Why were doctors and investors so excited about trial results of UniQure’s gene therapy for Huntington’s disease? Are autism rates actually rising? And what does the research tell us about Tylenol and autism?
We discuss all that on this week’s episode of the “The Readout LOUD,” STAT’s biotech podcast. We bring on UniQure CEO Matt Kapusta to discuss the company’s announcement this week that its one-time treatment for Huntington’s disease significantly slowed down the neurological condition in a key study.
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We also chat about the Trump’s administration initiatives on autism. Officials this week warned pregnant women not to take Tylenol, saying that it may cause autism, and they announced an FDA decision to make a decades-old drug called leucovorin available as a treatment for people with certain autism symptoms. To unpack the implications of these statements, we bring on by Ari Ne’eman, an assistant professor of health policy and management at Harvard’s school of public health who researches how policies affect people with disabilities.
To learn more on UniQure’s results, go here; for Adam’s take on the data, go here; for more on Trump’s statement on Tylenol and autism, go here; to read about how mothers are reacting to the announcement, go here; and for more on the FDA’s unusual move with leucovorin, go here.
Be sure to sign up for “The Readout LOUD” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.