And so, another working week will soon draw to a close. Not a moment too soon, yes? This is, you may recall, our treasured signal to daydream about weekend plans. Our agenda is somewhat uncertain due to a pending storm in our part of the universe. Other than stocking up on the essentials — namely, caffeine — we plan to catch up on our reading, watch a moving picture show or two on the telly, and hold another listening party, where the rotation will likely include this, this, this, this and this. And what about you? With inclement weather looming, this may be an opportunity to cook a nice meal, reach out to someone special, or tidy up around your castle. Or maybe plan a trip to Greenland. Well, whatever you do, have a grand time. But be safe. Enjoy, and see you soon. …
Moderna chief executive officer Stéphane Bancel said the company does not plan to invest in new late-stage vaccine trials because of growing opposition to immunizations from U.S. officials, Bloomberg News says. His comments are some of his strongest yet about the difficulties that vaccine makers face in the Trump administration. He joins a chorus of other pharmaceutical executives who have started to vent their frustrations with the government assault on immunizations. Under the leadership of U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine critic, U.S. officials have narrowed the population of people who are eligible for Covid vaccines, created confusion over how to get them, and raised questions over their safety. That’s made things even harder for Moderna, which was already struggling from a post-pandemic decline in its Covid business.
The number of ongoing prescription drug shortages rose slightly in the last quarter of 2025, but remained significantly lower than the all-time high reached in the beginning of 2024, STAT tells us. Moreover, the number of new shortages identified last year marked the lowest level in nearly 20 years, according to a new report from the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists. As last year drew to a close, there were 216 prescription medicines in short supply in the U.S., which was slightly more than earlier in the year, but this was significantly less than the 323 prescription drug shortages recorded in the beginning of 2024, the report found. The number of new shortages identified last year was just 89, the lowest figure since 2006, and considerably less than the 130 medicines that were in shortly supply in 2024.
Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…
STAT Pharma: The science and business of new drug development
Leave a Reply