You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
This is a photo of a young RFK Jr. trying to ride a small rhino. Send news tips and RINO jokes to John.Wilkerson@statnews.com or John_Wilkerson.07 on Signal.
Former DOGE co-founder v. former state Covid-19 czar
Although most people whom DOGE fired from HHS probably don’t live in Ohio, they may feel a personal connection to the gubernatorial race there.
<![CDATA[Learn how genetics shape psych med response and dosing.]]>
Posted on
<![CDATA[New psychiatry drugs target dementia agitation, ADHD, depression, TRD, and schizophrenia—see which novel mechanisms may reach the FDA next.]]>
Top of the morning to you, and a fine one it is. Sunny skies and mild breezes are enveloping the Pharmalot campus once again. And to celebrate, we are brewing still more cups of stimulation and inviting you to join us. Our choice today is Jack Daniel’s. Yes, this is a real thing. And remember, a prescription is not required. So no need to mess with rebates, coupons, or TrumpRx. Meanwhile, here are a few items of interest. Hope you have a smashing day and conquer the world. And of course, do stay in touch. We appreciate feedback, criticism and tips. …
Sanofi asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to pull its type 1 diabetes drug, teplizumab, out of FDA Commissioner Marty Makary’s new speedy review program, STAT reports. The move comes after acting Center for Drug Evaluation and Research Director Tracy Beth Høeg disagreed with a staff decision to approve the drug. The agency missed its April 21 goal date to deliver a decision to Sanofi. Such decisions are typically made by career scientists. It is rare for a center director to become involved in scientific review of a single drug, and particularly a political appointee like Høeg. Makary recently said that he stands behind review teams, and that “disaster” occurs whenever political leaders overrule scientific staff.
An experimental drug from Revolution Medicines that nearly doubled survival time for patients with advanced pancreas cancer in clinical trials comes with a high rate of mostly low-grade side effects, Reuters tells us. A report by researchers from a first-in-human trial of daraxonrasib is the first peer-reviewed paper to show safety data for what analysts say could become the next standard of care for previously treated metastatic pancreatic cancer. Among the 168 patients with previously treated pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma who received daraxonrasib in the early trial, treatment-related adverse side effects of any grade occurred in 96%, while severe or life-threatening events were reported in 30%.
Last month, the AGBT Agricultural Meeting was held in Phoenix, Arizona. The conference is focused on agricultural genomics—plant and animal genetics. During the meeting, the recipients of the 2026 Next Gen Leadership Awards were announced.
These awards recognize outstanding early-career scientists and graduate students whose work and potential are shaping the future of agricultural genomics, including advances in plant and animal genomics. Award recipients receive financial support to attend and present their research at the AGBT Agricultural Meeting, with opportunities to engage with leaders in the field and build connections across the genomics community.
“These awardees reflect the strength and diversity of emerging talent in agricultural genomics,” said Sarah Hearne, PhD, chief science and innovation officer at CIMMYT and co-chair of the AGBT Agriculture Scientific Organizing Committee. “AGBT Agriculture plays an important role in bringing these scientists into conversation with leaders across the field, helping accelerate the translation of genomics into practice.”
The awardees represent rising leaders in agricultural genomics, advancing research across genomic variability, genetic analysis, molecular diagnostics, pathogen surveillance, and quantitative trait genomics to improve crop performance, strengthen food safety, and advance sustainable agriculture.
“This award represents a transformative opportunity to grow as a scientist and contribute more effectively to innovation in animal breeding,” said Larissa Bordin Temp, a 2026 Next Gen Leadership Award recipient.
The 2026 AGBT Agricultural Meeting Next Gen Leadership awardees were:
Boris ME Alladassi, PhD: postdoctoral research associate at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Research focus: Connecting the evolutionary and statistical views of epistasis in quantitative trait genomics
Mythri Bikkasani: graduate student at Punjab Agricultural University, India
Research focus: Connecting the dots: from high-throughput feed phenotyping to genomic dissection of heterosis in maize
Larissa Bordin Temp: graduate student at São Paulo State University, Faculty of Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences
Research focus: Genomic evaluation of rump fat–adjusted residual feed intake in zebu cattle: implications for selection strategies
Lauren Johnson: graduate student at Gluck Equine Research Center, University of Kentucky
Research focus: Functional introgression within the horse mhc genes
Mehak Kapoor: graduate assistant at Iowa State University
Research focus: Cell-type resolved gene expression signatures to identify and predict persistent PRRSV infection
Pedro Nuñez Romano, PhD: postdoctoral researcher at Universitat Politècnica de València
Research focus: Integrating technology to refine the estimation of social genetic effects in pigs
Viona Osei: graduate student at Tuskegee University
Research focus: Exploiting genomic variability in Listeria for the development of molecular diagnostic markers
Kyungyong Seong, PhD: postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, Davis
Research focus: Resurrection of the plant immune receptor Sr50 to overcome pathogen immune evasion
Jade van Wijk: graduate student at Earlham Institute
Research focus: Using airborne DNA sequencing to monitor sporulation, infection and relative abundance of cereal rust fungi
Want to stay on top of the science and politics driving biotech today? Sign up to get our biotech newsletter in your inbox.
The Trump administration is touting massive projected savings from its still-secret drug pricing deals, though outside experts say there’s little way to independently verify the math.
Also, FDA leadership is facing fresh accusations of political interference in drug reviews, AI oncology startups are trying to make cancer care virtual, and scientists are opening up an entirely new frontier of biology hidden inside the “dark proteome.”
<![CDATA[FDA clears MIND1 trial testing NRX-101 plus robotic TMS to curb suicidality in treatment-resistant depression, with military-focused sites.]]>
You’re reading the web edition of STAT’s Health Tech newsletter, our guide to how technology is transforming the life sciences. Sign up to get it delivered in your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday.
Good morning health tech readers!
Would you expect OpenAI to put out policy proposals that weren’t in its best interest?
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology.
What’s next for IVF
IVF has brought millions of babies into the world over the last four decades. But the process can still be slow, painful, and expensive—and far from guaranteed to work. Now, a wave of new technologies aims to change that.
Researchers are using AI to identify promising sperm and embryos, developing robotic systems that could automate parts of the IVF process, and even exploring controversial genetic editing techniques designed to prevent inherited disease.
The technologies could make IVF more effective and accessible. But they’re also raising difficult ethical questions about how far reproductive medicine should go.
This story is from MIT Technology Review’s What’s Next series, which looks across industries, trends, and technologies to give you a first look at the future. You can read the rest of them here.
The balcony solar boom is coming to the US
Dozens of US states are considering legislation to allow people to install plug-in solar systems, often called balcony solar. These small arrays require little to no setup and could help cut emissions and power bills.
Proponents say the systems could make solar power more accessible, but some experts caution that there are safety concerns.
This article is from The Spark, our weekly climate newsletter. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Wednesday.
Resistance: 10 Things That Matter in AI Right Now
Resistance against AI’s proliferation is growing. People from all walks of life are speaking out against rising electricity bills from data centers, disappearing jobs, chatbots’ impact on teen mental health, the military’s use of AI, and copyright infringement—among other concerns.
People want to have a say in how the technology transforms their future. And they’re starting to create small cracks in AI labs’ vision for the future. Find out how.
I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology.
1 After years of insults, Anthropic and SpaceX have teamed up Anthropic will tap SpaceX’s GPUs to meet surging demand. (Axios) + While SpaceX gets a marquee customer for its AI ambitions. (Wired $) + Anthropic says the deal will double Claude Code’s rate limits. (Ars Technica) +It’s also exploring building compute capacity in space. (CNBC) + Musk previously called Anthropic “evil” and “misanthropic.” (Gizmodo)
2 Ex-OpenAI leaders say Sam Altman sowed “chaos” and distrust Former CTO Mira Murati said she couldn’t trust his words. (The Verge) + He also bypassed OpenAI’s safety board before a model release. (Gizmodo) + And pitted leaders against one another. (Forbes) + But Elon Musk still tried to recruit Altman to lead a Tesla AI lab. (FT $) + Here’s why Musk and Altman are in court. (MIT Technology Review)
3 China’s humanoid robots are fueling its next export boom Morgan Stanley says Beijing has taken an early lead in the sector. (Bloomberg $) + Gig workers are training humanoids at home. (MIT Technology Review)
4 SpaceX’s IPO plans will give Elon Musk “virtually unchecked” authority And erode typical shareholder protections. (Reuters $) + Activists and pension funds are pushing back against the IPO. (Wired $) + While SpaceX is shifting focus from Falcon 9 to Starship. (Ars Technica)
5 Google DeepMind will use the MMORPG Eve Online for AI model testing It’s also bought a stake in the game’s maker. (Ars Technica) + DeepMind also recently built a new video-game-playing agent. (MIT Technology Review)
6 The US risks isolating its automakers by banning a Chinese EV standard It’s prohibiting software that’s dominating global EV markets. (Rest of World)
7 Elon Musk’s proposed Texas chip factory could cost $119 billion It would manufacture chips for Tesla, SpaceX, and xAI. (CNBC) + Future AI chips could be built on glass. (MIT Technology Review)
8 Why the “attention-span crisis” is misunderstood Technology may be exhausting attention rather than shortening it. (Atlantic $)
9 Scientists are getting closer to explaining what causes lightning New tools are revealing unexpected physics inside thunderstorms. (Quanta)
10 Kids have found an age verification loophole: fake mustaches Resourceful children are foiling blocks on adult websites. (TechCrunch)
Quote of the day
“My concern was about Sam saying one thing to one person and completely the opposite to another person.”
—Mira Murati, the former CTO of OpenAI, testifies in court that CEO Sam Altman was deceptive, Reuters reports.
One More Thing
ALAMY
A brief, weird history of brainwashing
During the Cold War, the US prepared for a psychic war with the Soviet Union and China by spending millions of dollars on research into manipulating the human brain.
The science never exactly panned out, but residual beliefs fostered by this bizarre conflict continue to play a role in ideological and scientific debates to this day. And now, new technologies are altering how we think about mind control.
