Skip to main content
Health and biotech

Latest stories

NH HEALTH

Two more wrongful death lawsuits filed against N.H. hospital over troubled heart surgeon

The plaintiffs fault Catholic Medical Center in Manchester for allowing Dr. Yvon Baribeau to continue performing surgeries despite warning signs and prior patient deaths. Read the lawsuits here.

Homelessness is surging in Greater Boston. A new study blames the state’s housing crisis.
Housing costs and migration are both contributing to a big surge in homelessness in and around Boston.

HEALTHR.I. resident dies from rare bacterial infection, prompting warning about open wounds and salt water
Vibriosis infections can also be developed through consuming raw or undercooked seafood, health officials said.

Brigham and Women’s nurses union reaches tentative deal to increase wages, averting potential strike
The Massachusetts Nurses Association, the union for 4,000 nurses, said negotiators from Brigham’s parent organization have agreed to a wage increase of up to 30 percent over the next two and a half years.

Bigger Bodies Boston aims to ban size discrimination (and have some fun doing it)
The organization fosters connections that participants say can be life-changing for those who have experienced shaming and prejudice much of their lives. But it’s also part of a movement to change laws and end discrimination.

Warren, Markey press private equity giant Apollo to speed Steward hospital sales
Apollo Global Management is facing political pressure to untangle snags and finalize sales by the end of the week.

watch
Are weight-loss drugs sparking an insulin shortage?
Insulin, an essential medicine that can be life-saving for those with diabetes, is becoming hard to find and highly popular obesity drugs might be a reason, according to STAT News reporter Elaine Chen.

Among Massachusetts hospitals, the gap between rich and poor widens
Hospitals that serve lower income patients charge much lower prices compared to big players like Mass General Brigham.

Biotech

New Cambridge antiviral biotech Red Queen launches with $55 million in funding

The company has licensed technology from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to prevent viruses from fusing with cells in the human body.

Moderna’s future clouded with vaccines facing new pressures

The Cambridge-based biotech is trying to manage the decline of its COVID vaccine business as it spends billions to develop new uses for mRNA technology.
shirley leung

Celtics star Jaylen Brown is setting out to generate $5 billion in generational wealth for communities of color

The NBA Finals MVP has tapped local partners from MIT to the City of Boston to help shape his vision to support entrepreneurs in the so-called creative economy.
Lifestyle

Bigger Bodies Boston aims to ban size discrimination (and have some fun doing it)

The organization fosters connections that participants say can be life-changing for those who have experienced shaming and prejudice much of their lives. But it’s also part of a movement to change laws and end discrimination.
ADDRESS

Here’s why some people should wear a mask and gloves while gardening

University of Georgia study finds drug-resistant strain of fungus that can compromise lungs in some compost and flower bulbs.

Family of Pete Frates gathers at Fenway to celebrate 10th anniversary of Ice Bucket Challenge

The Ice Bucket Challenge for ALS that Pete Frates helped launch in 2014 quickly grew into a global phenomenon, raising millions to fight the disease.
Spotlight

How Brigham Health helped create a Chinese hospital for elites — and almost nobody came

In a deal worth millions with Chinese developer Evergrande, a Harvard teaching hospital risked its reputation on what would become a near-empty shell.

Boston’s hospital chiefs moonlight on corporate boards at rates far beyond the national level

Hospital chiefs and trustees defend this as boosting public-private partnerships, but critics say these board positions — some paying millions of dollars — raise troubling issues of conflict of interest and hospital priorities.

More biotech and health care stories

CVS Health cuts its 2024 forecast a third time, dragged down by health insurance struggles

CVS Health now expects adjusted per-share earnings for the year to be between $6.40 and $6.65.

ADDRESS

Here’s why some people should wear a mask and gloves while gardening

University of Georgia study finds drug-resistant strain of fungus that can compromise lungs in some compost and flower bulbs.

Steward landlords turning over properties to lender, boosting hopes of deals on hospitals this week

The state of Massachusetts has extended a bridge loan in hopes of finalizing the hospital sales by week’s end.

Brockton Hospital to reopen next week following 2023 fire

The hospital’s reopening will bring much-needed relief to the state’s overtaxed hospital system.

FDA says oysters harvested from Lewis Bay on Cape Cod may contain dangerous bacteria

The FDA said the contaminated oysters were harvested between July 1 and July 18 from two sites in the bay off Hyannis and Yarmouth.

New Cambridge antiviral biotech Red Queen launches with $55 million in funding

The company has licensed technology from Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to prevent viruses from fusing with cells in the human body.

Some MBTA stations, seen as overdose hotspots, have begun stocking Narcan in accessible boxes

Harvard students led an effort to put the life-saving drug in MBTA stops after confronting overdoses close to campus.

Steward to lay off nearly 1,250 workers as it closes two hospitals in Mass.

The bankrupt company says the workers will be off the job by the end of the month.