Articles by Robert Langreth and John Lauerman

COVID-Like Bat Virus Discovered by Researchers in Chinese Lab

Researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in China said they discovered a new coronavirus in bats that enters cells using the same gateway as the virus that causes COVID-19. This virus hasn’t been detected in humans, merely identified in …

Bullets in UnitedHealthcare CEO Death Inscribed With ‘Depose,’ ‘Delay’

The words “delay” and “depose” were written on a shell casing and a live round recovered in front of the New York Hilton Midtown, where UnitedHealth Group Inc. insurance chief Brian Thompson was fatally shot on Wednesday, according to people …

1 in 100,000 Had Severe Allergic Reaction to COVID Shot: CDC

Roughly 1 in 100,000 people have had a severe allergic reaction to the first Covid-19 vaccine, a rate that’s higher than the flu vaccine but still quite rare, U.S. health officials said. A study by the Centers for Disease Control …

U.S. Study Questions Baby Powder Link to Ovarian Cancer

A study of more than 250,000 women found that those who used talc or other personal-hygiene powders weren’t significantly more likely to develop ovarian cancer, news that will impact thousands of legal claims against drugmaker Johnson & Johnson over the …

Vaping Lung Injury Cases Down; Link to Vitamin E Acetate Reinforced

Most patients stricken in a wave of vaping-related injuries had vitamin E acetate in their lungs, U.S. health officials found, reinforcing a suspected link between the compound and an outbreak that spurred a national debate about the safety of the …

Vaping Safety Debate Between Researchers, Activists Intensifies with Mystery Illness

Portland State University chemistry professor David Peyton had never been attacked with such intensity. Peyton and a group of other chemists discovered almost five years ago that e-cigarettes could sometimes produce more cancer-causing formaldehyde than regular cigarettes. Formaldehyde is produced …

Study Points to Toxic Chemicals as Likely Cause of Vaping Lung Ailments

Vaping-related lung injuries are most likely caused by exposure to toxic chemicals rather than fatty substances like mineral oils, according to a new analysis of patient tissue by Mayo Clinic pathologists. The results, based on lung biopsies from 17 patients …

How Early Signs of Lung Effects of Vaping Were Missed and Downplayed

Scientists, regulators and e-cigarette proponents missed, ignored or downplayed signs that vaping could significantly damage the lungs for nearly a decade, a review of medical literature, government documents and interviews with doctors shows. At least 15 incidents of lung injuries …

How Pharmacies Are Resisting Amazon’s Attempt to Corner Their Business

Getting into the pharmacy business was easy for Amazon.com: It paid $753 million to buy the mail-order startup PillPack. The hard part has been prying patients away from their local drugstore. Since being acquired by the internet giant, PillPack has …

States, Congress Questioning Pharmacy Benefit Managers’ Role in Drug Prices

Several states are probing pharmacy-benefit managers’ business practices in government-sponsored health programs, adding to the scrutiny the middlemen face in Washington for their role in the cost of drugs. At least three state attorneys general are investigating PBMs, in addition …