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Iris on health and longevity · June 19th
storyflo · health and longevity
Jun 19, 2026 · 6 min listen
Listen · storyflo · health and longevity
Iris on health and longevity · June 19th
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On this week’s episode of “The Readout LOUD”: New hope for people living with Huntington’s disease, and a report card on RFK Jr.’s effort to remake health in America. The Food and Drug Administration reversed its opposition to a closely watched gene therapy for Huntington’s disease, clearing a path for its maker, the biotech company UniQure, to file for U.S. approval. Joining us to discuss this new development and what it means for the Huntington’s community is Lauren Holder, a Huntington’s disease advocate who is living with the early stages of the disease.
Making good on its threat, Eli Lilly has begun eliminating mandated price breaks to a few dozen hospitals that participate in a federal drug discount program after failing to receive comprehensive claims data. The move comes after the company warned earlier this month it would take such a step as part of a policy announced in January in order to reduce what it calls duplicate discounts paid to the hospitals. Trade groups representing hospitals, however, argue the move is unlawful and want Congress to intervene. At the time, Lilly maintained that more than 2,300 hospitals had complied with its demand, but some larger hospitals systems around the U.S. refused to do so, despite recent follow-up letters regarding the policy, which went into effect Feb. 1. Up to 1,000 had so far not complied, and Lilly indicated it was pressing about 50 larger hospitals to provide data.
A panel of advisers to the Food and Drug Administration gave its endorsement Thursday to a seasonal mRNA flu vaccine that was developed by Moderna and that earlier this year became the subject of controversy when a top agency official briefly refused to even consider accepting it for review. The Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee — known as VRBPAC — voted unanimously that the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the risks for both adults ages 50 to 64, and those 65 and older. It remains to be seen what the FDA will decide, but staff presentations during the meeting suggested the agency sees the vaccine as having cleared sufficient hurdles to be licensed via a traditional pathway for the younger group, and an accelerated pathway for the older group. Multiple flu vaccines currently on the market were first licensed using an accelerated pathway, Wellington Sun, a former FDA employee, noted during the meeting’s public comment period. (After leaving FDA, Sun worked for Moderna, but he is no longer with the company.)
Federal officials have recalculated the quality ratings for 2026 Medicare Advantage plans, a new government memo shows. The consequential decision was prompted by yet another legal action from the health insurance industry. Over the past few years, health insurance companies that sell Medicare Advantage plans have inundated the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services with lawsuits that challenged their lower star ratings, which jeopardized taxpayer-funded bonuses. Many insurers have lost their cases, but a handful have won. Two years ago, CMS had to redo Medicare Advantage star ratings after federal judges said the government erred with its original calculations. Medicare Advantage plans that get at least four out of five stars get bonus payments. Those bonuses have ballooned to $16 billion this year — almost the entire budget of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and an amount that has doubled since 2020.
I absolutely love to bake, and spending so much time in the kitchen and working with recipes consistently, I’ve realized there are a handful of tools I reach for every single time. Whether you’re baking at home or approaching things with more of a chef mindset, having the right essentials really does make a difference, so I thought it would be fun to share mine. They aren’t fancy or exclusive to trained chefs.
Some food trends go viral for a reason, and the Dot Cake 🍰 is definitely one of them. After putting my own spin on the Viral Dot Cake trend with a bright Mediterranean-inspired lemon olive oil cake 🍋 finished with silky mascarpone cream, I couldn't resist creating a savory version. This time, I turned to one of Italy's 🇮🇹 most beloved comfort foods. This Pastina Dot Cake is made with just three simple ingredients: pastina, butter, and Parmigiano Reggiano. The secret is using a little starchy pasta water to create a silky, velvety sauce that coats every tiny piece of pasta.
There is an internet claim making the rounds that there is a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial that shows testosterone improves recovery after hip fracture, and yet this evidence is being ignored. But this is not a trial that justifies recommending testosterone for post–hip fracture recovery. The study in question is called Combining Exercise Training and Testosterone Therapy in Older Women After Hip Fracture: The STEP-HI Randomized Clinical Trial.
Making good on its threat, Eli Lilly has begun eliminating mandated price breaks to a few dozen hospitals that participate in a federal drug discount program after failing to receive comprehensive claims data. The move comes after the company warned earlier this month it would take such a step as part of a policy announced in January in order to reduce what it calls duplicate discounts paid to the hospitals. Trade groups representing hospitals, however, argue the move is unlawful and want Congress to intervene. At the time, Lilly maintained that more than 2,300 hospitals had complied with its demand, but some larger hospitals systems around the U.S. refused to do so, despite recent follow-up letters regarding the policy, which went into effect Feb. 1. Up to 1,000 had so far not complied, and Lilly indicated it was pressing about 50 larger hospitals to provide data.
The FDA’s vaccine advisory committee just gave a unanimous nod to Moderna’s seasonal mRNA flu shot. They said the data show the benefits outweigh the risks for adults 50‑64 and for those 65 and older.
The panel’s decision is based on the clinical trial results that were presented to them, which met the standards for a traditional approval route for the younger group and an accelerated route for the older group.
So far, the FDA hasn’t made a final ruling, but the advisory panel’s endorsement suggests the vaccine has cleared the key safety and efficacy hurdles.
If you’re in those age brackets, this means a new flu‑season option could be on the market soon, pending the agency’s final sign‑off.
The CDC’s own medical review said the Florida woman exposed to Andes hantavirus could safely finish her 42‑day monitoring at home, but HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. overrode that recommendation and ordered her to stay in a federal quarantine facility in Nebraska. The decision rests on a single case review rather than a broader study, so the evidence for needing the extra confinement is thin.
Andes virus can spread person‑to‑person, but only after prolonged close contact, and the risk to the general public remains low. Most experts treat it very differently from COVID‑19, and the woman has stayed symptom‑free for more than five weeks.
Kennedy’s move highlights the tension between public‑health authority and political leadership. It shows that, even when experts advise a less restrictive approach, a senior official can still impose stricter measures.
The broader takeaway is that quarantine powers aren’t inherently good or bad; they matter only when they’re based on solid evidence and applied consistently, no matter who’s in charge.
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