Category: 4. Health

In this week’s edition of InnovationRx, we look at the trend in fatal drug overdoses, 23andMe’s bankruptcy, the new CDC nominee, and more. To get it in your inbox, subscribe here.

Fatal drug overdoses, including from fentanyl, are falling.

The latest preliminary estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show a 25% decline in overdose deaths for the 12 months ended in October 2024…

A silent crisis is unfolding in medicine—one that disproportionately affects women and has gone largely unchecked for decades. The overprescription of benzodiazepines, commonly known as tranquilizers, is not just a case of individual misuse; it is a systemic failure in healthcare.

Despite well-documented risks of dependence, withdrawal complications and cognitive impairment, women continue to be…

A genetic data giant is falling, and it’s unclear what will happen to millions of people’s most intimate personal information in the aftermath.

On March 23, DNA testing company 23andMe announced it was filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, a move intended to facilitate its sale — along with the genetic data of over 15 million customers worldwide. A bankruptcy court hearing is set to begin March 26.

The San Francisco–based company has been reeling since a 2023 data breach…

An intricate dance is unfolding in today’s workplaces, where gossip masquerades as harmless conversation. But beneath this innocuous facade lies a destructive force that can dismantle trust, morale and productivity. It’s time to call gossip what it really is: a pervasive form of workplace bullying. There is a thin line between chatter and character…

Philadelphia’s street opioid supply – or “dope” market – is constantly changing. As health care workers and researchers who care for people who use drugs in our community, we have witnessed these shifts firsthand.

New adulterants are frequently added to the mix. They bring additional and often uncertain risks for people who use drugs, and new challenges for the health care providers and systems who treat them.

The latest adulterant to dominate the supply is…

We all know what “a complainer” is: it’s a person who finds the dark side of everything, who turns a casual conversation starter—“How are you doing?”—into a somber soliloquy about all the (usually minor) problems making their life unbearable.

Too often, people with chronic pain are viewed as complainers by friends, family, and even their clinicians. That view misunderstands the neuroscience of most…

Last evening, Dr. Marty Makary, President Trump’s pick to lead the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was confirmed by the Senate by a vote of 56 to 44. One of the…

Every so often, a young, seemingly healthy person has a sudden cardiac arrest—leaving friends, family, and the public stunned. A few examples:

• Vince Steele, a 39-year-old pro wrestler known as “The Jurassic Juggernaut,” collapsed mid-match and couldn’t be revived.
• Jazmin Garza, a healthy…

Peter Dempsey, PhD, professor of pediatrics-developmental biology in the CU School of Medicine, and Justin Brumbaugh, PhD, assistant professor of molecular, cellular, and developmental biology at CU Boulder, recently published a paper in the journal Nature Cell Biology showing the importance of the H3K36 methylation process in…