Matthew Herper

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary defends rare disease drug rejections, Vinay Prasad FDA Commissioner Marty Makary defended the agency’s recent rejections of rare disease drugs and one of his deputies, Vinay Prasad, in an interview with CNBC.

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary:

"Vinay Prasad is a genius...some of the drugs they are criticizing him for that got rejected either had stone cold, normal trial results, or he wasn’t even involved."

www.statnews.com/2026/02/26/m...

5 key people to watch at HHS after Trump’s shake-up HHS has elevated a new team of health policy experts, including a former health IT exec and a Trump administration veteran.

5 key people to watch at HHS after Trump’s shake-up www.statnews.com/2026/02/19/h... via @statnews.com

NIH Director Bhattacharya to lead CDC after O’Neill’s exit He's the third leader of the public health agency since this summer.

NIH Director Bhattacharya to lead CDC after O’Neill’s exit www.statnews.com/2026/02/18/c... via @statnews.com

Upcoming meeting of federal vaccine panel may be postponed after HHS missed deadlines Federal officials have missed the legal deadline to notify the public of an upcoming ACIP meeting, raising questions about whether the meeting will be postponed.

Upcoming meeting of federal vaccine panel may be postponed after HHS missed deadlines www.statnews.com/2026/02/18/c... via @statnews.com

"Well that didn’t take long." @matthewherper.bsky.social for @statnews.com on why the FDA's abrupt reversal on Moderna's flu vaccine is one more sign of chaos at the agency.

The FDA’s Moderna pirouette is one more sign of chaos at the agency For drugmakers and vaccine developers, an FDA reversal on Moderna's flu vaccine is better than the alternative. But it is also another sign of agency chaos.

This morning, the FDA reversed course. It will now review Moderna's flu vaccine.

The FDA's decisions have become far less predictable, but one thing has been constant: vaccine head Vinay Prasad has always chosen the most attention-grabbing action he can.

www.statnews.com/2026/02/18/m...

We found at least 18 of the drugs on TrumpRx have cheaper generics available ranging from potential savings of over $600 for Tikosyn to just around $2 for Diflucan. Most of the drugs are made by Pfizer.

So about TrumpRx: We crunched the numbers today and about half of the drugs on there have cheaper generics available already. www.statnews.com/2026/02/06/t...

Statins don’t cause most of the side effects on package warnings, study finds Many people who should be taking statins avoid them for fear of side effects. A large new study says most of those side effects don't actually show up.

Statins don’t cause most of the side effects on package warnings, study finds www.statnews.com/2026/02/05/s... via @statnews.com

This ranks among the darkest days in the history of one of the world’s greatest news organizations. The Washington Post’s ambitions will be sharply diminished, its talented and brave staff will be… | ... This ranks among the darkest days in the history of one of the world’s greatest news organizations. The Washington Post’s ambitions will be sharply diminished, its talented and brave staff will be fur...

Legendary editor Martin Baron on the cuts at the Washington Post.

"This is a case study in near-instant, self-inflicted brand destruction"

www.linkedin.com/posts/mabaro...

I'm at the Willard Hotel where I've been denied entry and kicked out of the Reclaiming Science event with NIH director Bhattacharya & other top agency leaders.

@jocelynkaiser.bsky.social and I registered for the event months ago yet were told capacity was full, even as they let in dozens of others.

Genes influence human lifespan far more than thought, new study suggests How big of a role do our genes play in our lifespan? Quite a bit more than previously thought, a new study suggests.

Genes influence human lifespan far more than thought, new study suggests www.statnews.com/2026/01/29/h... via @statnews.com

This Teen Never Got His Day in Vaccine Court. His Former Lawyer Now Advises RFK on Its Overhaul. - KFF Health News The federal government’s Vaccine Injury Compensation Program was supposed to help patients with their medical bills while protecting vaccine supply. But allies of Health and Human Services Secretary R...

This story complicates things that seem simple, but aren’t. kffhealthnews.org/news/article...

9 influencers shaping health information online, for better or worse The qualified medical experts, the pseudoscientific entertainers, and the MAHA mobilizers leading online health content today.

STAT gathered nine of the biggest voices in the health influencer space worth keeping an eye on, for better or for worse.

List members include:
@kkjetelina.bsky.social
@drjessicaknurick.bsky.social
@jessicamalaty.bsky.social
@hubermanlab.com

Read the story: www.statnews.com/2026/01/27/w...

U.S. government has lost more than 10,000 STEM Ph.D.s since Trump took office | Science | AAAS www.science.org/content/arti...

Alex Pretti remembered by health care workers at a Minneapolis vigil as a ‘stand-up guy’ Health care workers brought flowers and wreaths, lit candles, and draped stethoscopes over a wooden cross as a makeshift memorial to nurse Alex Pretti.

Alex Pretti remembered by health care workers at a Minneapolis vigil as a ‘stand-up guy’ www.statnews.com/2026/01/26/a... via @statnews.com

Shared decision-making on vaccines is not the enemy “In its urge to say what Kennedy gets wrong, the public health and medical community is actively resisting something he gets right.”

I think you should always listen to Peter Sandman, even if you don't agree. "Shared decision-making on vaccines is not the enemy," one of the great experts on medical decision-making writes in STAT. www.statnews.com/2026/01/26/s...

Alex Pretti was a colleague at the VA. We hired him to recruit for our trial. He became an ICU nurse- I lover working with him. He was a good kind person who lived to help and these fuckers executed him.

White. Hot. Rage.

CDC pauses billions in public health infrastructure grants to states The CDC has paused more than 100 grants to states and organizations to update infrastructure for public health projects.

CDC pauses billions in public health infrastructure grants to states www.statnews.com/2026/01/24/p...

Top CDC vaccine adviser questions need for polio shot, other longstanding recommendations The chair of a federal vaccine advisory panel charted a new course for the committee in a podcast released Thursday, questioning longstanding recommendations.

So we are the point of questioning polio vaccines.

The chair of ACIP: “I think also, as you look at polio, we need to not be afraid to consider that we are in a different time now than we were then..."

www.statnews.com/2026/01/22/v...

RFK Jr. is moving to remake a little-known vaccine panel. It could have big consequences Firing the advisory panel's members could be a first step toward revamping the vaccine injury compensation system.

RFK Jr. is moving to remake a panel involved in that compensating people who are injured by vaccines. It could have big consequences.

By @chelseacirruzzo.bsky.social

www.statnews.com/2026/01/20/k...

Regeneron's chief scientist is not always impressed by AI, and points to the Covid-era treatment given to President Trump as an example of why. Via @matthewherper.bsky.social

www.statnews.com/2026/01/15/r...

Controversial US study on hepatitis B vaccines in Africa is cancelled $1.6m project drew outrage over ethical questions about withholding vaccines proven to prevent disease

UPDATE 2: A senior official in Guinea-Bissau said in a letter that the trial has been cancelled. Guinea-Bissau will continue its current vaccination schedule until the birth dose is implemented for all newborns, the letter said. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Investor behind Moderna says U.S. policy is ‘taking a sledgehammer to our miracle machine’ Noubar Afeyan, one of biotech’s top investors, says U.S. policy is "taking a sledgehammer to our miracle machine."

Noubar Afeyan, one of biotech's top investors and co-founder of Moderna, says U.S. policy is ‘taking a sledgehammer to our miracle machine.’ Story via @matthewherper.bsky.social for @statnews.com
www.statnews.com/2026/01/12/n...

Pazdur warns that politics, ‘chaos’ are damaging FDA At a STAT event, veteran drug regulator Richard Pazdur, who left the FDA last month after 26 years, said that politics and 'chaos' were damaging the agency.

Pazdur warns that politics, ‘chaos’ are damaging FDA www.statnews.com/2026/01/13/r... via @statnews.com

With political savvy and outrage over drug prices, advocate David Mitchell was ahead of his time David Mitchell, who helped launch Patients for Affordable Drugs to raise awareness of high drug prices and seek to bring them down, died at age 75.

I was very sad to learn of the passing of David Mitchell,
a cancer patient who turned his own battle into a fight to make medicines more affordable. Here, @pharmalot.bsky.social gets at why Mitchell was so special.

www.statnews.com/2026/01/05/d...

Although some previously recommended vaccines moved to shared decision-making, it looks like at least the 2nd dose of HPV may have been removed entirely. Would appreciate hearing from experts about the effects of dose deletion on coverage, as CMS is saying there will be no coverage consequences.

Federal health officials slash recommended childhood vaccinations under Trump’s directive The number of recommended childhood shots drops from 17 to 11.

Federal health officials slash recommended childhood vaccinations under Trump’s directive www.statnews.com/2026/01/05/c... via @statnews.com

The top medical advances of 2025 It has been a tough year for medicine. But make no mistake: Science didn’t stop, and medicine has had its share of major advances.

The US science enterprise came under extraordinary attack in 2025. Despite the trauma and drama, science soldiered on, @matthewherper.bsky.social reports. www.statnews.com/2025/12/31/2...

The top medical advances of 2025 It has been a tough year for medicine. But make no mistake: Science didn’t stop, and medicine has had its share of major advances.

The top medical advances of 2025 www.statnews.com/2025/12/31/2... via @statnews.com

Director of NIH neurological disorders institute is ousted, adding to leadership churn Walter Koroshetz, director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, will soon be leaving his role, STAT has learned. His departure

Director of NIH neurological disorders institute is ousted, adding to leadership churn www.statnews.com/2025/12/27/n... via @statnews.com