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Vaping involves heating a liquid that contains nicotine in an e-cigarette which is vaporized and inhaled by the user. “Vaping was sold to governments and communities around the world as a therapeutic product to help long-term smokers quit,” Butler said. “It was not sold as a recreational product – in particular not one for our kids. Vaping concerns across the worldResearchers have found links between nicotine addiction among adolescents and children as a result of increased vaping habits. Meanwhile, the United Kingdom is also tackling high-levels of youth vaping but is pushing it as an alternative to help long-term smokers quit.

☆ Health Plan Coverage of Abortion and Related Services
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( Practical Law Employee Benefits | Executive Compensation | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +36 min

The Dobbs ruling, which returned the regulation of abortion to the individual states, has led to legislation that restricts abortion, including medication abortion, in many states. In response to the rapidly changing post-Dobbs legal landscape, this article addresses health plan coverage of abortion, medication abortion coverage and litigation, abortion-related travel benefits, and related Practical Law resources concerning these topics. The insurer in a fully insured health plan, health maintenance organization (HMO), or similar arrangement:Assumes the risk of providing health coverage for insured events by paying medical costs for eligible claims incurred under the plan. Self-Funded Health PlansBy contrast, employers with self-funded arrangements may have more discretion in providing coverage for abortion and related services. Changes to plan coverage of medication abortion will likely require plan administrators to:(For more on coverage of medication abortion, see Newly Launched, ReproductiveRights.gov Website Addresses Access to Medication Abortion (Mifepristone) Using Telehealth on Practical Law.)

☆ Stephen Curry Scores 50 Points to Knock Off Kings in Game 7
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Scott Cacciola | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Coach Steve Kerr likes to stage his film sessions there when the space is available. Otherwise, he said, the team is stuck “in the dungeon down below,” outside its locker room. He was grateful for the open space, especially ahead of Sunday’s Game 7. That can make a difference.”Something else can make a difference, too: Stephen Curry. No one seemed more Zen on Sunday than Curry, who led the Warriors to a series-clinching, 120-100 victory by skewering the Kings in every conceivable way on his way to 50 points — an N.B.A.

☆ Fact Check-Aerofarms leafy greens do not contain a COVID vaccine
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Vertical farms operator Aerofarms grew protein-producing plants for research on COVID-19 therapies in 2021 in a research facility separate from its retail vegetables. Posts online, however, have misrepresented the company’s work to falsely claim its commercial leafy greens sold at Whole Foods and other businesses contain a COVID-19 vaccine. In the clip, Rosenberg referred to research involving Aerofarms plants creating ACE-2 proteins, Oshima said. Commercial greens produced by Aerofarms do not contain COVID-19 vaccines, a spokesperson for the company told Reuters. A clip circulating misrepresents separate research related to an experimental COVID-19 therapeutic, not an edible vaccine.

☆ Paris Hilton joins lawmakers introducing a bill to end abuse in the 'troubled teen' industry: 'What I went through will haunt me for the rest of my life'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Paris Hilton joined lawmakers Thursday to announce a bill aimed at the troubled teen industry. Hilton spoked about her personal experiences of abuse at residential treatment centers in her teens. "From the ages of 16 to 18, I was sent to four troubled teen industry facilities, each one more horrific than the last. The "troubled teen" industry refers to a range of residential treatment centers nationwide that are aimed at kids struggling with emotional or behavioral issues. Have a news tip or a story to share about residential treatment centers?

☆ AbbVie's weak newer drug sales fan worries as Humira faces rivals
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 27 (Reuters) - AbbVie Inc (ABBV.N) on Thursday missed quarterly revenue estimates for its newer treatments, fueling concerns over the drugmaker's attempts to cushion the blow to sales from blockbuster Humira losing patent exclusivity. The company's shares tumbled 6% in premarket trade as investors shrugged off a raised annual profit forecast. In the first quarter, Humira recorded sales of $3.54 billion, compared with analysts' average estimate of $3.58 billion. That helped Abbvie beat sales expectations. AbbVie had trimmed its full-year profit expectations earlier this month by 8 cents, citing a $150 million hit from acquired in-process research and development (IPR&D) and milestone expenses.

☆ The Janes 1960s underground abortion network
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +28 min

The group was officially created in 1969 as the “Abortion Counseling Service of Women’s Liberation.”But after running ads in an underground newspaper: “Pregnant? “It wasn’t just abortion,” Barron explained. “Vacuum aspiration was much easier to do, and I think it’s less difficult for the woman,” Scott said. We had to keep the service running.”Laura Kaplan volunteered for the Janes, later immortalizing the group in her book, "The Story of Jane: The Legendary Underground Feminist Abortion Service." Each Jane was charged with 11 counts of abortion and conspiracy to commit abortion, with a possible sentence of up to 110 years in prison.

☆ Recreational marijuana use: CNN medical analyst urges caution
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Katia Hetter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Using marijuana can cause impaired thinking and interfere with someone’s ability to learn, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. The trend toward legalizing marijuana must be accompanied by public education of the health risks, CNN Medical Analyst Dr. Leana Wen said. To be clear, there are many reasons to support policy changes of decriminalizing marijuana, including to rectify the decades-long injustices of disproportionately incarcerating minority individuals for marijuana possession. As many as 3 in 10 people who use marijuana have marijuana use disorder, according to the CDC. If an adult is using marijuana once in a while, and not while driving, it’s probably not going to have lasting consequences.

☆ More people with Down syndrome are living longer, but medical systems aren’t keeping up
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Tony Leys | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

Marilyn researched online and learned the University of Kansas Health System has a special medical clinic for adults with Down syndrome. The clinic Marilyn found is in Kansas City, Kansas, 80 miles northwest of the family’s cattle farm in central Missouri. A directory published by the Global Down Syndrome Foundation lists just 15 medical programs nationwide that are housed outside of children’s hospitals and that accept Down syndrome patients who are 30 or older. But she has felt treated like a child by other health care providers, who have spoken to her parents instead of to her during appointments. Advocates and clinicians say it’s crucial for health care providers to communicate as much as possible with patients who have disabilities.

The Merck/Moderna collaboration is one of several combining powerful drugs that unleash the immune system to target cancers with mRNA vaccine technology. BioNTech SE (22UAy.DE) and Gritstone Bio Inc (GRTS.O) are working on competing cancer vaccines based on mRNA technology. Barr said it took about eight weeks to design a personalized mRNA vaccine for each patient. In the past, similar experimental cancer vaccines were developed targeting a single tumor mutation, or neoantigen. With mRNA technology in combination with Keytruda, "we can create this shotgun approach ... that can create a more potent immune response," Barr said.

The Merck/Moderna collaboration is one of several combining powerful drugs that unleash the immune system to target cancers with mRNA vaccine technology. BioNTech SE (22UAy.DE) and Gritstone Bio Inc (GRTS.O) are working on competing cancer vaccines based on mRNA technology. Barr said it took Moderna about eight weeks to design a personalized mRNA vaccine for each patient. In the past, similar experimental cancer vaccines were developed targeting a single tumor mutation, or neoantigen. With mRNA technology in combination with Keytruda, "we can create this shotgun approach ... that can create a more potent immune response," Barr said.

☆ Farallon steps up activism at biotech company Exelixis. Here’s what could happen next
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Kenneth Squire | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +9 min

Farallon is not an activist investor but will pursue an activist agenda when it feels forced to do so. As the strategy of shareholder activism has become more mainstream, it has been utilized by a larger breadth of investors. The firm has been a shareholder of Exelixis since 2018 and is just now going public with their concerns. Farallon would also like to see Exelixis commit to a much larger share repurchase program than the $550 million it has announced. Farallon is nominating only three directors to this board, and it befuddles us as to how Exelixis does not see this as a gift.

☆ I've treated bulldogs' health issues for over 30 years. I now help more Frenchies than ever and recommend knowing about all their medical needs before getting one.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Crystal Raypole | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

It's an unfortunate irony — one that means only a few vets have adequate experience treating bulldogs. How I became an expert in treating French bulldogsDr. Kraemer has treated thousands of bulldogs. I even treated some rescued French bulldogs with stem cell therapy, a cutting-edge regenerative medicine. But in my experience, with the improvement of preventive care, wellness, and medicine, the average French bulldog may live 11 to 12 years. In fact, I've treated French bulldogs who competed in local fundraising physical activities, like Cherie the Surf Dog who raises funds for French Bulldog Rescue.

☆ 5 things the Supreme Court will take into account in medication abortion case
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Ariane De Vogue | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —As the Supreme Court prepares for yet another controversial abortion case to come its way, the justices will pore over District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk’s ruling last week to block the government’s approval of the key medication abortion drug at issue. “There are serious questions on whether the Supreme Court is willing to endorse the district’s court’s very broad approach to those questions,” he said. As he often does, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote separately last June to explain his thinking in voting to overturn Roe v. Wade. The Supreme Court might also take issue with the relief that Kacsmaryk ordered. None other than the liberals on the Supreme Court who dissented in Dobbs.

☆ Citi says the recent selloff in this biotech stock is 'overdone,' predicts shares can rally 30% from here
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The recent selloff in shares of Sarepta Therapeutics looks "overdone," according to Citi. Shares of Sarepta Therapeutics pulled back about 20% one day last month after regulators said they would hold an advisory committee meeting for SRP-9001, walking back previous plans to assess it without one. Despite these fears, Bitritto-Garg thinks an advisory committee was always in the cards for the treatment, but difficult to obtain as the FDA's Office of Therapeutic Products grappled with a restructuring and lack of resources. SRPT YTD mountain Shares so far this year She added that an advisory committee "may not be indicative of a meaningful change in FDA's position on the filing." Along with the buy rating, Bitritto-Garg slapped a $179 price target on shares, implying 30% upside from Monday's close.

☆ A chatbot app updated its software after complaints it was too sexually aggressive — but people who had fallen in love with the bots were left heartbroken
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Some users of the app Replika complained their AI chatbots were making them uncomfortable. One review simply said: "My ai sexually harassed me :(." Several Replika users previously told Insider's Samantha Delouya that the software update made them less human. Other users told The Washington Post that they were disappointed that their chatbot would no longer engage in sexual conversations. In an as-told-essay for Insider, a 37-year-old self-published author said meeting his Replika chatbot was one of the best things to happen to him in decades.

If successful, Amgen would claim ownership of all antibodies that inhibit the PCSK9 protein, the mechanism of action for both Repatha and Praluent. Other companies could then do the same with their own antibody treatments in other disease areas. The case might also affect newer technologies used in medicine, such as CRISPR gene editing and messenger RNA, she said. A Washington, D.C.-based federal appeals court that covers U.S. patent cases invalidated Amgen's patent claiming ownership of all PCSK9 inhibitors as a whole in 2021. Amgen sued Sanofi and Regeneron in 2014.

☆ This cofounder wants to bring transparency to Wall Street's ultra-secretive trading world, and make some jokes along the way
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-25 | by ( Paige Hagy | Carter Johnson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Proof Trading is a brokerage that's trying to increase transparency in trading. When she's not busy at her nine-to-five running a brokerage, Allison Bishop is doing finance-themed standup comedy. Proof Trading offers its clients — and the broader public — a look into its systems and decision-making processes. Using humor to help educateBishop does stand-up comedy on the side, finding making fun of the industry to be therapeutic. "There's always a risk that people don't care enough about the problem," Bishop said.

FRANKFURT, March 24 (Reuters) - Bayer (BAYGn.DE) said the focus of its drug research would shift away from women's health, a traditional pillar of Germany's largest drugmaker, to hone in on neurology, rare diseases and immunology. "When it comes to research and the subsequent clinical phases, we will no longer have an explicit focus on women's health," the head of Bayer's pharmaceuticals unit, Stefan Oelrich, told Reuters on Friday. The shifted focus comes as Bayer is due to have a change at the top in June. Bayer, which acquired a large women's health business under the 2006 takeover of Schering Pharma, will focus drugs research on oncology, cardiovascular disease, neurology, rare diseases and immunology, the company said in a statement. Research efforts in immunology could still yield products in women's health but Bayer's dedicated work on the therapeutic area overall had fallen short of expectations, he said.

☆ Meet the 'methane man' with a mission: Using microbes to eat up the greenhouse gas
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Catherine Clifford | In Catclifford | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +8 min

Most recently, he's zeroed in on the idea of using methane-eating microbes to combat climate change. The startup was founded in 2022 and sells methane-eating microbes, or methanotrophs, to its pilot customers, farmers. "If you only look at the long term, and you don't spend anything on short term, you end up tripping over your feet," Silverman told CNBC. Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards Windfall’s propriety methane-eating microbes seen here under a microscope. First, they will move to other types of livestock farms, like cows, pigs and chickens, Silverman told CNBC.

[1/3] A pharmacist holds a bottle of the drug Eliquis, made by Bristol Myers Squibb and Pfizer, at a pharmacy in Provo, Utah, U.S. January 9, 2020. The government will launch the negotiation process in September by naming the first drugs it plans to target. "We couldn't have the other parts of the IRA without this Medicare negotiation," said Sean Dickson, director of the West Health Policy Center, a non-partisan healthcare think tank. Eliquis, which Bristol Myers (BMY.N) shares with Pfizer (PFE.N), Ibrance, and Imbruvica, sold by AbbVie and Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N), appear on every list. Pfizer, Novo Nordisk and J&J declined to comment on the likelihood their drugs would be included in the first round of negotiations.

Takeda CFO Costa Saroukos in a 2018 picture. Mr. Saroukos joined Takeda in 2015 as CFO of Takeda’s European and Canadian operations before he was elevated to global CFO in 2018. WSJ: What did you learn from your deal-integration experiences that helped with the Takeda and Shire integration? ” — Costa Saroukos, CFO of TakedaAnother reason speed is important is to avoid losing talent. We broadened CFOinUrpocket to be used globally across 80 countries for the combined Takeda and Shire offices.

☆ I used the viral 'monk mode' productivity hack to transform my morning routine – here's how it works
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-23 | by ( Ella Hopkins | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

"Monk mode" is the practice of working on just one task and not giving in to distractions. I use 'monk mode' for deep, head-down focus. I first heard about monk mode on YouTube two years ago. I start monk mode at 6 a.m., before I get dressed, take a shower, or do my daily yogaMy day is split into two sections: monk mode and everything else. I like having a clear separation between monk mode and the rest of the day at my desk.

"If we talk about the war through the means of art, this wound will be able to heal much faster. Theatre allowed people to experience trauma in "a non-traumatic way," added Borovenskiy, whose troupe performs in English. A bomb shelter in World War Two, it is now an "art shelter," Borovenskiy says. In the early days of the Ukraine war, 40 people and seven cats lived there to stay safe, and actors rehearsed among them for "The Book of Sirens". Borovenskiy said Milward's visit was "an example of international theatre support and solidarity" that he hopes will be cemented by Ukraine's first fringe theatre festival.

☆ Fact Check-Moderna CEO did not say company made 100,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses before the pandemic started
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

At Davos 2023, Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel spoke about how quickly the company was able to scale up vaccine production at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, not that Moderna had made 100,000 COVID vaccine doses before the pandemic began, as some are claiming online. The clip of Bancel responding to a question in January 2023 circulated in a tweet by the user @healthbyjames with the false caption, “URGENT — Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel Admits Company Produced 100,000 COVID-19 Vaccine Doses In 2019 Before The Pandemic Started” (here). Bancel responds by first recalling that, “when the pandemic happened, Moderna had made 100,000 dose in 2019 for the whole year. Moderna did not produce 100,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in 2019, Ridley said. Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel did not say in a 2023 panel discussion that the company produced 100,000 COVID-19 vaccines prior to the pandemic.

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