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What We're Reading: MSKCC Fallout Continues; Drug Patent Tactics; Ebola Fears Rise
The chairman of the board of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) told the hospital’s staff that the former chief medical officer, José Baselga, MD, had “crossed lines” and had gone “off the reservation” in his outside dealings with health and drug companies; more than any other industry, the pharmaceutical industry benefits from a patent strategy that allows small changes in existing drugs to confer continued patent protection; public health officials are worried that the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo may be spinning beyond their control and could spill over into Uganda and Rwanda.
MSKCC Email Reveals Leadership's Thoughts on Controversy Over Former CMO
The chairman of the board of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center told the hospital’s staff that the former chief medical officer, José Baselga, MD, had “crossed lines” and had gone “off the reservation” in his outside dealings with health and drug companies. In an email obtained inadvertently by The New York Times, the comments by Douglas A. Warner III, the chairman, as well as Craig B. Thompson, MD, the chief executive, went beyond previous statements about the Baselga. The hospital previously had said that Baselga followed internal policies and had just failed to disclose his industry affiliations in some medical journal articles.
Patent Protection Strategies Unique in Pharmaceutical Industry
More than any other industry, the pharmaceutical industry benefits from a patent strategy that allows small changes in existing drugs to confer continued patent protection, Kaiser Health News reported. The series of secondary protective patents is a tactic critics call “evergreening” or “product-hopping.” Attempts to change the patent system have intensified as drug prices continue to rise.
Ebola Fears Rise for Border Countries Around the Democratic Republic of Congo
Public health officials are worried that the latest Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo may be spinning beyond their control and could spill over into Uganda and Rwanda, STAT News reported. Ebola response teams are facing restrictions on their movements in a conflict zone, and if response teams lose sight of where the virus goes, it could spread undetected and unchecked in places where they cannot safely travel. To date, there have been 161 cases and 105 deaths.
Allergies and Asthma Prevalence Rise With Climate Change Extremes and Pollutants
June 30th 2025Increasing environmental events driven by climate change and human activity exacerbate allergy and asthma conditions, further compounded by exposure to persistent pollutants like per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances and microplastics.
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Stuck in Prior Auth Purgatory: The Hidden Costs of Health Care Delays
June 19th 2025Delays, denials, and endless paperwork—prior authorization isn’t just a headache for providers; it’s a barrier for patients who need timely care, explains Colin Banas, MD, MHA, chief medical officer with DrFirst.
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MRD-Guided Ibrutinib Plus Venetoclax Effective in R/R CLL
June 30th 2025Patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (R/R CLL) had similar results when they continued on ibrutinib or stopped and started ibrutinib plus venetoclax based on minimal residual disease (MRD) status.
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