Matthew Herper

New York

Senior Writer, Medicine and Editorial Director, Events at STAT

Writing and events at STAT. This is biology's century; Every data point has a face. ‘21 Polk Award. Mastodon: @[email protected]

Articles

Vinay Prasad tapped to run FDA center that regulates vaccines, gene therapies

1 week ago | statnews.com | Lizzy Lawrence |Matthew Herper |Jason Mast

WASHINGTON — Vinay Prasad will be the next director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research at the Food and Drug Administration, overseeing the regulation of vaccines, gene therapies, and the blood supply. Prasad, previously an epidemiology professor at the University of California at San Francisco, has sharply criticized the medical mainstream, including the FDA, in the past.
What was big at AACR? A drug, a diagnostic, and a dog. Oh and a vaccine, too.

2 weeks ago | statnews.com | Angus Chen |Matthew Herper

You’re reading the web edition of AACR in 30 Seconds, STAT’s guide to the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting. We’d like to introduce you to the fellow above, whose name is Jae. When asked what area of study she specializes in, she only gave a happy puppy smile before heading into the exhibition hall. Still, we hereby nominate her as the mayor of AACR. Remember to check in on our virtual event tomorrow, where we’ll review key data and answer your questions.
HPV vaccine news 'that will save millions of lives' from cancer, and other AACR news

2 weeks ago | statnews.com | Angus Chen |Matthew Herper

Attendees at AACR came from all over the world. HPV vaccine news ‘that will save millions of lives’ from cancer, and other AACR newsYou’re reading the web edition of AACR in 30 Seconds, STAT’s guide to the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting. There’s one more day: sign up for email here.
U.S. government researchers present 'phenomenal' new data on HPV vaccines

2 weeks ago | statnews.com | Matthew Herper

CHICAGO — A clinical trial run by the National Cancer Institute seems to confirm that a single dose of the vaccine used to prevent infection with the human papilloma virus is just as effective as two — and, therefore, also helps to prevent cancer. The result could transform efforts to reach the three-quarters of children globally who should receive the vaccines but don’t. The shots prevent cervical cancer and also anal, penile, and some head-and-neck cancers.
'Fight for your science': Researchers urged to speak out at AACR

2 weeks ago | statnews.com | Angus Chen |Matthew Herper

At AACR, attendees discussed the need to push for cancer research funding‘Fight for your science’: Researchers urged to speak out at AACRYou’re reading the web edition of AACR in 30 Seconds, STAT’s guide to the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting. Sign up for email here. AACR’s big annual meeting began as usual with its large opening ceremony, but AACR CEO Margaret Foti’s closing remarks were very much out of the ordinary.
Taking science’s temperature at the annual AACR meeting

2 weeks ago | statnews.com | Angus Chen |Matthew Herper

You’re reading the web edition of AACR in 30 Seconds, STAT’s guide to the American Association for Cancer Research annual meeting. Sign up for email here. Welcome to STAT’s annual newsletter covering the meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research. We’re glad you’re here. AACR is always a big meeting, usually attended by more than 20,000 doctors, researchers, and industry experts.
A behind-the-scenes look at the 2025 Breakthrough West agenda — see you in SF?

3 weeks ago | statnews.com | Matthew Herper

A behind-the-scenes look at this year’s agendaYou come to STAT for tough, smart journalism that helps you think about big topics like how AI will change medicine and the upheaval enveloping U.S. science. So join us in San Francisco on May 14, when we’ll do it live. Those particular big topics will be our targets. We’re still finalizing planning for the summit but already we expect fantastic conversations.
Pfizer to discontinue its GLP-1 pill for obesity due to liver toxicity

1 month ago | statnews.com | Matthew Herper

Capping more than two years of stock-gyrating drama, Pfizer said Monday that it would stop development of danuglipron, its experimental oral GLP-1 medicine to treat obesity, focusing its efforts on another medicine with a different mechanism of action. Pfizer said in a press release that an asymptomatic volunteer in the company’s studies experienced “potential drug-induced liver injury,” which resolved after stopping the medication.
RFK Jr. speech to FDA workers on MAHA agenda, chronic diseases

1 month ago | statnews.com | Lizzy Lawrence |Matthew Herper

WASHINGTON — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. covered a lot of ground in a speech to Food and Drug Administration employees on Friday morning, as he attempted to rally them to his Make America Healthy Again agenda. He jumped between an anecdote about watching peregrine falcons fly down Pennsylvania Avenue as a kid to asserting that regulatory agencies have become captured by the industries they’re charged with overseeing.
How job cuts at the FDA are set to slow down crucial drug reviews

1 month ago | statnews.com | Lizzy Lawrence |Elaine Chen |Matthew Herper

WASHINGTON — The workers who review drugs and devices and inspect manufacturing plans were protected when the Trump administration fired thousands of Food and Drug Administration employees. The idea was to preserve some of the FDA’s most important functions. But drug reviews are likely to be affected, anyway, more than a dozen current and recently departed FDA employees told STAT. The people requested anonymity to protect against retaliation from the administration.