Zachary Tracer

Excited to share that I'm joining @statnews to run business & policy coverage. I've long admired (and envied) STAT's great reporting, and I can't wait to get started. statnews.com/new-leadership…

Sarepta Therapeutics, $SRPT the maker of a gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy that is being temporarily shelved because of safety concerns, faces an “arduous and treacherous path” to try to get it back onto the market, a senior official at the Food and Drug…

EXCLUSIVE: Sarepta Therapeutics’ $SRPT Duchenne therapy faces ‘arduous’ path back to market, senior FDA official says statnews.com/2025/07/22/fda… via @Jasonmmast and me.

Read more about $SRPT and the FDA officials comments here. statnews.com/2025/07/22/fda…

To recap what we are reporting on $SRPT and its Duchenne gene therapy. A senior FDA official told us that Elevidys faces an “arduous and treacherous path” to try to get it back onto the market. It would be difficult for Sarepta to prove that any new safety protocols could…

Under pressure of tariffs and price controls from the Trump administration, AstraZeneca announced Monday that it would invest $50 billion by 2030. statnews.com/2025/07/21/ast…

10 million expected to lose health insurance under Trump’s tax cut law, CBO says statnews.com/2025/07/21/cbo…

The lesson of Sarepta Therapeutics vs. the FDA is clear, @matthewherper writes: In medicine, listening to critics, and responding with data, is the surest path forward. statnews.com/2025/07/21/sar…

New @statnews op-ed: We are mothers of Duchenne patients. Recent setbacks with Sarepta Therapeutics must not stop progress. statnews.com/2025/07/18/sar…

This week, MAHA celebrated ice cream without artificial dyes and Coca-Cola without corn syrup. Nutrition experts say...uhhh, it's still Coke and ice cream. From @SarLiz statnews.com/2025/07/17/coc…

The first Medicare physician payment rule under RFK Jr. proposes cuts to thousands of procedures, scans, and tests because doctors have gotten more "efficient" over time. Specialty physicians, and the AMA, are big mad. more w/ @TaraBannow: statnews.com/2025/07/16/med…

Elevance became the fourth major health insurer to lower or scrap its profit forecast, with the CFO call citing a "market-wide morbidity shift." trib.al/z6v7RxD

Since becoming health secretary, RFK Jr. has installed former prominent members of that group and other vaccine skeptics in positions at the department he runs or agencies it oversees. Here is who that includes and what it means: statnews.com/2025/07/14/ant…

Relitigating settled #vaccines science through an ideological lens: Secretary Kennedy, a long-time critic of vaccines, is staffing key HHS positions with anti-vax allies. @ChelseaCirruzzo reports. statnews.com/2025/07/14/ant…

New from STAT: The growing influence of vaccine skeptics inside HHS under RFK Jr. Lyn Redwood, former president of Childrens Health Defense, was hired by HHS in June and is listed as an expert within the Office of the Secretary. She’s at least the fourth person with a history…

HUGE STAT event announcement: Bill Gates in an exclusive live conversation with @matthewherper Aug. 4 at the Broad in Kendall Sq. Free tickets: statnews.com/event/womens-h…

NEW: Join STAT live for a conversation about women's health innovation with Bill Gates on August 4 statnews.com/event/womens-h…

why did no one tell me about this

Dinosaurs AND Medicaid! Extremely strong Axios Denver today... axios.com/newsletters/ax…

I was so excited when I read this news, covered here by ⁦@DrewQJoseph⁩: FDA is publishing drug rejection letters! While this is a nice step, it is so far only for drugs that were eventually approved. <sad trombone>. statnews.com/2025/07/10/fda…

Some razzle dazzle from the FDA this morning, as it suggests a big reveal that ends up being a little less than that. Story via @DrewQJoseph statnews.com/2025/07/10/fda…