August 4, 2024

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Editor, First Opinion

A conversation this week with a colleague who has young children in summer camp, where a key activity is weaving gimp into long chains, made me think of "The Lanyard," an evocative poem by Billy Collins. If you haven't come across it, I urge you to read this moving description of the relationship between a boy and his mother. Growing up on the South Side of Chicago with no escape to summer camps, I never made a lanyard. But I, like others (I'm thinking about you, G.G.), wish I had the opportunity to give the poem to my mom, who died before I discovered Collins's work.

What do lanyards have to do with First Opinion? It might be a stretch, but I feel like I and Torie Bosch (whose return to the First Opinion desk is imminent!) work to weave a wordy one every week, braiding different essays into a chain of varying opinion and perspective. This week's baker's dozen of essays began with one about neurologists being sharply divided on whether to prescribe the newest anti-Alzheimer's drugs and finished with one explaining how the evidence-free lab leak hypothesis of the origin of Covid-19 is damaging science. In between: the fiction of Donald Trump's "right to try" messaging, why women are more likely than men to tear their anterior cruciate ligaments, caregiving on the campaign trail, how the FDA is holding back novel sunscreen ingredients, and more. You can read them all here.

If you have a lanyard moment to share, or an idea or essay for First Opinion, please send it to first.opinion@statnews.com.

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ACL tears in women: Too many injuries and too little research

Female athletes are three to six times more likely to suffer a torn ACL. A sports medicine expert says more research is needed on often-devastating injury.

By Amy West

Trump gave patients a 'right to try.' It hasn't helped them

Donald Trump says the Right to Try Act is "saving thousands and thousands of lives." But almost no one has used it. There's a better option.

By Alison Bateman-House and Holly Fernandez Lynch

Make caregiving a defining issue of the 2024 election

Spotlight on the care economy sparked excitement among care advocates. Other politicians need to follow Kamala Harris's lead on caregiving.

By Jason Resendez

Adobe

Rising rates of skin cancer: The cost of FDA's inaction on novel sunscreen products

First Opinion: Dermatologist sees better sunscreens in use overseas, blames red tape for FDA not approving a single new sunscreen ingredient this century.

By Darrell Rigel

Mark Cuban's company won't fix drug costs, but it can still help rectify America's drug shortages

First Opinion: Experts hail Mark Cuban for good intentions, but say his biggest impact can be as a drug manufacturer, not cost-plus drug wholesaler.

By Ezekiel J. Emanuel and John Connolly

Adobe

Cost counseling and stewardship need to be part of medical school curricula

Training medical students today in cost counseling and stewardship is integral to developing better physicians for tomorrow.

By Henry Bair

How artificial intelligence can bolster Europe's competitive edge in biopharma

It's the European Union's time to pave the way for science and AI-based leadership in the biopharmaceutical and health care industries.

By Paul Hudson

Address liquid biopsy disparities today to ensure equity in outcomes tomorrow

Liquid biopsy, a tool to detect hidden cancer, is maturing at a rapid pace. Now is the time build a roadmap for its equitable use.

By Gebra Cuyun Carter and Caitlin Kubler

Adobe

PBMs aren't opening access to lower-cost biosimilars. Reform is needed now

First Opinion: PBMs actively deny patients access to low-cost, safe, and effective drugs, including biosimilars for drugs like Humira, to protect profits.

By Juliana M. Reed

STAT+ | DNA data security requires robust protections, not rhetoric

The BIOSECURE Act is flawed. A better approach would be uniform standards that apply to all parties with access to DNA data.

By Radoje Drmanac

Leveraging scientific excellence to improve investment decisions

Four principles of scientific excellence applied to investing: A STAT First Opinion from a prominent venture investor and a Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner.