist, demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements in wakefulness and cataplexy. The study, involving 92 adults with NT1, showed that once-daily alixorexton led to improvements in objective and subjective measures of excessive daytime sleepiness, as assessed by the Maintenance of Wakefulness Test (MWT) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). All tested dose groups (4 mg, 6 mg, and 8 mg) achieved mean sleep latency values within the normative range. Additionally, the 6 mg alixorexton group experienced a significant decrease in weekly cataplexy rate. The drug was generally well tolerated, with most treatment-emergent adverse events being mild to moderate in severity and no serious adverse events reported. These positive results have led Alkermes to...
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Bausch + Lomb Advances Two Eye Health Therapies to Later-Stage Trials Following Positive Clinical Results

Bausch + Lomb Advances Two Eye Health Therapies to Later-Stage Trials Following Positive Clinical Results

Bausch + Lomb Advances Two Eye Health Therapies to Later-Stage Trials Following Positive Clinical Results
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Lundbeck and EVERSANA Partner to Advance AI-Powered Commercialization in U.S. Life Sciences

Lundbeck and EVERSANA Partner to Advance AI-Powered Commercialization in U.S. Life Sciences

Lundbeck and EVERSANA Partner to Advance AI-Powered Commercialization in U.S. Life Sciences
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Subtle Medical Appoints Lawrence Tanenbaum as Executive Medical Director and Chair of Medical Advisory Board

Subtle Medical Appoints Lawrence Tanenbaum as Executive Medical Director and Chair of Medical Advisory Board

Subtle Medical has announced the appointment of Lawrence Tanenbaum, MD, as its new executive medical director and chair of its medical advisory board. Dr. Tanenbaum has been an advisor to Subtle Medical since 2019. Prior to this new role, he served as VP, CTO, and director of advanced imaging at RadNet. His extensive background in medical imaging and expertise in enterprise imaging strategy and AI-enabled medical imaging are expected to significantly contribute to Subtle Medical's advancements. This appointment formalizes his leadership within the company's medical and strategic initiatives, building on his previous advisory capacity.
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Pew Research Center Report Reveals 34% of Americans Use AI Chatbots for Health Information, Highlighting Speed and Cost as Key Drivers

Pew Research Center Report Reveals 34% of Americans Use AI Chatbots for Health Information, Highlighting Speed and Cost as Key Drivers

A new Pew Research Center report indicates that 34% of U.S. adults utilize AI chatbots for at least one health-related reason. The survey, conducted in June, aligns with a KFF poll showing a rapid increase in AI health-tool usage, from 17% in 2024 to 29% monthly use in 2026. Speed is the primary motivator, with 28% of users seeking quick health information. Chatbots serve dual functions: 25% use them to investigate symptoms before seeing a doctor, and 22% use them to understand existing diagnoses. Cost is also a significant factor, as 22% turn to chatbots for free or low-cost information, and 20% use them to interpret lab results. Usage skews towards younger, wealthier, and more educated demographics, with 56% of Asian American adults and 44% of adults aged 18-29 being users, compared to 17% of those 65 and older. User satisfaction is high, with 95% finding the information at least somewhat helpful, but comfort sharing personal health data remains split.
USA Today USA Today
Busy Philipps reveals rare brain tumor diagnosis: 'I'm grateful that I'm alive'

Busy Philipps reveals rare brain tumor diagnosis: 'I'm grateful that I'm alive'

Busy Philipps is opening up about being diagnosed with a rare brain tumor after doctors discovered it during a Prenuvo scan, leading to two surgeries.
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Hanmi Pharmaceutical Licenses Obesity Drug Candidate HM17321 to Genentech in $2.3 Billion Deal

Hanmi Pharmaceutical Licenses Obesity Drug Candidate HM17321 to Genentech in $2.3 Billion Deal

Hanmi Pharmaceutical Licenses Obesity Drug Candidate HM17321 to Genentech in $2.3 Billion Deal
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St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Appoints Dr. Charles W.M. Roberts as New CEO

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Appoints Dr. Charles W.M. Roberts as New CEO

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has named Dr. Charles W.M. Roberts as its new president and chief executive officer, effective January 1. Dr. Roberts, who previously served as the director of St. Jude’s Comprehensive Cancer Center and an executive vice president, will succeed Dr. James R. Downing, who led the nonprofit for 12 years and will transition to a faculty role in the hospital’s Global Pediatric Medicine department. Judy Habib, chair of the St. Jude Board of Governors, highlighted Dr. Roberts's emphasis on new treatment discoveries as a key factor in his selection following a global search. Dr. Roberts plans to continue his research, which includes work on genes that suppress tumor growth, alongside his new leadership responsibilities. The hospital, founded in 1962 by Danny Thomas, has seen childhood cancer survival rates increase from approximately 20% to over 80% today, with Dr. Roberts expressing optimism for future advancements towards easily treatable childhood cancers.