Ex-Device Exec Covered Up Deaths; CDC Travel Advisory for Polio; F1 Nerve Damage

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A former executive of ExThera Medical admitted to concealing the deaths of two cancer patients treated with the company’s blood filter device from the FDA, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced.

The Trump administration’s efforts to cutback Medicare spending have spawned a high-stakes legal fight over pricey skin substitutes. (Axios)

As part of its crackdown on gender-affirming care, President Trump’s DOJ is seeking to overturn judges’ orders that blocked the ability to subpoena patient records. (STAT)

Instead of the prepaid mail-back envelopes currently required for unused opioids, the FDA is considering making companies provide in-home disposal systems to patients.

As the FDA rejects potential new drugs, rare disease patients see their options narrowing. (New York Times)

Meanwhile, federal health officials accused an Amsterdam-based biotech company seeking approval of a Huntington’s disease treatment of lying. (Wall Street Journal)

“No one is taking away your Dunkin’,” said Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., defending his attack on sugary coffee drinks while reemphasizing his call for safety data. (Newsweek)

In its federal lawsuit, Minnesota accused the Trump administration of “weaponizing” Medicaid funding. (NPR)

Meanwhile, the administration widened its anti-fraud efforts with a Medicaid probe in New York. (AP)

The CDC issued a level 2 travel advisory for poliovirus in parts of Europe (Germany, Spain, the U.K., Poland, and Finland), Africa, and the Middle East.

Amazon launched an agentic artificial intelligence (AI)-powered product to handle physician administrative tasks such as scheduling, medical histories, documentation, and coding.

In other AI news, a lawsuit alleges that chatbot Gemini drove a man to attempt a mass casualty attack and then kill himself. (Time)

A month after the launch of TrumpRx, few drugs are available and it’s unclear how many people are using the site. (STAT)

Physicians and manufacturers say demand for estrogen patches is rising following the FDA’s removal of black box warnings on hormone replacement products for menopause. (The Hill)

Meanwhile, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder diagnoses are on the rise among menopausal women. (USA Today)

The U.S.’s “patient zero” for COVID-19 is traveling back to the Italian ski resort where he contracted the virus. (People)

Lady Gaga donated $100,000 to an Atlanta non-profit supporting youth mental health and education. (CBS News)

Aston Martin has predicted it is unlikely to finish Formula 1’s season-opening Australian Grand Prix on Sunday without its drivers risking permanent nerve damage due to the car’s vibrations. (AP)

“Dancing With the Stars” contestant Val Chmerkovskiy revealed his benign paroxysmal positional vertigo diagnosis. (Entertainment Weekly)

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