Natasha Loder

If China manages to crack the problem of making cheap and effective gene therapies and America doesn't crack the problem of paying what the market will bear for gene therapies it will just get ripped off.

In China, a low-cost push to rival a life-saving, $2M medicine Indian veterinarian Nirnay Murthy sought Lantu Biopharma's experimental gene therapy for his son's spinal muscular atrophy after being unable to afford Novartis's $2.1M Zolgensma treatment.

“We will show the world that there is a better, more responsible, and economically more sensible way of drug development,” -- Chinese biotech offering a low-cost version of a gene therapy that saves the lives of small children but at a cost of $2m

endpoints.news/chinese-biot...

In this talk I'll reflect back on what journalism's past tells us about the future of science journalism. I'll also talk about my long love affair with journalism, and how to get a bikini wax on expenses. Do come and join us, and let us debate the future.

'We can't afford to wait years for AI regulation' says Tallon Lawrence Tallon, chief executive of the MHRA, said “we cannot afford to wait years” for AI to be regulated at the pace of innovation.

Head of the MHRA at our AI health summit this week

www.digitalhealth.net/2025/10/we-c...

U.N. General Assembly Updates: China, for First Time, Vows to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

China, for First Time, Vows to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions www.nytimes.com/live/2025/09...

WHO statement on autism-related issues The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes that there is currently no conclusive scientific evidence confirming a possible link between autism and use of acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol) ...

"The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes that there is currently no conclusive scientific evidence confirming a possible link between autism and use of acetaminophen (also known as paracetamol) during pregnancy."

www.who.int/news/item/24...

ah, yes I think that is probably correct.

Newsflash: lawyer does job.

:)

alas this isn't lefty twitter?

When I wrote it I felt that the weight of evidence strongly suggested that something was going on, so you may not have been wrong. But science moves on.

Everyone keeps saying this place is lefy-Twitter. Is this true? Are there right-leaning folks on Bluesky? Having a diversity of opinions (well debated) is at the core of a modern functioning democracy and we need different voices.

Well, to be fair, there is no real evidence that this was not just a bad seasonal influenza. That piece painted a picture, but since then there are counter arguments that suggest that it didn't start that early. I wouldn't say it is a slam dunk either way.

yeah, the press conference was bat-shit crazy. Reminded me of the covid era speculation on the internal use of bleach.

Wow, this autism press conference is so laden with errors and mis-statements it is hard to keep up.

WIRED's The Politics Issue

Big Tech's embrace of President Trump has left many of us wondering: What the hell happened to Silicon Valley?

In our new politics issue, we're getting into it.

Also, we're taking this cover across the US in billboards, posters and a mural. Clues to find us in the 🧵: www.wired.com/politics-iss...

The big picture on UK pharma exits from Citeline

British psychiatrists quietly endorse ketamine therapy But they bury the lede in their new report

So the Royal College of Psychiatrists has quietly endorsed ketamine therapy hoping journalists wouldn't notice. #fail

open.substack.com/pub/overmatt...

🤨

That composite statistic makes it difficult to know how effective the covid vaccine is though.

Thank you for clarifying.

British psychiatrists quietly endorse ketamine therapy But they bury the lede in their new report

So the Royal College of Psychiatrists has quietly endorsed ketamine therapy hoping journalists wouldn't notice. #fail

open.substack.com/pub/overmatt...

Interesting, thank you! So am I reading this correctly? They are basically saying that most of the economic benefits come from avoided hospitalisation and for omicron the risks are greatly reduced and there are no deaths?

Does anyone know why the JVCI decided that in the UK pregnant women shouldn't get covid shots any more during the booster season? Genuinely interested in the reasoning here rather than any kind of mud-slinging one way or another

The $6 revolution. How generic weight loss drugs could save millions of lives. The arrival of generic semaglutide is an unheard of opportunity for global public health

here overmatter.substack.com/p/the-6-revo...

Also if you Subscribed to my Substack you could have read the article first, and completely free.

(My blog and now Substack has been free for TWO decades!)

The $6 revolution. How generic weight loss drugs could save millions of lives. The arrival of generic semaglutide is an unheard of opportunity for global public health

Substack version here.

overmatter.substack.com/p/the-6-revo...

Opinion: Canadians can benefit from tumbling prices on weight-loss drugs Affordable semaglutide can improve the health outcomes for the more than 1 billion people living with obesity worldwide

So @petersinger.bsky.social and I just published a piece about the "$6 revolution" in generic GLP-1 drugs in Canada's @theglobeandmail.com.

You can also read the original, longer version, on our Substacks. (see below)

www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...

Overmatter | Natasha Loder | Substack Stories that matter. Click to read Overmatter, by Natasha Loder, a Substack publication with hundreds of subscribers.

@natashaloder.bsky.social and I will have more to say about this and other global health stuff in the weeks ahead. Follow us on our substacks.

Natasha’s substack: open.substack.com/pub/overmatt...

Peter’s substack: open.substack.com/pub/singerp?...

4/4 fin

Finalists for the 2025 MJA Awards Finalists for the 2025 Medical Journalists' Association Awards revealed. Winners announced Sept 17. Thanks to principal sponsor AstraZeneca

Continuing to celebrate our finalists for the 2025 MJA Awards, today we have Feature of the Year (general). Our shortlist is @andrewgregory.com @natashaloder.bsky.social @warrenmanger.bsky.social Adele Waters and @whippletom.bsky.social - you can view all the details below mjauk.org/2025/08/15/f...