New York Times
Correspondent for the New York Times, covering the business and science of biotechnology
PROFILE
Andrew Pollack
Guest
FROM Andrew Pollack
To the Point
Drug-maker Mylan and its $300 "generic" EpiPen Mylan might or might not have good news for people who need EpiPens. They provide quick injections to protect against potentially deadly anaphylactic shock from bee stings, peanut allergies and other sources. The drug company is still increasing the price of two EpiPens to $600 — while it also produces a so-called "generic" for $300. Andrew Pollack covers the business and science of biotechnology for the New York Times .
To the Point
When Drug Prices Skyrocket Overnight Specialists who treat rare diseases are protesting gigantic increases in the prices of old and familiar drugs. The cost of one medicine jumped 5000 percent -- overnight. The headline in today's New York Times is, "Drug Goes From $13.50 To $750 Overnight." The story explains that it's not because of a sudden shortage, but the business strategy of a former hedge-fund manager -- and he's not alone. Times' reporter Andrew Pollack covers the science and business of biotechnology.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
The Ebola Drug ZMapp is an experimental drug that has shown promise as a treatment for the Ebola virus. We look at the tiny company in San Diego that developed ZMapp, and is now tasked with filling an order from federal officials.
To the Point
Steroid Injections Linked to Meningitis Were Known to Be Risky Thirty-two more people were diagnosed with fungal meningitis yesterday, bringing the total to 169, attributed to steroids from a so-called "compounding center" in Massachusetts. Also yesterday, the first of what could be many lawsuits was filed in federal court. Doctors already have been questioning whether steroid injections are worth the risk. That's according to Andrew Pollock of the New York Times .
To the Point
Will Roundup Resistant Crops Be the End of the Monarch Butterfly? In the Midwest, neat rows of modified corn and soybeans are free of unruly patches of milkweed. The crops are resistant to the herbicide Roundup . But the destruction of milkweed may have an unintended consequence: the end of annual migrations of the Monarch butterflies, a phenomenon dear to lovers of nature. The Monarch is so beloved one entomologist calls it "the Bambi of the insect world." Andrew Pollack covers the business and science of biotechnology for the New York Times .
To the Point
Human Genetics: Medicine, Money and Law Billions of dollars have been raised for medical research because human genes can be patented so, when breakthroughs occur, investors make money. But early this week New York Federal Judge Robert W. Sweet rocked the bio-tech industry when he ruled that human genes cannot be patented because they are products of nature, not creative invention. The decision is both applauded for liberating the promising new field of personalized genomic medicine and criticized for limiting financial incentives. We hear a variety of answers to some very challenging questions.
Recommended
To the Point
Will the Senate write a healthcare bill in secret? While Democrats and Republicans argue White House relations with Russia, another question is being decided behind closed doors: who gets help buying health insurance and who doesn't? We hear how the pros and cons are being shrouded in secrecy.
Left, Right & Center
President Trump: US to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord Trump says he was elected to serve Pittsburgh, not Paris.
To the Point
Replacing Obamacare: Now you see it… now you don’t As the Senate deliberates replacing Obmacare, health coverage for millions of people is at stake. There've been no public hearings, and a draft measure won't be made public. Is the House version so unpopular that that Senate is hiding a version that looks much the same?
To the Point
Trump's new look at civil rights and global warming President Trump is reportedly ready to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. We look at the possible consequences. On the second half of the program, we hear about cuts in Obama-Era civil rights programs called for by the Trump Administration's first budget plan.