All the bird flu news you need. Plus, Adam's biotech scorecard, Biogen's earnings call, and much more.
Happy Friday! We’re coming to you a day late because we wanted to collect all the bird flu updates we could before sending you off to your weekend. Before we do, though, we want to thank all our STATUS List members who joined us in Boston this week. It was wonderful getting to meet so many of you in person. If you weren’t there, you can still read all about it.?
Now, let’s hop to it…?
All the bird flu news you need to know
STAT reporters have been constantly providing updates on the H5N1 bird flu virus throughout the week. Yesterday, Megan Molteni published a story on early tests of H5N1 prevalence in milk that suggests the bird flu outbreak in cows is pretty widespread. Researchers collected 150 commercial milk products from around the Midwest, and genetic testing found H5N1 viral RNA in 58 samples.?
In a separate story, Helen Branswell reported that genetic analysis suggests the H5N1 flu virus outbreak in cows likely started earlier than originally thought. What do consumers need to know about traces of the avian flu virus that have been found in grocery store milk? Watch this video from our multimedia guru Alex Hogan .?
Another question that may be looming over the American public: Can the U.S. produce enough H5N1 vaccines to protect the entire population if necessary? Helen has that story as well.?
Humans have no natural immunity to the H5N1 virus. So the discovery of avian flu in U.S. cattle should ultimately serve as a wake-up call to action, according to two writers in a recent First Opinion.?
Adam’s Biotech Scorecard
Have you signed up for our colleague Adam Feuerstein’s biotech newsletter yet? If you want to stay on top of the latest news in the industry then we suggest you do here.?
In his latest edition, Adam writes on PIPE transactions and why profiting from “legal” insider trading isn’t always easy.
Biogen’s earnings call
Biogen on Wednesday reported first-quarter earnings that beat Wall Street expectations largely on reduced expenses. Total revenue was slightly weak overall, but sales were stronger for two newly launched medicines — Leqembi and Skyclarys — that matter most to the biotech’s turnaround effort.
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Trump hinting to reshape U.S. health care policy
STAT’s Sarah Owermohle spoke with six former officials and people close to Trump’s orbit who emphasized his interest in reshaping Medicare’s drug pricing policies and taking on ACA markets, but downplayed a renewed “repeal and replace” threat.
Childhood brain tumor drug approved
Day One Biopharmaceuticals said Tuesday the FDA gave accelerated approval to its targeted pill for one of the most common forms of childhood brain tumors, pediatric low-grade glioma.
Jason Mast has the story.?
Telehealth startups eye chronic disease
A decade can pass before someone with a complex chronic condition gets a proper diagnosis. New telehealth companies are looking to shorten that time and make it easier to continue treatment. Read more about the opportunity these companies see from Isabella Cueto .?
Author picks
There was at least one milk-related story this week that can be considered good news (in my opinion). Elementary and middle school students can still be served chocolate milk at lunch! Here’s Ryan’s pick.?
Nearly two years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, justices are wrestling with a litany of state abortion restrictions, and whether they undercut federal law. Here’s Alexander’s pick.??
That's all for this week!
As always, feel free to DM us (Ryan Fitzgerald and Alexander Spinelli) and let us know your thoughts on our weekly newsletter!
Join us next week for another edition of "Weekly Update."
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