Ward: Environment

232

Tattooing may trigger localised damage to the immune system

There is relatively little information on the long-term health effects of tattooing, but a couple of recent studies suggest the art form might trigger prolonged inflammation

208

Your period may make sport injuries more severe

Professional football players who became injured while on their period took longer to recover than when injuries occurred at other times of their menstrual cycle

111

The US beat back bird flu in 2025 – but the battle isn’t over

After starting the year with its first known bird flu death, the US expanded its efforts to contain the virus, which enabled it to end its public health emergency response months later

221

Human challenge trials have never been more popular

The ethics of clinical trials that deliberately infect people with a disease aren't clear-cut – but there's a strong case for doing more of them

331

FDA approves Wegovy pill, the first prescription pill for weight loss

The FDA has approved the pill version of the weight loss drug Wegovy, the first oral medication of its kind. The new pills are expected to be available in a few weeks. Chief medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook has more.

219

Former GOP Sen. Ben Sasse says he has terminal stage-four pancreatic cancer

Former Republican Sen. Ben Sasse announced Tuesday that he has terminal stage-four pancreatic cancer.

212

FDA approves Wegovy pill for weight loss

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a pill version of the weight-loss drug Wegovy.

109

Flu season is ramping up, and some experts are "pretty worried"

Doctors and scientists say this year's influenza season could be tougher than usual, with a new version of the flu virus, called H3N2, spreading quickly.

111

STAT+: The best and worst drug names this year

And other biotech news, brought to you by The Readout newsletter

222

Study revives debate about unpopular diet for cancer patients

The neutropenic diet, which calls for nearly all food to be cooked at high heat to decrease infection risk, was waning in cancer care. A new study could change that.

219

STAT+: We’re reading about new TrumpRx deals, Samsung Biologics’ first U.S. plant, and more

And other pharma news from the Pharmalot campus via the Pharmalittle newsletter

221

An advocate who offered a window on the experience of living with brain cancer dies at 43

Adam Hayden, a patient advocate and the subject of an earlier profile in STAT, has died at age 43.

209

STAT+: We’re reading about the first approved GLP-1 pill, deal-hungry Ipsen, and more

And more pharma news from the Pharmalot campus via the Pharmalittle newsletter

109

Opinion: 4 questions to understand the costs of ‘medical freedom’

The choice that one person makes not to vaccinate has real costs — financial and otherwise — for their neighbors.

119

STAT+: FDA flashpoints to watch next year

And other biotech news brought to you by The Readout

210

How testosterone fell out of favor in medicine — and how it came back

And more health news from Morning Rounds

109

FDA approves pill version of Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy, possibly widening access

The FDA has approved the oral version of Novo Nordisk’s injectable weight loss drug Wegovy, making it the first GLP-1 pill to be cleared by regulators for obesity.

318

The throughline between Ozempic and Prozac

And more health news from Morning Rounds today

417

How testosterone fell out of favor in medicine — and how it came back

Abraham Morgentaler, a pioneer in testosterone therapy for men, discusses what led to decades of shunning of this hormone.

109

STAT+: Your health care industry 2025, wrapped

UnitedHealth fallout, Medicaid upheaval, and Medicare Advantage woes.