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Eric Boodman

@ericboodman.bsky.social

Journalist writing narrative features for @statnews.bsky.social and occasional essays elsewhere.

47 Posts2685 Follower225 Folgt
anil oza@aniloza.bsky.social · last mo.

wild story from Lizzy — FDA gave compassionate use access to a 79 year old through senior NIH clinician, @muniyappar.bsky.social, could it be President Trump? Read more from Lizzy on what she found out, and what ethicists had to say about it

screenshot of story reading "This person was a 79-year-old man at the time the request was made in April, according to three sources familiar with the matter. Those sources, who requested anonymity due to fear of reprisals, said it drew the interest of top health officials, suggesting the person receiving this drug was well connected. Senior NIH clinician Ranganath MuniyappaNIH A senior clinician at the National Institutes of Health named Ranganath Muniyappa requested the drug to treat the patient for refractory obesity with obstructive sleep apnea and pulmonary hypertension, a severe version of the disease. Pulmonary hypertension is high blood pressure in the lungs, which can be life-threatening. STAT does not know who the patient is. But given the patient demographics and the unusual nature of the application, STAT asked the White House whether the patient was President Trump, who turned 80 a week ago, is overweight, and has expressed interest in obesity drugs."
Lizzy Lawrence@lizzylawrence.bsky.social · last mo.

EXCLUSIVE: Eli Lilly gave compassionate use access to retatrutide, their unapproved powerful obesity drug, to a 79-year-old man in April. The application was arranged by a top doctor at NIH, and cleared by the FDA. www.statnews.com/2026/06/23/e...

Rose Broderick@rosebroderick.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Federal grant funding for disability research is months behind schedule. If things don't change, scores of jobs and whole institutions could disappear. w/ my colleague Lauren Chan www.statnews.com/2026/06/19/f...

Federal grant delays could jeopardize essential disability services, research

Disability researchers across the country worry about their jobs, and the future of their institutions, as a delay in issuing federal grants drags on.

statnews.com

Bob Herman@bobjherman.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Congenital syphilis is a “never event.” But it’s happening more. Pfizer, the only company that sells a treatment for it, is at the center. “Where purchasers are paying the full price, we’ve seen Pfizer doing a lot of handholding.” Read @ericboodman.bsky.social. www.statnews.com/2026/06/15/p...

Amid confusion over Pfizer's emergency penicillin program, newborn is diagnosed with preventable syphilis

Congenital syphilis should be preventable. An Arizona case shows how drug shortages and procedural hurdles are fueling a growing public health crisis.

statnews.com

Eric Boodman@ericboodman.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Without treatment, syphilis in pregnancy can cause miscarriage, stillbirth, or lifelong disability. It's entirely preventable. Pfizer has an emergency system to get patients penicillin. But it's so confusing that in April, a baby was born untreated, emails show. www.statnews.com/2026/06/15/p...

Amid confusion over Pfizer's emergency penicillin program, newborn is diagnosed with preventable syphilis

Congenital syphilis should be preventable. An Arizona case shows how drug shortages and procedural hurdles are fueling a growing public health crisis.

statnews.com

Eric Boodman@ericboodman.bsky.social · 4mo ago

A star researcher showed that a better genetics curriculum could reduce racism. Now, his funding gone, he's starting over as a nurse. A deep story from @mmolteni.bsky.social www.statnews.com/2026/04/07/b...

A star scientist showed that better genetics lessons could reduce racism. It was the death knell for his career

Brian Donovan had persuaded high school teachers and education researchers that prejudice might be ended by changing how genetics is taught.

statnews.com

Eric Boodman@ericboodman.bsky.social · 6mo ago

If you're not reading @lizzylawrence.bsky.social's stories on the FDA, you are missing out. Today's scoop is that agency staff were poised to evaluate Moderna's flu vaccine application but were overruled by Vinay Prasad, who refused to review the submission. www.statnews.com/2026/02/11/m...

Prasad overruled FDA staff to reject Moderna's flu vaccine application

The rejection is the latest instance of Vinay Prasad overruling career FDA scientists to place vaccines under harsher scrutiny.

statnews.com

Eric Boodman@ericboodman.bsky.social · 6mo ago

In the Trump administration's vaccine rhetoric, you'll hear a refrain: "shared decision-making." But shared decision-making researchers worry that the feds may be hijacking the term to sow doubt when the evidence of benefit is in fact very strong. www.statnews.com/2026/01/20/s...

Is 'shared decision-making' being hijacked by U.S. health officials to sow doubt about vaccines?

Experts worry that health officials' use of 'shared decision-making' in new vaccine guidance distorts the concept's meaning and disregards the importance of evidence.

statnews.com

Megan Molteni@mmolteni.bsky.social · 11mo ago

Smart story from @jonathanwosen.bsky.social and @angusrohan.bsky.social on the dangerous new territory Trump waded into Monday as he issued direct medical advice regarding the use of Tylenol. Almost makes one nostalgic for the days of some light bleach-pushing. www.statnews.com/2025/09/23/t...

In dispensing advice on Tylenol and autism, Trump takes on a new role: doctor in chief

Trump repeatedly and forcefully issued direct medical advice during his autism announcement, in ways that went beyond presidential precedent.

statnews.com

Eric Boodman@ericboodman.bsky.social · 11mo ago

"Health care's dirty little secret": To avoid being fined for hospital-acquired infections, some administrators discourage clinicians from testing for them, even when that worsens patient care. Important reporting from @tarabannow.bsky.social www.statnews.com/2025/09/22/h...

Hospitals get dinged for reporting too many infections. In some cases, the solution is not to test

A STAT Investigation: To avoid fines for reporting excessive hospital-acquired infections, some facilities are discouraging testing.

statnews.com

Helen Branswell 🇨🇦@helenbranswell.bsky.social · 12mo ago

#NIH director Jay Bhattacharya says the #BARDA mRNA contracts were terminated because the platform isn't viable because people don't trust it. Experts question some of the claims Bhattacharya made. www.statnews.com/2025/08/11/m...

NIH director: mRNA vaccine contracts were canceled because public lacks trust in technology

NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya offered an explanation for the cancellation of mRNA vaccine contracts that didn't align with that of his boss, health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

statnews.com

Usha Lee McFarling@usha.bsky.social · last yr.

NEW: Massive and confusing inconsistencies at NIH. New director says health disparities research is critical yet grants are being cut left and right. With @aniloza.bsky.social and @ericboodman.bsky.social. (Also my last story for STAT. 😢) www.statnews.com/2025/08/01/n...

Jay Bhattacharya once studied health disparities. As NIH director, he’s allowed such research to wither

Jay Bhattacharya’s tenure as NIH director has seen health disparities research swept up in the Trump administration’s attack on DEI

statnews.com

Jason Ukman@jasonukman.bsky.social · last yr.

The newly reconstituted CDC vaccine advisory committee will discuss the combination measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella vaccine, among other things, at its meeting next week. It has been on the CDC’s childhood vaccination schedule for decades. www.statnews.com/2025/06/18/r...

Vaccine advisers to consider MMRV vaccines, 'thimerosal containing' flu shots in pared-down meeting

RFK Jr.'s handpicked advisers will discuss two long-approved shots at their next meeting

statnews.com

Helen Branswell 🇨🇦@helenbranswell.bsky.social · last yr.

Two critical labs at the #CDC were inexplicable targeted for closure in April. The #STD & viral #hepatitis laboratories are among the parts at the agency where terminations have been rescinded. www.statnews.com/2025/06/16/c...

CDC workers fired from prominent STI, hepatitis labs are rehired

The staff of two world-class CDC laboratories that were slated to be closed by the Trump administration have been informed that their terminations have been canceled.

statnews.com

David Folkenflik@davidfolkenflik.bsky.social · last yr.

Veteran photographer Michael Nigro was shot in the head with a non-lethal bullet while covering anti-ICE protests in LA. "It felt very very intentional," Nigro tells NPR, "a chilling effect to convince us to go away." Other reporters say they have been targeted too. My story below:

NPR@npr.org · last yr.

The Los Angeles Press Club says law enforcement officers have violated press freedoms of reporters covering anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles more than three dozen times. https://n.pr/3Zw0tPg

Eric Boodman@ericboodman.bsky.social · last yr.

As Harvard scientists grapple with massive funding cuts, one lab at the school of public health turns to funding from private equity, Allison DeAngelis reports for @statnews.com www.statnews.com/2025/06/16/h...

Private equity firm will finance Harvard research lab, in possible template for future

A private equity firm will finance a Harvard University research lab, a possible template for the future as schools nationwide absorb federal funding cuts.

statnews.com

Jason Ukman@jasonukman.bsky.social · last yr.

RFK Jr. said he dismissed an entire vaccine advisory board because of conflicts of interest. But new members appear to have their own conflicts. Many question how the secretary defines COI in the first place. Via @chelseacirruzzo.bsky.social www.statnews.com/2025/06/13/r...

RFK Jr.’s new vaccine panel raises questions of how Kennedy defines conflicts of interest

The entanglements and strongly expressed views of the new vaccine panel raises questions of how Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defines conflicts of interest.

statnews.com