Jason Mast

Writing about science, medicine & business for @statnews Email me: [email protected]

[Matthew Herper @matthewherper]

People who don't follow cancer research often ask me why we haven't cured cancer. That perception masks a wonderful reality: We make amazing, stepwise progress every year, and the result is that many people live much longer today than they would have previously.

Right now we're in the thick of the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the biggest research meeting on new cancer medicines, and this morning a bunch of really important studies dropped. I'm going to review them here.

This first image is the result for daraxonrasib, a treatment for pancreatic cancer that is generating consdirable excitement. The green line is the probability of living for patients who got the new drug; the gray one is the chemo control group.

If you follow cancer drugs, a chart like this will make your breath hitch a little. I'm going to review these and some other data here.

[Adam Feuerstein ✡️ @adamfeuerstein]

Whether or not you believe $REPL RP1 deserves to be approved or not, let's please be truthful about what has transpired so far:

Richard Pazdur and others in the FDA's cancer office were responsible for RP1's initial rejection. They objected late in the review process. CBER ie Vinay Prasad and his team signed off on the rejection.

This doesn't fit the popular narrative, but it's what happened.

[Jason Mast @Jasonmmast]

An ASCO preview: What to watch for at cancer research’s big meeting
https://t.co/UpFLYAD1y1

[Jason Mast @Jasonmmast]

Experimental hepatitis B treatment was a ‘functional cure’ for nearly 1 in 5, new data show

@DrewQJoseph reports on a breakthrough against one of the world's biggest infectious threats

https://t.co/2sTSfLC6lu

[Isa Cueto @isabellacueto]

a doozy from @SarahLizChar — inside a longevity conference, people talked about how they might vibrate their scalps, replace their vital organs, buy tests and scans, and do any number of self-experiments to try and live forever:

https://t.co/UmREXkaY5a

[Bob Herman @bobjherman]

So many incredible parts from this @SarahLizChar dispatch at a longevity conference, including organ replacement and her survey of how long these people think they'll live. https://t.co/2Pg55oXdV0

[Dylan Byers @DylanByers]

NEW: Sharyn Alfonsi goes scorched earth on Bari Weiss:

"Over the weekend, my contract with CBS News expired, drawing to a close nearly twenty years with the network, including more than a decade at 60 Minutes.

Following an intense editorial dispute over our CECOT story, repeated attempts by my representation to establish a path forward were met with absolute silence from network executives. The message could not be clearer: my time at 60 Minutes is apparently over.

In the coming days, network leadership may attempt to hide behind corporate euphemisms like "modernization" and “restructuring” to explain away my departure. Don't be misled. This was not a routine corporate transition; it was a deliberate choice to penalize a journalist for refusing to sanitize factually accurate reporting, and it sends a chilling message to the entire newsroom.

Fearless, independent reporting has always been the defining standard at 60 Minutes. Today, CBS management is abandoning that mission, choosing access journalism over accountability and protecting power rather than scrutinizing it.

The wall between editorial independence and corporate interest at CBS is being methodically torn down. Journalists willing to challenge authority are being pushed aside in favor of those who will not. If this continues, the result will be a broadcast that looks like 60 Minutes but lacks the courage and character to produce journalism that matters.

To my colleagues, who became family - working beside you has been the privilege of a lifetime. You are second to none. I’ve learned exactly what it costs to hold the line right now. Hold it anyway. Viewers and the people who trust us with their stories deserve nothing less."

Backstory:

- January: https://t.co/l518elnE4b

- April: https://t.co/8pWTTjOIbk

- May: https://t.co/LfKHnm18nF

[Jason Mast @Jasonmmast]

‘Are we just going to give up and die like every other generation?’ https://t.co/9K6gymUvg2

[Jason Mast @Jasonmmast]

@Biohazard3737 We’ll get data next year….? Thatd be news

[Lizzy Lawrence @LizzyLaw_]

HIRING ALERT: STAT is looking for a reporter to cover declining trust in science. This reporter will examine the forces eroding the authority of scientific institutions and mainstream medicine. Apply here:
https://t.co/NJ8bhGrfiP

[Jason Mast @Jasonmmast]

Acting commissioner Kyle Diamantis stands out among Trump-appointed FDA leaders by — wait for it —showing up prepared and earning the trust of staff

From @LizzyLaw_

https://t.co/5AnrhofWeW

[Jason Mast @Jasonmmast]

Eli Lilly to buy three small vaccine developers https://t.co/beTihfp10d via @statnews

[Julie Roginsky @julieroginsky]

I’m sorry… WHAT? Did the Ellisons buy the public access station in Monroe, Michigan also or do they have some sort of 5,000 year contract on Stephen Colbert? This is unacceptable, @YouTube. Restore our video.

[Adam Feuerstein ✡️ @adamfeuerstein]

STAT housekeeping note: We'll be on the ground in Chicago next week for #ASCO26.

The STAT@ASCO live event is Fri. May 29. I will be chatting on stage w/ $RVMD CEO Mark Goldsmith. I wonder what we'll talk about?

We also have Rick Pazdur on stage, always entertaining, especially these days...

Register here: https://t.co/93f5sqBpDq

[Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 @HelenBranswell]

Yet another top job in the #HHS universe appears to be vacant. Jeffery Taubenberger, who has been acting head of #NIAID, the infectious diseases institute of #NIH, reportedly stepped down ~2 weeks ago. But HHS will not answer questions about his departure. https://t.co/wvxzW9DQPO

[Sri Kosuri @srikosuri]

So in love with this new podcast, Approved! It’s acquired for biotech and drugs. Amazing job @alexkesin and Matthew; really hope you keep it going.

[Professor Oak @Prof_Oak_]

Expect more of this

Interesting implications not only for China but also for domestic fast-followers... how can you have confidence in your head-to-head functional assay if you don't know you made the right comparator?

[Alex Harding @AlexHarding7]

@maxmarchione @BentheFidler Actually, no, it couldn’t have existed 27 years ago. Ozempic half-life was critical to making the drug work, and as you said, Novo spent 20 years working on it after they licensed it.

[Arturo LoAIza-Bonilla, MD MSEd @DrArturoAI]

Really amazing story of drug repurposing for rare disease using AI found Clonazepam and worked!! (NCATS federated learning and a determined team made this work) 🚀 👏 @MayoClinic @ncats_nih_gov @statnews #STATBreakthrough

[Jason Mast @Jasonmmast]

“Right now no one's doing genetic disease research. For those of you that read journals, it's the most profound time I've maybe seen since we sequenced the genome. And who's doing anything? I don't see Alexion around, I don't see Biomarin around, I don't see Sanofi Genzyme”