Viewpoints: Can We Trust Anything RFK Jr. Says?; Alzheimer’s Drug Trial Should Never Have Advanced This Far

Chicago Tribune: On Health Matters, RFK Jr. Is Prone To Exaggeration And Outright Fabrications
Now there is ample reason for polarity about [Robert F. Kennedy Jr.]. Put bluntly, if he says 10 things, one is true, four have some truth and five are total nonsense. On health matters, Kennedy is prone to exaggeration and outright fabrications. No, 5G wireless technology doesn’t control our behavior; government organizations are not deliberately poisoning Americans and the coronavirus vaccine is not the “deadliest virus ever made.” But he is hardly the only one in Washington, Republican or Democrat, telling tall tales. (Cory Franklin, 11/25)

Stat: Cassava Sciences And Its Alzheimer's Drug Are Done. The Damage Lingers
Four years on, the Cassava Sciences story ended Monday exactly as many knew it would — with the company’s experimental drug for Alzheimer’s disease, simufilam, proving to be nothing more than a placebo in a large clinical trial. The negative outcome is devastating for the nearly 2,000 participants in this study and a second study also shut down Monday. Clinical trials in Alzheimer’s fail all too frequently, but simufilam was built on falsified research and misleading efficacy claims. The drug should never have advanced this far. (Adam Feuerstein, 11/25)

Chicago Tribune: Is Bird Flu A Risk Yet To People?
You may have encountered the term “bird flu” increasingly online and in the media. It refers to a highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A, classified as H5N1. Wild birds carry and transmit this flu, though most do not get sick from it. However, it has been detected in birds and mammals at farms such as poultry and dairy cows and has the potential to cause disease in people. Given this, is there a danger the virus will end up in the milk that we buy at the store? (Sheldon H. Jacobson and Janet A. Jokela, 11/26)

The CT Mirror: For Trans People, Things Are About To Get A Lot Harder
I woke up on the day after the election, turned my phone on, took a deep breath and said to myself “Here we go again.” Eight years ago, the first time the news stated he won the election, it felt like someone hit me in the gut. All the breath escaped from my lungs, replaced by a tangled ball of feelings, ranging from immediate anger to complete terror. I sat for what seemed like hours, even though it was only a few minutes, wondering if I/we would be able to get through this. (Ace Ricker, 11/25)

Stat: Why The Novo-Catalent Merger Will Be Challenged Regardless Of Administration
Changes in administrations may create the specter of significant changes in antitrust enforcement. But I know from my own experience as policy director of the Federal Trade Commission at the close of the Clinton administration that there is remarkable consistency between presidents. Expecting a change in enforcement policy is often a fools errand. (David Balto, 11/26)

Stat: Doctors Have Lost Sight Of The Value Of Human Touch 
As a physician, I was taught to appreciate the clinical importance of human touch for our physical and mental health. As a human being, I worry about its loss. And as a dermatologist, I know what that loss may mean for the loneliest and most vulnerable among us. (Alexa B. Kimball, 11/26)

MedPage Today: Getting Patients In The Habit Of Doing The Right Thing 
Right now, my Apple smartwatch gives a little celebration of flashing lights when I close one of my Exercise, Movement, or Standing rings. Sometimes, the next morning, if the day before wasn't a day for closing rings, I will get a message that says, "Looks like you didn't do so well yesterday. Let's try harder today." This has yet to make me stand, move, or exercise more. But if we could find better motivational tools across a spectrum of possible interventions -- maybe something that a patient sets at a level that makes them happy and comfortable (or maybe a little bit uncomfortable), then maybe we'd all end up with better results. (Fred Pelzman, 11/25)