Weekly health newsletter distributed on March 22



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OK by show of hands, how many of you have finally reached the limit of the contents of Theranos / Elizabeth Holmes? I think that throughout the newsroom we have collected more than a dozen publications over the past week and a half (phew!). I would certainly recommend checking them all out if you can not get enough of the story. Forward in the saga: pending trial. There is a date scheduled for the end of April, I will keep you informed as soon as the trial begins.

But my colleagues tell me that in the health sector, much more happened this week than seeing Elizabeth Holmes get up for MC Hammer.

To start, last weekend, Erin Brodwin took a close look at data from the heart study conducted by Apple Watch.

OK, I know I said we had almost finished talking about Theranos until the start of the trial, but I could not help but lose another interview that I posted. this week – this one with Dr. Phyllis Gardner, a Stanford professor, who took down one of Elizabeth Holmes' first ideas and witnessed the full development of the rise and fall of the society. Favorite quotes include: "I was laughing all over the place."

Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes
Courtesy of HBO

The Stanford professor, who rejected one of Elizabeth Holmes' early ideas, explains how it was to watch the rise and fall of Theranos.

  • Dr. Phyllis Gardner, a professor at Stanford Medical School, mistrusted Theranos Foundation founder Elizabeth Thermes after rejecting Holmes' idea of ​​creating a patch capable of deploying antibiotics.
  • Gardner has been following Holmes and Theranos ever since and has shared his concerns with reporters, including John Carreyrou of the Wall Street Journal, who quoted him in his 2015 bombing article in which he asked about Efficiency of the company's blood test technology.
  • But for Gardner, the story is not over. "I just want her to be found guilty," she said about Holmes. "All I want is to see her in an orange jumpsuit with a black turtleneck."

On Tuesday, another medication against depression was approved. Zulresso is an injection used to treat postpartum depression. Erin explained why the drug was a big problem.

Regulators come to approve a new drug against depression that could potentially change the game

  • On Tuesday, federal regulators approved the second new antidepressant this month, after 35 years of weak progress in the fight against the disease.
  • An injection called Zulresso, the new drug treats postpartum depression (PPD). The posted price for a treatment is $ 34,000.
  • PPD occurs after childbirth and is thought to affect about one in six women.
  • The two new medications approved this month could work faster and last longer than previous medications.

Emma Court spoke with outgoing FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb about what he would do to repair health care.

FDA chief says anti-vaxxers could cause national health crisis

  • We asked the Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Scott Gottlieb, if there was one thing that someone could do to improve health care.
  • Gottlieb quickly pointed to vaccines, a crucial scientific breakthrough that protects us from dangerous diseases. They have been attacked by an anti-vaccine movement that spreads false statements.
  • Trends suggest that the United States is nearing a critical point for vaccines, Gottlieb told Business Insider. If attitudes towards vaccines change completely, "the implications could be quite deep," he said.

Emma also has breakdown of the failure of the last stage of treatment in Biogen, the great Alzheimer's. Thursday was a tough day for biotechnology, which lost about $ 18 billion in market value.

Big Pharma has been trying to cure Alzheimer's more than 200 times without success. The latest $ 18 billion flop leaves scientists looking for a new path.

  • An experimental and promising Alzheimer's disease suffered a major failure Thursday, when drug makers at the root of this disease announced that they would put an end to most research efforts.
  • Biogen lost about $ 18 billion in market value on news.
  • Alzheimer's disease does not have a cure. Many drugs developed for this have failed.
  • Scientists do not understand Alzheimer's disease well, which could be part of the problem. Biotech companies may need to better understand the disease to develop an effective drug.

In totally independent news, I'm curious to hear what you think about the new 23andMe type 2 diabetes report. I know he debuted last week, but I finally had the time to understand my personal results and get a better idea of ​​what I should or should not read. He certainly feels very different from some of the other tests of the consumer genetics society.

I'm heading to Portland, Oregon for a long weekend (if you do not hear from me on Monday, that's why!). Do not hesitate to send me travel recommendations, tips, information other than Theranos, etc. at the address [email protected] or to find any team of health professionals at the address [email protected].

– Lydia

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