In the issue of the InnovationRX week, we look at the risks of the RFK Jr. Vaccine Advisory Committee, how Trump Ban Bars Bars Bars foreign doctors, the first Transcontinental Telesurgery and much more. To take it to your inbox, Sign up here.
Dr. Robert Malone, one of the new members of the Vaccine Advisory Committee, has promoted unstable treatments for Covid-19 and measles.
The Associated Press
HMinister of House and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The reconstruction of the Vaccine Advisory Committee represents a clear and current risk to public health.
Last week, RFK Jr. The entire 17 -member Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices was dissolved, known as Acip. He then replaced the remote members with eight people of his choice. New members include Robert Malone, A former MRNA researcher who put conspiracy theories about COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic and promoted unstable, alternative treatments for both Covid and measles. Other consultants include Martin Kulldorff, also an opponent of the Covid and co-author of the Great Barrington Declaration, who supported an approach to herd immunity to the pandemic.
The speed at which these new members were selected raised red flags between the experts. Until now, potentially appointed Acip have often been examined in a long process that took more than a year to ensure that they had qualifications and did not face possible conflicts of interest. However, many of the new ACIP members You have no specialization in vaccines or infectious diseases, and two of them Served as paid experts In a Merck against Merck including the HPV vaccine.
The new members are expected to convene at a scheduled ACIP meeting in Atlanta next week.
THE The committee gives advice to doctors and patients for vaccination for 60 years. This advice is used by local governments to assist policies for schools that keep children safe and health insurers to determine which vaccines will pay and which they will not do.
The bets of this advice are high because vaccination saves lives. Researchers in Disease Control and Prevention Centers estimate that providing usual vaccination to children saved 1.1 million lives Between 1994 and 2023, the shots also prevented about 508 million diseases and 32 million hospitalizations at that time.
The ban on Trump’s view prevents new foreign doctors from entering the US
Last March, 6,653 foreign citizens, trained in foreign medical schools, fit into internships in US hospitals, according to NRMP data.
Aging
HAsiba Karimi had to see patients In a Harrisburg, the Pennsylvania hospital in just a few weeks. He is one of the 144 graduates of the International Medical School born abroad, who were scheduled to begin their first year of stay in Pennsylvania this year and are part of a solution to the critical shortage of doctors in the United States.
But it won’t be a stateide anytime soon. This is due to the fact that Karimi, who lives in Canada and received her medical training in Turkey, was born in Afghanistan. It was scheduled for a H-1B Visa appointment on June 9, on the same day, the executive mandate of President Donald Trump banning people from 19 specific countries from entering the United States. While the order describes some exceptions – including diplomatic visas. Athletes, coaches and relatives traveling for competitions. And for ethnic and religious minorities “facing persecution in Iran” – no exception to doctors. So now Karimi, who spent years of building her experience and continued to win this internship, can only wait and hope.
“One in four pediatric residents in the US are graduates of the International Medical School and fill these points in the most inadequate communities that American graduates do not yet apply,” says Sebastian Arruarana, a resident of Brookdale and Brookdale University Hospital. “If this is not solved, who will take care of our children?”
Read more here.
Biotechnology and pharmacy
A gene treatment treatment for severe hemophilia B showed many promising results in a new study Posted last week to New England Medicine newspaper.
Between 2010 and 2012, 10 patients who had severe B bloodthirsty B who were caused by a defect in their DNA that prevented their body from doing the factor IX, a basic blood coagulation factor, received the treatment made by St. Jude. The treatment they received included the right gene. Prior to treatment, patients required regular injections of factor IX to avoid episodes of bleeding.
THE Density The study found that more than a decade later, patients who received this gene therapy were still producing Factor IX. Seven of patients were able to interrupt injections, while others were able to significantly reduce the required amount. Everyone reported much less incidents of bleeding without significant side effects than the drug.
Because gene treatments are so accurate (often in millions of dollars), a big question is whether a single administration can last without the need for additional doses. The findings of this study show that the treatment can remain resistant for more than a decade, which is an encouraging finding for this category of medicine.
Plus: 23andme founder Anne Wojcicki It will buy back the company’s assets from bankruptcy. He beat Regeneron Pharmaceuticals with a bid of $ 305 million. And Caris Life sciences became public On Wednesday, raising $ 494 million in an expected valuation of more than $ 5 billion.
Digital health and ai
The Sword Health Digital Health Starting increased $ 40 million led by General Catalyst with $ 4 billion. The company Said he is planning to use the new chapter to extend its services to mental health care. He announced the launch of a new product, called Mind, that he said he would combine AI’s “therapist” with human professionals.
Mold
On Sunday, a patient in Angola received surgery on prostate cancer. The team that performed the operation, meanwhile, was in Orlando of Florida-about 7,000 miles away. This was the first intercontinental operation of its kind to be approved by the FDA for a clinical trial of remote robotic surgery. The purpose of the test was to see if the robotic surgery of this type could be performed at this distance using visual cables. The process was a success that could pave the way for more remote processes, increasing access to health care in countries that do not have doctors and other resources.
Public health and hospitals
The Supreme Court on Wednesday confirmed Tennessee’s ban on transsexual care for minors. Judges voted 6 ME-3s that by limiting access to treatments such as adolescence inhibitors for those under the age of 18 were not sexual discrimination. The decision, written by justice John Roberts, comes as Trump administration has attacked transsexual rights and could have one Effect on two dozen other states with similar books on books. Top medical groups support gender discomfort treatments.
What do we read
A federal judge decided that hundreds The NIH grants ending were “invalid and illegal.“” I have never seen racial discrimination from the government like this, “said Judge William Young from the bench.
A coalition of academic groups suggested a Alternative to reform indirect NIH costs Responding to the proposed reduction in billions of billions of billions from Trump’s administration in research payments.
Sarepta and Roche stopped using treatment with Duchenne muscular dystrophy Elvidys after two patients’ deaths.
Oregon’s ruler signed a law establishing the country stricter limits on private capital acquisitions of medical practices.
Germany Biontech agreed to buy Curevac opponent To strengthen cancer research under an agreement of $ 1.25 billion.
South Africa was built a medical study. Trump’s budget cuts were demolished – and could threaten world progress in everything, from heart disease to HIV.
Digital boot tennr set $ 101 million in a non -announced valuation To expand the development of its software platform, which allows healthcare services to automate and manage faxes. (Yes, fax – still is something in health care.)
More than Forbes
