biotech
Uncertainty with a chance of optimism in San Diego
Sandy Huffaker for STAT
In San Diego's biotech industry, lab space is plentiful, but actual jobs are hard to come by. The region ranks third among the nation's life science hubs behind Boston and the Bay Area, but these days many companies in the area are struggling to raise money, with the uncertainty only exacerbated by the Trump administration's many disruptions to science. "I've either got to leave San Diego, move back to Minnesota, or something," said Vince Kato, a former senior engineer at Illumina who was laid off last year (pictured above).
But not everyone feels so bleak. STAT's Jonathan Wosen spoke with local market analysts, life science leaders, investors, and CEOs who argued that, despite the ongoing downturn, the region's biotechs continue to punch above their weight. And they have receipts. Read Jonathan's latest story to learn what these Californians — and the financial data — have to say about San Diego's chances.
chronic disease
Who gets MS, and when does it start?
Two studies on multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disorder that attacks the central nervous system, published late last week:
Women are 8% less likely than men to receive drug treatment for MS, even when they have the same level of disease severity, according to a study in Neurology that analyzed almost three decades of French health records for people with relapse-remitting MS. When it came to newer drugs that are particularly effective at reducing relapses, women had 20% lower odds of getting the drugs. While the study authors accounted for people pausing medications during pregnancy, they acknowledged the disparity could be partly influenced by women discontinuing meds in anticipation of getting pregnant. Still, they found the disparity unacceptable, per a press release.
And while it's understood that someone's use of the health care system increases before the onset of MS, previous research has only focused on the 5 to 20 years before the first recorded nerve damage. A study published Friday in JAMA Network Open looked at data from a cohort of more than 2,000 MS patients in British Columbia going back 25 years before symptom onset. Compared to matched controls, eventual MS patients visited doctors more often for all causes 14 years before onset. Mental health and ill-defined symptoms were the first concerns bringing in more visits, followed by neurology, eye problems, and sensory issues around 8-9 years before onset. The findings suggest that MS may begin much earlier than previously recognized, the authors concluded.
back to court
AIDS activists are suing HHS for settlement details
A patient advocacy group called Prep4All is suing the Trump administration for failing to disclose details of a recent settlement with Gilead Sciences over the patent rights to a pair of HIV prevention pills.
The case was closely watched, STAT's Ed Silverman writes, because it raised questions about the extent to which government-funded research should lead to affordably priced medicines. Patient advocates complained Gilead charged high prices for the pills — Truvada and a newer version called Descovy. Read more.
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