Exclusive: The FDA priority review voucher winners share what happened

Plus: Can "food noise" be measured? Telehealth giant Ro rolls out a new scale for obesity care

October 24, 2025 Check out STAT+

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Adobe STAT+ | How the first nine drug companies won priority review vouchers from Marty Makary's FDA The winners include a gene therapy for a rare form of deafness, a plant-based drug for vaping addiction, and ketamine. By Lizzy Lawrence Algorithms used to determine Medicaid eligibility for home care vary widely among states Technology-focused advocacy group Upturn calls algorithms used for at-home Medicaid services eligibility a political tool to cut costs By O. Rose Broderick STAT+ | FDA delivers split decision on GSK's blood cancer drug Blenrep, approving its use in some cases GSK submitted Blenrep in a combination with two other drugs but was approved only for use with a medicine called Velcad. Overseas regulators had approved both. By Andrew Joseph Jeff Pinette for STAT At a gathering of biopharma executives, a moment of wonder — and also of worry The STAT Summit in Boston made clear the drug industry confronts an era of innovation in the shadow of concerns about public trust and pricing. By Matthew Herper STAT+ | Advocacy groups form a buyer's club to obtain generic versions of pricey Vertex cystic fibrosis drug The generic version will be made by Bangladesh's Beximco and will be priced at $6,375 for a child and $12,750 for an adult per year By Ed Silverman Opinion: Trump's $150-per-month GLP-1 plan won't reach people like me I use GLP-1s off-label to help manage life in long-term recovery from addiction — but their cost has driven me to risky things. By Nick Dothée JOEL SAGET/AFP via Getty Images STAT+ | Can 'food noise' be measured? Telehealth giant Ro rolls out a new scale for obesity care Ro says measuring food noise, or intrusive thoughts about eating, could lead to better obesity treatment. Skeptics say it's a diagnosis to sell a solution. By Elaine Chen

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The biggest stories from ESMO 2025: mRNA Covid shots may boost the effects of certain cancer treatments, study suggests Results of two advanced breast cancer drug trials could lead to new approvals for both Roche and Celcuity. Enhertu, a staple in late-stage breast cancer treatment, shows promise when introduced earlier. Fueled by two strong studies, AstraZeneca and Gilead will be squaring off in treating triple-negative breast cancer. The ESMO showstopper presentations came from Merck. Its future may depend on them.

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