Cancer Panelist’s Ivermectin Paper; RFK Jr.’s Work Style; Measles Outbreak Genetics

Harvey Risch, MD, PhD, the chair of the President’s Cancer Panel, is a co-author on a new paper in Anticancer Research promoting ivermectin and mebendazole as a cancer treatment. The paper is backed by anti-vaccine organizations, including a supplement company known for selling unproven COVID treatments, including ivermectin. Independent experts said the study has a flawed design, methodology, and conclusion. (Important Context)

In his role as HHS Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been focused on his own priorities and not the details of his department’s work, even pressing issues like the country’s Ebola response, insiders said. He keeps a low profile, often arriving at 10 a.m. and leaving at 4 p.m. During his tenure, he’s only visited the CDC once: after a gunman opened fire last year. (New York Times)

ProPublica conducted its own analysis of more than 1,800 whole genome sequences of the measles viruses circulating in the U.S., and found that the virus spreading in Utah as of May is very closely related to the one from over a year ago in Texas. HHS has previously said that a preliminary genomic analysis suggested the Utah cases were not directly linked to those in Texas.

The largest raw-milk dairy farm in the U.S. rakes in $30 million per year, as more than 10 million Americans now drink it. However, the operation has been linked to more than a dozen recalls and outbreaks that have sickened hundreds. (ProPublica)

Trump administration officials allied with Big Tech and Make America Healthy Again are laying the groundwork to increase the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare — a longtime goal of Silicon Valley. For instance, some have backed a controversial Utah program that allows chatbots to automatically refill prescriptions. The FDA created a regulatory fast track for digital health technology, like AI chatbots. (Washington Post)

While the alternative medicine industry makes bold claims, there are hidden risks. Many practitioners aren’t licensed, don’t have adequate training, and are peddling questionable treatments. Being “board certified” isn’t the same as in regular medicine and sometimes just means the practitioner attended a weekend seminar at a hotel or a few hours of classes online. Treatments are rarely covered by insurance with patients shelling out thousands in hopes of relief. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)