Makary defends rare disease drug rejections, Prasad

Also: An herbicide executive order, RFK Jr., and a sense of betrayal ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏  ͏ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­  

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Samuel Corum/Getty Images STAT+ | FDA Commissioner Marty Makary defends rare disease drug rejections, Vinay Prasad Makary appeared to reference the FDA's stance on a gene therapy made by UniQure to treat Huntington's disease, a rare neurodegenerative condition. By Lizzy Lawrence and John Wilkerson STAT+ | Cigna, extending reach into prescription drugs, acquires major pharmacy used by hospitals The acquisition, discovered in a review of financial filings, reinforces the company's push to control more of the lucrative flow of pharmaceuticals. By Bob Herman STAT+ | Rare disease advocates fume over FDA's mixed signals FDA has rejected or reversed course on five gene therapies for rare diseases while simultaneously unveiling expedited pathways for new treatment approvals. By Jason Mast Karis Beaumont for STAT STAT+ | Brain implants: What's standing in the way of pivotal trials, FDA approval Companies such as Synchron, Neuralink, and Paradromics are finding it easier to show safety than it is to define and measure improved patient outcomes. By O. Rose Broderick STAT+ | Sarepta Therapeutics CEO Doug Ingram will retire after a tumultuous decade Ingram turned Sarepta into a $15 billion company by pushing treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy, then watched that value collapse. By Jason Mast STAT+ | Xenon's seizure drug study reads out soon. Here's what to expect In this week's edition of "Adam's Biotech Scorecard," a look at a readout coming up from Xenon, and an appreciation for Alkermes' retiring CEO, Richard Pops. By Adam Feuerstein Reed Saxon/AP Everything you need to know about RFK Jr., MAHA, and 'glypho-gate' Trump executive order promotes an herbicide many in MAHA would like to see banned. STATus Report host Alex Hogan examines the controversy over Roundup. By Alex Hogan

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