Targeted cancer drugs may replace chemo for some patients — and drugmakers say they’re getting closer

Targeted cancer drugs may replace chemo for some patients — and drugmakers say they’re getting closer

Antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) are targeted medicines that deliver chemotherapy agents to cancer cells 3d rendering Love Employee | Istock | Getty Images Chemotherapy has long been a cornerstone of cancer treatment, saving millions of lives. But the pharmaceutical industry says a popular class of targeted cancer therapies could one day replace chemotherapy and its … Read more

RFK Jr.’s firing of CDC vaccine panel undermines science, could threaten public health, experts say

RFK Jr.’s firing of CDC vaccine panel undermines science, could threaten public health, experts say

U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. leaves the stage after discussing the findings of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) latest Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network survey, at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 16, 2025. Elizabeth Frantz | Reuters … Read more

FDA approves Merck’s RSV shot for infants, ramping up competition with Sanofi and AstraZeneca

FDA approves Merck’s RSV shot for infants, ramping up competition with Sanofi and AstraZeneca

The Food and Drug Administration on Monday approved Merck’s shot designed to protect infants from respiratory syncytial virus during their first season of the virus, bringing to market a rival to a similar treatment from Sanofi and AstraZeneca. The decision will allow the company to launch the drug, which will be marketed as Enflonsia, ahead … Read more

It’s not just AI — China’s quickly gaining an edge over the U.S. in biotech

It’s not just AI — China’s quickly gaining an edge over the U.S. in biotech

Two graduate students research chemical products in a laboratory in Xiwangzhuang Town, Zaozhuang City, Shandong province of China, on Dec. 26, 2023. Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images BEIJING — For all the attention on U.S.-China competition in artificial intelligence, new studies point to China’s rapid rise in biotechnology, especially for drug and agricultural development. … Read more

CDC ends Covid vaccine recommendation for healthy kids and pregnant women

CDC ends Covid vaccine recommendation for healthy kids and pregnant women

U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Secretary of Education Linda McMahon attend a Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Commission event, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 22, 2025. Evelyn Hockstein | Reuters The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will no longer … Read more

How UnitedHealthcare became the face of America’s health insurance frustrations

How UnitedHealthcare became the face of America’s health insurance frustrations

Flags fly at half staff outside the United Healthcare corporate headquarters in Minnetonka, Minnesota, Dec. 4, 2024. Stephen Maturen | Getty Images News | Getty Images It took six months, countless hours on hold and intervention from state regulators before Sue Cover says she finally resolved an over $1,000 billing dispute with UnitedHealthcare in 2023. … Read more

Cigna announces new deal for copay caps on Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk weight loss drugs

Cigna announces new deal for copay caps on Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk weight loss drugs

Wegovy injection pens arranged in Waterbury, Vermont, US, on Monday, April 28, 2025. Shelby Knowles | Bloomberg | Getty Images Only half of health insurer Cigna‘s clients currently cover the popular GLP-1 weight loss drugs Wegovy and Zepbound because of their high costs. But the company’s pharmacy benefits unit Evernorth has reached a deal with … Read more

FDA outlines stricter Covid vaccine booster approval standards for healthy people

FDA outlines stricter Covid vaccine booster approval standards for healthy people

Brandon Guerrero, 34, of Compton, receives both a flu and COVID-19 vaccine at CVS in Huntington Park on August 28, 2024. Christina House | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images The Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday outlined new regulatory guidance for future Covid-19 vaccine boosters, setting stricter approval standards for healthy Americans.  The FDA … Read more

Novo Nordisk is betting on a CEO shakeup to regain its weight loss drug edge over Eli Lilly

Novo Nordisk is betting on a CEO shakeup to regain its weight loss drug edge over Eli Lilly

A view of the logo of Novo Nordisk at the company’s office in Bagsvaerd, on the outskirts of Copenhagen, Denmark, March 8, 2024.  Tom Little | Reuters Novo Nordisk is banking on fresh leadership to help it reclaim the crown in the booming weight loss drug market. The Danish drugmaker on Friday abruptly announced that … Read more

UnitedHealth Group shares plunge 18% on reported DOJ probe into possible Medicare fraud

UnitedHealth Group shares plunge 18% on reported DOJ probe into possible Medicare fraud

Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Shares of UnitedHealth Group plunged more than 18% on Thursday following a report that the Justice Department is conducting a criminal investigation into the health-care giant over possible Medicare fraud. The DOJ is focusing on the company’s Medicare Advantage business practices, but the exact nature of the potential criminal … Read more