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Good morning, everyone, and welcome to the middle of the week. Congratulations on making it this far, and remember there are only a few more days until the weekend arrives. So keep plugging away. After all, what are the alternatives? While you ponder the possibilities, we invite you to join us for a needed cuppa stimulation. Our choice today is honeybush vanilla turmeric. Meanwhile, here is the latest menu of tidbits to help you on your way. We hope you conquer the world and have a wonderful day. And as always, please do stay in touch. We appreciate feedback, tips, and criticism. …

Mark Cuban has a new vision for his company Cost Plus Drugs: shake up the business of custom-made rare disease medicines, STAT explains. This is a bold swing for a company that started out buying generic drugs and — while sidestepping pharmacy benefit managers — reselling them at a 15% markup. But Cuban and chief executive officer Alex Oshmyansky say their plant has the ability to quickly pivot between small batches of different drugs that could be useful for making experimental treatments for individuals or tiny groups of patients.

Tucked away in the green foothills of the Austrian Alps, the last fully integrated European penicillin plant faces an uncertain future, because China is churning out the same antibiotics and ingredients as the Sandoz factory in Kundl, Austria, at much lower cost for the European market, Reuters explains. The falling prices are a boon for cost-conscious European ​governments and their public health care programs but an existential threat to the Kundl site — the only one making penicillin from start to finish in Europe, including key active ingredients.

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Roivant and its spinout Priovant said Wednesday that their immune-modifying pill Lisraya was more effective than placebo in treating the inflammatory eye disease non-infectious uveitis.

The results, from two Phase 3 trials spanning 371 patients, could unlock a new blockbuster market for Roivant. The company estimates that there are between 70,000 to 190,000 patients with the condition in the U.S., with over 40,000 of them already receiving Humira or a similar therapy. 

Roivant plans to file for approval in the first half of next year. An approval would expand the drug’s use beyond the rare skin disease dermatomyositis, which it was OK’d for in August.  

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Good morning. I’m seeing “You Can See Everything” tonight, so I haven’t read Matt Herper’s review yet. But you should! If you’ve seen the film, did you like it? Send your thoughts, but leave out any spoilers until ~ 10 p.m. EST tonight. 

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With more than 4,400 measles cases in the United States this year, double the number in 2025, public health authorities are desperate to persuade more people to take the virus seriously.

But current attempts to drive home that message are being rejected by a sizable and growing part of the population. In more than 1,600 counties around the country, measles vaccination rates dropped from 2017 to 2024. Even modest declines in vaccine coverage can enable major outbreaks because of how contagious the virus is. 

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Billionaire Mark Cuban has spent the last five years trying to make generic drugs like chemotherapy and antifungal ointment cheaper for Americans. But earlier this year, a very different type of medicine began arriving at his Dallas factory. 

One shipment contained DNA-like molecules crafted by California chemists to patch the rare genetic mutation destroying a single patient’s neurons. Another carried DNA-like molecules developed with Dutch researchers to stop a rare disease that causes adults to progressively lose control of their muscles.

They are the first test of Cuban’s newest vision for his company Cost Plus Drugs: shake up the business of custom-made rare disease medicines. “It was an obvious chance for us to help those in that unfortunate situation,” he wrote in an email.

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When National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya started laying out his plans in 2025, he emphasized replication as part of the gold standard for science. In March, he launched the $850,000 Replication Prize for replicating high-impact areas of biomedical research. During his confirmation hearing, health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. suggested a replication effort worth 20% of the NIH’s $47 billion budget.

However, these plans have since been dramatically scaled down to $174 million for “efforts to make rigorous research methods and replicating experiments a routine part of scientists’ work,” following a report from NIH’s Council of Councils that raised two concerns about the original plans: 1) being prohibitively expensive and 2) unfairly undermining confidence in individual scientists’ work.

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On Oct. 12, Pennsylvania confirmed its sixth measles-associated death this year. The state’s outbreak has spread to dozens of counties, sickened over 1,200 people, and put 176 in the hospital. More than 4,400 confirmed cases of measles have emerged across America this year, the most in more than three decades.

It’s all the more upsetting because in 2000, the United States accomplished something extraordinary: We eliminated measles. This November, we could officially lose that status.

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Presidential sessions at top cancer meetings typically feature practice-changing clinical trials, detailed in front of thousands of global experts packed into rooms so cavernous they merit their own ZIP codes. But last year, at the most important European oncology conference, one slot was reserved for a presentation of early results from a German biotech’s study of just 16 patients.  

The primetime billing was no accident. The Phase 1 data, as oncologist Sapna Patel explained, showed that every one of the patients, all of whom had a rare eye cancer called uveal melanoma, saw their tumors shrink after receiving an experimental cell therapy — a remarkable, if preliminary, outcome. What was more, the data suggested that going after the therapy’s bull’s-eye might unlock the power of immunotherapy in other, more common cancers that had stubbornly rebuffed such efforts, like pancreatic and ovarian tumors. 

“This can be taken forward in other areas of oncology,” Patel told the conference.

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The red-brick nursing home tucked off a busy road in Taunton used to be a rare jewel in a beleaguered industry, polished to a high sheen.

Floors gleamed from daily scrubbing. Residents’ clothes came back fresh and neatly folded. Employees stayed for decades. In early 2020, the 100-bed home earned the federal government’s highest quality rating — five stars — and held it for more than two years.

Then Eli Mirlis swept in from New Jersey and everything changed.

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Massachusetts regulators on Oct. 13 moved to revoke all of the nursing home licenses held by RegalCare, a New Jersey-based company that went on a buying spree in the state after the pandemic, slashed costs, and gutted the quality of care at many of its 12 homes.

The action comes directly on the heels of reporting by The Boston Globe Spotlight Team that chronicled the stark changes that occurred after Eli Mirlis, RegalCare’s chief executive, purchased the facilities and made steep cuts to nursing and other services while steering funds to related businesses he owns.

Despite the move to revoke its licenses, RegalCare won’t immediately lose control of its homes, according to officials from the state Department of Public Health. For the time being, they’ll be subject to enhanced monitoring from DPH.

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Good morning. I haven’t yet watched the new Elizabeth Holmes documentary, so I haven’t yet read this review by Theranos whistleblower Tyler Schultz (since it contains spoilers). But if you’ve seen the movie, go ahead and read the review (and don’t spoil anything for me).

Roche continues to look to China for new drugs

China’s Hansoh Pharmaceutical Group said yesterday it struck a massive deal with Roche to develop a portfolio of antibody-drug conjugates.

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A Theranos whistleblower watched all three hours of “You Can See Everything,” so you don’t have to. Send news tips and boring truths about liars to John.Wilkerson@statnews.com or John_Wilkerson.07 on Signal.

The need-to-know this week

  • Elevance Health holds its third-quarter earnings call on Wednesday.

  • On Thursday, KFF will release its annual Employer Health Benefits Survey, which will provide insights on premiums, deductibles, and cost-sharing.

  • Also Thursday, a federal court will hear arguments in Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. Oz, a lawsuit brought by 25 states and D.C. challenging the Trump administration’s implementation of new Medicaid work requirements.

What’s in a name?

FDA officials seem to be reviving a policy to ensure that drugs are tested on their intended patient populations.

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Rise and shine, everyone, another busy day is on the way. And it is getting off to a pleasant start here on the Pharmalot campus, where clear blue skies and comfy breezes are greeting us. As for the official mascots, they are happily snoozing in their respective corners. As for us, we are firing up the trusty kettle for another cup of stimulation. Our choice today is peppermint mocha. Of course, you are invited to join us. For the full experience, we are now hawking replicas — take a look. Meanwhile, here are a few items of interest. As always, do keep in touch. We appreciate feedback, criticism, and tips. …

Amid ongoing angst over prescription drug prices, the median net price for 202 newly launched medicines, when adjusted for inflation and manufacturer discounts, rose by 35% to $257,000 in 2025 from $190,000 in 2022, STAT writes, citing an analysis by the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review and West Health. About one in four drugs launched in 2025 had an annual net price exceeding $500,000, while another 34% were priced between $200,000 and $500,000. At the same time, though, the most substantial increase in net launch prices occurred between 2022 and 2023; last year, there was a 2% decline.

Novo Nordisk disclosed that its next-generation experimental drug, CagriSema, showed 25% weight loss on average in women with obesity or overweight in a late-stage study, according to Reuters. CagriSema, viewed ‌as a successor to its big-selling weight loss drug Wegovy, could help Novo claw back ground lost to Eli Lilly in the weight loss market. Wegovy faces ​patent expirations after 2030. Novo said a 2.4-milligram dose of CagriSema ​was associated with an average weight loss of 25% after ⁠68 weeks in 2,309 women, ​compared with 3% weight loss in women on placebo. In the full trial ​of more than 3,400 adults, CagriSema led to 22.7% weight loss, below the 25% Novo had targeted.

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Yesterday, I read about some new research that tickled me — a recent paper that found beehives function as a kind of “living immune system.” Beeswax, honey, and pollen each possess their own particular antimicrobial and chemical properties that, taken together, repel disease and encourage helpful fungi.

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Officials at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Beth Israel Lahey Health celebrated on Monday the start of work on their new $1.68 billion Boston hospital to treat cancer patients, the only medical center of its kind in New England.

The clanking of cranes slated to descend over the Longwood site also brings the impending divorce of Dana-Farber and its longtime partner, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, one step closer. Meanwhile, Brigham’s parent, Mass General Brigham, has launched its own rival cancer institute and is constructing new buildings and renovating other spaces to compete.

“We’ve been talking about it an enormous amount, what the hospital will mean, what we will be able to accomplish with a cancer-focused hospital,” said Dr. Benjamin Ebert, Dana-Farber’s chief executive. “But seeing the construction and really imagining what it’s going to look like and what we’re going to be able to do is motivating.”

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Amid ongoing angst over prescription drug prices, a new analysis found the median net price for 202 newly launched medicines, when adjusted for inflation and manufacturer discounts, rose by 35% to $257,000 last year, from $173,000 in 2022.

About one in four drugs launched in 2025 had an annual net price exceeding $500,000, while another 34% were priced between $200,000 and $500,000, according to the analysis by the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review, a nonprofit that assesses the value of medicines, and West Health, a nonprofit that advocates for lower health care costs.

Interestingly, the median list price for the drugs — also adjusted for inflation — rose 24% during that time, to $293,000. Normally, list prices are higher than net prices, since discounts are subtracted. The reasons for the divergence were not analyzed but indicate varying discounts for different types of drugs.

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Coming off Interstate-280 in California, I rolled my windows all the way down and blasted a top 40 radio station at 2 a.m. I kept blinking to stop myself from drowsing off. At a red light, a horn jolted me awake. I had briefly dozed off behind the wheel.

I could not accurately count the hours I had been awake that week as a junior otolaryngology (head and neck) surgery resident in 2023. I was driving back and forth to cover calls at the local hospital, working upwards of 90 hours. That was technically in violation of rules limiting residents to 80-hour workweeks, but it was pretty normal for residents in procedural specialties. Luckily, other rules helped ensure that when I worked overtime, I could get rest before returning to the hospital.

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State ballot measures on contentious health care issues like transgender rights and abortion access will provide a concrete view of how voters across the U.S. regard these matters, two years into the Trump administration.

In some ways, the volume of initiatives is a step down from 2024, when a record number of states held votes on abortion in the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn national protections for the procedure. And surprisingly, there are relatively few measures on issues central to the Make America Healthy Again movement, which has taken something of a backseat in the midterms. (A small number of states will vote on issues like Medicaid and school meals.)

Four states will consider measures that would prohibit transgender youth from participating on school athletics teams aligned with their gender identity, including two with existing bans that the latest proposals would bolster. 

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Executive order gives HHS 90 days to establish a new research division, targeting chronic illnesses, medical breakthroughs and longstanding gaps in women’s healthcare.

WASHINGTON, D.C. | October 19, 2026

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday establishing a new Women’s Health Division at the National Institutes of Health and a White House Women’s Health Task Force, launching a federal effort to accelerate medical research, improve diagnosis and treatment, and address diseases that have long received insufficient attention in women’s healthcare.

The initiative, championed by First Lady Melania Trump, directs the Department of Health and Human Services to establish the NIH division within 90 days and creates a government-wide task force co-chaired by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.

The order places particular emphasis on chronic pain, autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, cardiovascular conditions, neurological disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, endometriosis, infertility and other illnesses affecting women throughout their lives.

For millions of patients struggling with chronic conditions, the initiative could open new opportunities for research, earlier diagnosis, improved access to specialized care and the development of treatments.

Melania Trump Pushes for Medical Breakthroughs

The First Lady played a central role in advancing the initiative, calling for a shift toward discovering cures and making modern medical treatments more accessible.

Her five priorities include directing research funding toward diseases that disproportionately affect women, using artificial intelligence to accelerate medical discoveries, bringing promising therapies to patients more quickly, improving affordability and encouraging greater openness about women’s health conditions.

The initiative seeks to address a longstanding challenge in American healthcare: medical research has not always adequately accounted for differences between men and women, leaving significant gaps in the understanding and treatment of certain diseases.

Kennedy to Lead Federal Coordination

Under the executive order, Kennedy and Wiles will oversee a task force bringing together federal health, research and regulatory agencies, including NIH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The task force will work to improve coordination between medical researchers, healthcare providers and federal agencies, with an emphasis on converting scientific findings into practical treatments and better patient outcomes.

The new NIH division will work alongside the existing Office of Research on Women’s Health, strengthening research coordination, encouraging women’s participation in clinical trials and supporting personalized medicine.

The administration is also seeking to reduce delays between medical discoveries and their application in doctors’ offices, hospitals and community healthcare programs.

New Opportunities for Chronic Illness Patients

One potentially significant provision directs federal officials to consult community-based organizations, faith-based groups, private-sector partners and patient stakeholders as the initiative takes shape.

That could create opportunities for organizations working directly with chronically ill patients to contribute their experience, identify gaps in care and participate in discussions surrounding medical research and patient services.

The executive order also encourages consideration of pilot programs that better integrate preventive care, early intervention and treatment across healthcare systems.

Although the order does not specifically identify Lyme disease or other tick-borne illnesses, its emphasis on chronic pain, inflammatory conditions, diagnostic challenges and coordinated care may be relevant to patients living with persistent or difficult-to-diagnose medical conditions.

The degree to which individual diseases and patient organizations will be incorporated into the initiative remains to be determined.

Questions Remain Over Funding and Implementation

The executive order establishes federal responsibilities and a timeline for creating the NIH division but does not announce a dedicated new funding amount for the broader initiative.

Its implementation remains subject to existing federal law and available appropriations.

The order also revokes two Biden-era actions concerning women’s health research, replacing them with an approach that the Trump administration says will place greater emphasis on translating research into practical clinical care.

The significance of the new initiative will ultimately depend on federal funding, research priorities, agency coordination and whether patients see measurable improvements in access to diagnosis and treatment.

For the administration, the first major deadline comes in January, when the new NIH division must be established.

For patients who have spent years seeking answers to complex medical conditions, the central question is whether this new federal effort can shorten the path from scientific research to effective treatment.

JBizNews Desk | Washington, D.C.

© 2026 JBizNews. All Rights Reserved.

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A new division in the National Institutes of Health and a new task force within the White House will advance the cause of women’s health, an executive order signed by President Trump promises. 

“Beginning today, we will change the reality of women’s health,” first lady Melania Trump said in announcing the initiative Monday. “Our generation will fight to find the cures to ensure a woman can live her life with health and to the fullest.” 

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This essay contains spoilers for “You Can See Everything,” Nathan Fielder’s new film about Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes.

“You Can See Everything” is a hilarious, thrilling, fascinating, beautiful piece of art. What it certainly is not is a documentary, and it’s dangerous to pretend that it is. 

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We’ve got a meaty edition here for you, coming off our annual STAT Summit. We’re also still grieving the loss of Helen Branswell (more below). You know where to find me: bob.herman@statnews.com.

The arbitration cash station

Thumỹ Phan for STAT

The No Surprises Act created an arbitration process to settle out-of-network bills between health insurers and providers. That process has become so lucrative for the arbitrators that decide winners and losers that some of them now have profit margins that would make tech giants blush, my colleague Tara Bannow reports in a new story.

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I might have been just as unblinking as Elizabeth during the three hours of “You Can See Everything.” Seats-edge viewing experience. What did you think?

Also: We’ll be in Madrid later this week for the European Society for Medical Oncology’s annual meeting, and we’ll be penning an ESMO in 30 Seconds newsletter. Sign up here.

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Good morning, everyone, and welcome to another working week. We hope the weekend respite was relaxing and invigorating. Now, though, that oh-too-familiar routine of meetings, deadlines, and the like has returned with a vengeance. You knew this would happen, yes? To cope, we are relying, as always, on a cup of stimulation. Our choice today is maple bourbon — a shot of salvation, so to speak. Feel free to join us. Remember, no prescription is required. Meanwhile, here are a few items of interest. Best of luck accomplishing your goals, and we hope you conquer the world. And, of course, do keep in touch. …

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Drug Evaluation and Research has formed a board to ​oversee and advise on exclusivity decisions, aiming to improve clarity and consistency of those decisions, Reuters notes. The board will ​focus on five-year new chemical entity exclusivity that ​is granted to a drug whose active ingredient has never ‌before ⁠been approved by the FDA. It will also oversee three-year new clinical trial exclusivity grants that are meant for drugs that use a previously approved active ​ingredient, but ​whose approval ⁠relies on new clinical studies conducted or funded by a drugmaker.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever called for stronger protection of the country’s pharmaceutical sector, arguing that pressure from the U.S. and China is threatening European industries despite their competitiveness, Anadolu Agency says. Speaking on the sidelines of the European Union summit in Brussels on Thursday, De Wever said the planned restructuring at GSK, which could result in more than 1,200 job losses in Belgium, was linked to the company’s need to increase investments in the U.S. He also criticized China’s practices in clinical trials, describing them as unfair competition backed by substantial state subsidies.

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Did you see “You Can See Everything” over the weekend? If so, please send me your hot takes and well-reasoned reviews. I’ve got a babysitter scheduled so I can go to a showing this week. I’ll share my thoughts and yours in a newsletter later in the week.

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An oral treatment from Gilead Sciences eliminated the symptoms experienced by patients with a type of inflammatory bowel disease, mid-stage study results reported Monday that could boost the biotech’s push to develop new drugs for inflammatory and autoimmune conditions. 

A 200 milligram daily dose of the Gilead pill, called emvistegrast, taken for 12 weeks resulted in a 23% placebo-adjusted clinical remission rate for patients with moderate to severe ulcerative colitis, the Phase 2 study showed. The statistically significant improvement exceeded Wall Street analyst expectations. 

“Emvistegrast has the potential to be a best-in-class oral for patients with ulcerative colitis,” Swati Tole, Gilead’s senior vice president overseeing clinical development of its inflammatory disease medicines, told STAT on Friday. “Patients with inflammatory bowel disease, while they have other therapies available, still have persistent symptoms. A majority do not achieve remission, so seeing these data was encouraging for us.”

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SAN DIEGO — Internal emails obtained by STAT show that the American Association of Immunologists, the field’s leading scientific society, is sharply divided over California’s Proposition 38, even though it would provide $8.4 billion in taxpayer dollars for the type of research its members do. 

The emails show that the association’s policy and advocacy committee met in July and later recommended that the organization rescind its endorsement of the measure after learning that Prop 38 would likely yield a windfall for a research center co-founded by the billionaire philanthropist who is its leading backer. But the association’s council, its governing body, voted in August to maintain the endorsement after meeting with the philanthropist, Gary Michelson.

In one email, AAI’s director of government affairs, Jacob Schumacher, wrote that five members of the association’s council voted to keep the endorsement, with one opposed and two abstentions. These details have not previously been made public, and a separate message from Schumacher indicates AAI, which has more than 7,700 members, did not plan to share them.

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On a day in late 2024, Avery Klemmer found herself on yet another transatlantic flight with her colleagues at the VC firm Thrive Capital. The team was flying to London to woo the secretive startup Isomorphic Labs — a mission that many other investors thought futile. 

Isomorphic Labs is an offshoot of Alphabet’s artificial intelligence research laboratory, and to that point, it had kept outside investors at bay. Isomorphic wasn’t even actively raising money. The Thrive Capital team hoped to persuade the startup otherwise, so that it could get a stake in the young company. 

“A lot of people kind of figured this was uninvestable because it was a Google company. … But, when someone says something’s impossible. I think we see a challenge,” Klemmer said. 

Isomorphic was built around a single piece of technology, a protein modeling tool called AlphaFold. A modeling tool may sound simple, but it stunned scientists and, during Thrive Capital’s 18-month-long courtship, had been the basis for a Nobel Prize in chemistry. Isomorphic wanted to turn the technology into an engine for new medicines — an “intensely exciting prize” that Klemmer said could be both economically valuable and tangible evidence that AI was more than just hype. 

The question now is whether — and how — Isomorphic will deliver on its promise.

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As physicians, we’ve spent our careers giving parents the information they need to protect themselves and their families. As former members of Congress, we’ve helped our party promote sound public health policies. But right now, both of those commitments are being tested.

If current polling trends hold, Republicans could lose their majorities in both the House and Senate this November. Most pundits attribute this potential blue wave to voters’ frustration with gas prices and the broader cost of living. But another issue is quietly hurting GOP candidates: our party’s often mixed messaging on vaccines.

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Before it won a lucrative government contract, iMPROve Health’s very future was in question.   

The Michigan-based nonprofit lost over $2 million in 2022 alone — over a third of its revenue — on top of losses in previous years. There were budget cuts; it ditched the office, went remote, and even discussed selling the company. 

“We had conversations about, ‘Should we merge and be an organization that someone acquires?’ We had those conversations,” said Richard Murdock, a former iMPROve board member.

Three years later, iMPROve boasts a 70% profit margin, almost as high as that of tech giant Nvidia. Its revenue has grown 13-fold. The turnaround is thanks to the company’s new government-backed role: picking winners in high-stakes payment disputes between health care providers and health insurers. 

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For five years, biologist David Sabatini has replayed his downfall from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the back of his mind, like a movie on repeat.

More often than not, he tried to hit pause, avoiding headlines about his ousting from the Whitehead Institute in Cambridge, after a much younger colleague, Kristin Knouse, accused him of inappropriate sexual conduct and an internal investigation found he violated a strict workplace relationship policy.

But the latest development — when a Suffolk County jury last week unanimously awarded him $6 million in damages in his civil lawsuit against Knouse, while dismissing her claims of retaliation and harassment against him — are scenes he describes in vivid detail.

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A Suffolk County jury on Friday awarded $6 million in damages to ousted star scientist and former MIT professor David Sabatini, whose career imploded after he was accused by a much younger colleague of inappropriate sexual conduct in his Cambridge research lab.

The verdict was a stark rejection of a high-profile #MeToo claim from Kristin Knouse, a fellow scientist who said Sabatini had subjected her to a coercive relationship and fostered a hostile and sexualized workplace environment in his lab at the world-renowned Whitehead Institute.

The jury of seven women and six men directed Knouse — who had brought her own suit against Sabatini — to pay the $6 million verdict, plus interest, finding she had defamed him and interfered with his ability to make a living.

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Speaking at the CFO Leadership Council’s fall conference in Colorado, Marsh McLennan Senior VP Marybeth Gray shared ideas to keep employees healthy and costs down.

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Longevity medicine is now estimated to be a multitrillion dollar industry. But what are people paying for, and does it work?

On this week’s episode of “The Readout LOUD,” STAT’s biotech podcast, we bring on STAT reporter Sarah Todd to discuss the booming industry of longevity health and her visit to one of the many longevity clinics popping up in major hospitals across the country.

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And so, another working week will soon draw to a close. Not a moment too soon, yes? This is, you may recall, our treasured signal to daydream about weekend plans. Our agenda is, so far, rather modest. We plan to catch up on our reading, take a few naps and promenade with the official mascots. We also expect to hold another listening party, where the rotation will likely include this, this, this, this and this. And what about you? Some distraction from the world at large may be in order and there is nothing like a romp through an apple orchard or pumpkin patch to lift the spirits. Keep an eye out for apple cider, too. If the weather does not cooperate, though, you could always binge-watch something on the telly or cook up a tasty meal. Perhaps you can make time to see someone special. Well, whatever you do, have a grand time. But be safe. Enjoy, and see you soon. …

The Trump administration is proceeding with a plan to allow compounding pharmacies to produce certain peptides, a class of largely unregulated injections that have become popular among followers of U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other wellness influencers, the Associated Press notes. The peptides under consideration have not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as safe or effective, and most of the data on peptides come from animal studies.

China is looking to tighten biotechnology exports, but will leave the door open for licensing deals with foreign drugmakers that have underpinned its position as a growing pharmaceutical powerhouse, Bloomberg Law reports. Beijing is proposing to add five biomedical technologies to its export-control list, according to a statement from the Ministry of Commerce. The draft proposal includes two types of cutting-edge medical technology platforms to treat diseases at a genetic level. But the list clarifies that restrictions don’t apply to licensing, partnerships, and contract research services involving these technologies.

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We’re leaving room for popcorn and intrigue tonight: The new A24 documentary, “You Can See Everything,” hits theaters today.

I remember back at the American Chemical Society meeting in 2016, a skeptical pathologist told me in advance of a purported Theranos data unveil: 

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Happy Friday from sunny San Diego. This is Jonathan Wosen, West Coast biotech & life sciences reporter. We’ve got a strong lineup to help you kick off the weekend, featuring the lively final day of our STAT Summit, a pharmacist’s insights into why patients sometimes stop taking medication, and a recap of the highlights (or, depending on your perspective, lowlights) of STAT’s coverage of Elizabeth Holmes, for those looking to refresh their memory before watching a newly released documentary of the former Silicon Valley wunderkind’s fall from grace.

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Was world-renowned molecular biologist David Sabatini a manipulative mentor who coerced a younger colleague into sex and cultivated a hostile work culture at his research lab in Cambridge? Or was he the victim of a spurned former lover and a #MeToo movement gone too far?

A dozen jurors in Boston are weighing these starkly opposing interpretations following a bruising, three-week civil trial that exposed the intense power dynamics and permissive sexual norms inside the world-famous Whitehead Institute, where Sabatini ran his own laboratory. Standing between the jury and a verdict are scores of hours of conflicting testimony, bitter recriminations, and a vast trove of unfiltered texts exchanged by two brilliant scientists.

The yearslong feud offers a rare window into the insular world of top-tier science labs, where directors wield outsized authority. It also highlights a broader challenge confronting modern workplaces: How to maintain professional boundaries within close-knit, diverse teams as behavioral standards evolve.

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This post was originally published here.