Mike Reddy for STAT

STAT+ | Private Medicare plans erect barriers to rehab care in pursuit of profit, federal investigators find

Medicare Advantage insurers block care for seniors only to reverse denials on appeal. A new OIG report exposes a potentially profit-driven tactic.

By Casey Ross and Bob Herman

STAT+ | Abridge inks deals with Nvidia and Lilly

Health care AI company Abridge announced new deals with pharma giant Eli Lilly and chip-maker Nvidia, as it aims to gain an edge in a competitive market.

By Mario Aguilar

Drinking during pregnancy rose after 2020, new CDC data suggest

CDC says alcohol use during pregnancy rose from 13.5% in 2021 to 15% in 2024, shows an issue thought to be from the past is an ongoing health concern.

By Isabella Cueto

Adobe

Nonprofit buys experimental cancer drug to maintain patient access

In rare move, advocacy group buys up remaining stockpile of an investigational drug, Luvelta. Will be offered at no cost for compassionate use by patients.

By Lauren Chan

STAT+ | Enliven Therapeutics’ leukemia drug shows promise in new study

Early data compare favorably to a blockbuster medicine sold by Novartis and an experimental therapy owned by Merck.

By Adam Feuerstein

STAT+ | ‘Synthetic lethality’ could trigger another round of biotech M&A

Preliminary data suggest a promising path forward for “synthetic lethality” in the treatment of cancer, and could spur some biotech deal-making.

By Adam Feuerstein

PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images

Study highlights influence of socioeconomic status on children’s brain development

Researchers analyze brain scans from 12,000 children to reveal how socioeconomic factors like poverty and stress shape neural development.

By Megan Molteni