biotech
When the YouTube promotion goes too far
Photo illustration: Camille MacMillin/STAT
Psychedelics companies are at a pivotal moment. Two years ago, the FDA rejected a contentious application from Lykos Therapeutics for MDMA as a treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. Now, several biotechs have advanced into late-stage trials, and the FDA could soon approve the first psilocybin treatment. Which is why STAT's Elaine Chen was interested when she saw the YouTube videos, made by influencers and paid for by marketing agencies for drug developers.
"What if one dose of a nasal spray could do what years of antidepressants could not, and it only takes 90 minutes? That is not hypothetical. That is real clinical data," one video claimed about a drug candidate from AtaiBeckley. Another video about a biotech called Helus Pharma said the FDA had just handed the company "a golden ticket."
Paid promotion isn't new, but these videos make exaggerated claims about investigational drugs. Read more from Elaine about the mistaken email pitch that started her down this road of reporting, what companies had to say about the promotions, and the impact they could have on the field overall.
gender
The bright side: gender euphoria and mental health
You've heard of gender dysphoria – the diagnosis for the psychological distress that many transgender people experience when their identity doesn't align with their sex assigned at birth. Gender euphoria consists of the positive feelings one experiences related to gender expression and having one's gender affirmed. It can look like a collection of small moments: dressing in a more masculine or feminine way, getting a new haircut, being called by your new name, being referred to by the correct pronouns. It feels good, and a new report from the Trevor Project shows that, among trans and nonbinary young people, gender euphoria is associated with real, positive mental health outcomes.
The survey of nearly 1,000 trans and nonbinary people ages 13 to 24 found that higher levels of gender euphoria are associated with 47% lower odds of depression, 37% lower odds of anxiety, and 37% lower odds of suicidal ideation. Respondents rated how much they agree or disagree with gender-positive statements, and the average answer translated to a measurement of euphoria. Older respondents tended to experience more euphoria than younger ones, which the authors hypothesized could be related to better access to resources like health care.
politics
HSAs want to rebrand
Republicans have for years wanted to expand the use of health savings accounts. Now, with the momentum gained through reforms passed in last summer's tax bill, a coalition of industry groups have formed a nonprofit called the Great American Health Alliance (GAHA) to continue pushing for more.
The group is trying to rebrand HSAs as "healthier spending accounts" and recently conducted a poll that frames HSAs as owning health care and health insurance as renting it. But perhaps more importantly: as a 501(c)(4), GAHA can engage in unlimited lobbying, support political candidates, and avoid disclosing where it gets its money. Read more from STAT's John Wilkerson.
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