Ike Swetlitz
The Boston Globe
Cambridge, MA, United States
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Past articles by Ike:
Overturning Roe could make treating miscarriages difficult
Overturning Roe v. Wade will affect the quality and availability of maternal medical care across the US, exacerbating a problem that has been building for years as abortion restrictions have already tightened in parts of the country. → Read More
The $100,000 dark-money mystery group behind a pharma-bashing Facebook campaign
A new dark money group with conservative ties has run more than $100,000 worth of Facebook ads bashing pharmaceutical companies and high drug prices since October. → Read More
FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb to resign
Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Scott Gottlieb will resign, according to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar. → Read More
Drug spending could rise 6.1 percent annually by 2020, federal projections show
Spending on prescription drugs is expected to increase at an accelerating rate over the next 10 years, according to government estimates released Wednesday. → Read More
Medicare would provide national coverage for CAR-T cancer therapies under new proposal
CMS on Friday released a so-called national coverage determination that lays out exactly when, and for whom, Medicare will cover a given drug. → Read More
NAFTA 2.0's impact on drug prices is more complicated than some imply
Experts tell STAT a provision of the trade deal related to biologic drugs won’t actually increase drug prices or stifle competition in the U.S. → Read More
Draft federal spending deal includes largest boost for FDA in five years
The draft spending package includes a $269 million boost for FDA that would help fund cancer drug development and research to combat the opioid epidemic. → Read More
Trump claims drug prices have fallen. But he’s cherry-picking that data.
Trump asserted that his efforts to bring down drug prices had led to the largest drop in those figures in nearly half a century. That’s not quite right. → Read More
Will Trump’s new drug rebates proposal end PBMs? And 6 other burning questions about the idea
STAT spoke to experts about how much the administration's new plan to eliminate certain drug rebates would help or hurt patients and other industries. → Read More
In bold new proposal, Trump administration pitches an end to certain drug rebates
The Trump administration on Thursday put forth a long-awaited proposal to eliminate certain rebates drug makers pay insurance companies in Medicare. → Read More
These pricey new cancer therapies are custom-made. Can they ever be more mainstream?
Right now, pricey CAR-T cancer therapies are custom-made for each patient. Making a version that anyone could use could take years. → Read More
Patient and medical groups blast Trump administration drug pricing proposal in new ad campaign
Several patient organizations, led by the American Cancer Society, are criticizing a Trump administration proposal they say would limit access to medicine. → Read More
CVS CEO: Anything Amazon does, we will do better — including, maybe, delivery by drone
“We are doing some work on that, believe it or not,” CEO Larry Merlo said Monday. He added he's not worried about Amazon's move into the pharmacy business. → Read More
If the shutdown drags on at FDA, it will put anticipated new treatments in jeopardy
If it drags on, the government shutdown at FDA could jeopardize highly anticipated new drugs from Janssen, Sanofi and Novartis, among other companies. → Read More
All seven of the FDA’s recent commissioners agree it should be independent — but not on how to accomplish it
Four of the FDA’s most recent commissioners all admitted to STAT the push for independence is still in its infancy, even after years of consideration. → Read More
Supreme Court seems unlikely to overhaul popular drug industry legal strategy
Several Supreme Court justices seemed to side with the drug industry in a case that examined a popular defense that companies use to ward off patient lawsuits. → Read More
NIH hospital's pipes harbored bacteria that infected patients
Patients were infected with antibiotic-resistant bacteria living in the plumbing of the National Institute of Health Clinical Center. → Read More
It’s official: parts of the government, including FDA, shut down early Saturday
House Republican leadership suggested late Friday there would be no further votes on legislation to fund the government ahead of the midnight deadline. → Read More
Fetal tissue research: the debate, the stakes, and the hunt for alternatives
STAT looks at several looming questions for the future of fetal tissue research as the Trump administration pushes to find alternatives. → Read More
NIH Plans to Spend Up to $20 Million on Search for Alternatives to Fetal Tissue for Research
The preliminary announcement comes in the wake of a Trump administration order that agency scientists to stop buying such tissue from humans → Read More