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CDC Revises Website: No Evidence Against Vaccine-Autism Link – Scientists Warn of Misinformation

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) fundamentally changed its vaccine safety webpage on November 19, 2025. The previous clear statement "Vaccines do not cause autism" was declared "not evidence-based" because studies had not ruled out the possibility that infant vaccinations contribute to autism development. The change, which stems from an instruction by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is drawing sharp criticism from scientists, medical professionals, and autism organizations, who are calling it dangerous misinformation. The revised page acknowledges that numerous parents of autistic children blame vaccinations – particularly doses administered in the first six months for diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (DTaP), hepatitis B (HepB), Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib), polio (IPV), and pneumococcus (PCV) – for the condition. It highlights that the rise in autism prevalence since the 1980s correlates with the increase in vaccine doses… 

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Pharma Giants Strengthen US Production: Novartis and Moderna Invest Billions in New Facilities

Amidst growing uncertainties due to potential tariffs and trade conflicts, major pharmaceutical companies are focusing on stronger anchoring in the USA. Novartis and Moderna have recently announced extensive expansion plans for their manufacturing networks, which are expected to create hundreds of new jobs and expand domestic production of innovative medicines. These investments are part of a broader trend in the industry, with companies like Regeneron, CSL, and Celltrion also expanding their US capacities. Novartis plans to create around 700 new jobs in North Carolina by the end of 2030 and is building a new "Flagship Manufacturing Hub" there. The complex spans over 700,000 square feet and offers end-to-end capabilities for biologics, sterile packaging, and tablet and capsule production. The expansion includes two new facilities in Durham and Morrisville and is a milestone in Novartis's $23 billion investment in US infrastructure over five years. This will enable the company to fully supply 100 percent of its key medicines to US patients…

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Skin-permeable polymer enables needle-free insulin delivery through the skin

A newly developed polymer can penetrate intact skin and deliver large molecules like insulin into the bloodstream without a syringe or microneedles. Chinese researchers report in the current issue of Nature about a polyzwitterion called OP, which transforms from a cationic to a neutral form depending on pH, thereby overcoming the natural barrier of the skin. The polymer utilizes the skin's natural pH gradient: In the acidic top layer (stratum corneum, pH ? 5), OP is positively charged, binds to negatively charged lipids and fatty acids, and accumulates. In the deeper, neutral skin layers, it transforms into the uncharged zwitterionic form and can freely diffuse between cells until it reaches the lymphatic vessels of the dermis and finally the systemic circulation. When coupled to insulin (OP–insulin), the polymer penetrates mouse and pig skin within minutes. In type 1 diabetic mice, a single transdermal dose of...

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Diphtheria toxin enables targeted fusion of lipid vesicles at neutral pH

Researchers from the University of Basel and the Paul Scherrer Institute have found a surprising way to fuse artificial lipid vesicles in the lab in a controlled manner – without prior chemical modification of the membranes and at neutral pH. This is made possible by a specific section of the diphtheria toxin, the so-called T domain. The T domain, which normally only becomes active in cells under acidic conditions, leads to fusion at neutral pH when positively charged amino acids of the protein bind to negatively charged lipid vesicles. This binding creates an asymmetric membrane tension, which particularly leads to fusion when vesicles are adsorbed onto a glass surface and come into contact with freely floating vesicles. Vesicles that are only in solution, however, do not fuse with each other. The size and number of the resulting larger vesicles can be controlled by the strength of the positive charge of the T domain or the proportion of negatively charged lipids in the membrane. All fused vesicles...

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Blood test detects lung cancer one year earlier than low-dose CT

A new blood test from the US company Mercy BioAnalytics has shown promising results in the early detection of lung cancer in a retrospective study using samples from the large National Lung Screening Trial (NLST). The Mercy Halo test detected 31 percent of lung cancers that occurred later, one year before the actual diagnosis, while low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) only detected eight percent of tumors in the same period. The analysis was based on blood samples from 48 individuals who had been diagnosed with lung cancer primarily detected by LDCT within the NLST. The researchers also examined samples taken from the same participants one year earlier – that is, at a time when most tumors were not yet detectable by imaging. With a predefined specificity of 90 percent, the Mercy test achieved a sensitivity of 34.4 percent for the entire cohort, thus coming close to LDCT's 39.5 percent… 

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Germany: HIV infections rise again for the first time in years

The number of new HIV infections in Germany has risen again in 2024. According to the Epidemiological Bulletin published today by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), an estimated 2,300 people were newly infected with the virus – around 200 more than in the previous year. At the same time, the number of people living unknowingly with HIV has grown again for the first time: Approximately 8,200 affected individuals are currently unaware of their infection. This means the proportion of diagnosed cases is only 92 percent; the international 95 percent target for 2025 will be missed. The increase affects all transmission routes. Around 1,300 new infections were registered among gay and bisexual men, an increase of about 100 cases. In heterosexual contact, the number rose to 590 (+45), and among people who inject drugs, to 400 (+60). A continuous upward trend has been observed, particularly among the latter, since 2010. The German AIDS Foundation sees the development as a direct consequence of… 

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FDA grants full approval for Amgen's IMDELLTRA for advanced small cell lung cancer

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted full approval for Amgen's IMDELLTRA® (tarlatamab-dlle). The drug is now approved for adult patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) that progresses after platinum-based chemotherapy. The decision is based on data from the global Phase 3 DeLLphi-304 study and converts the previous accelerated approval. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines list tarlatamab as the only Category 1 preferred option in this indication. The DeLLphi-304 study, involving 509 patients, showed that IMDELLTRA reduces the risk of death by 40 percent and extends median survival by more than five months (13.6 vs. 8.3 months; HR 0.60; p < 0.001) compared to standard chemotherapy. The safety profile was consistent, with fewer severe side effects (Grade ?3: 54% vs. 80%). Common events included neutropenia and lymphopenia; cytokine release syndrome (CRS) occurred mainly after the first doses and was mostly mild. "This approval solidifies IMDELLTRA as a standard of care for patients… 

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Nutrition physician Prof. Stephan Bischoff among "Highly Cited Researchers 2025"

Prof. Dr. med. Stephan C. Bischoff, head of the Nutritional Medicine and Prevention department at the University of Hohenheim, is among the world's most influential researchers. In the "Highly Cited Researchers 2025" ranking by the analysis company Clarivate, he is listed in the "Clinical Medicine" category. The award is given to scientists whose work is among the top one percent most cited in their field. Bischoff's research focuses include obesity and comorbidities, disease-related malnutrition, food intolerances, the gut barrier and microbiome, and the use of pro- and prebiotics. He also investigates innovative nutritional concepts such as the use of microalgae. His practice-oriented work was highlighted in early 2025 by a publication in the journal "Cell" on the "Restore Diet," which shows that non-industrialized dietary patterns can positively influence numerous risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Worldwide, Clarivate lists a total of 6,868 researchers in 2025, with 379 in Clinical Medicine. In Germany, 363 scientists receive the award. The… 

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Bruker presents on-demand webinar on the Fourier 80 "multi-talent"

Bruker BioSpin is making its current webinar on the Fourier 80 Benchtop NMR Spectrometer available as a recording. The compact all-in-one instrument enables automated multinuclear analyses (proton as well as more than 15 X-nuclei) with minimal user intervention and is aimed at academic research, industrial quality control, and method development. In the webinar, Bruker experts Dr. Agnes Haber (Product Manager Fourier 80), Dr. Benjamin Görling, and Dr. Justinas Sakas demonstrate the intuitive operation, the integrated sample changer, and real-world application examples. Key points: The Fourier 80 is positioned as a powerful, space-saving system that redefines benchtop NMR spectroscopy. The recorded webinar is available for free viewing immediately.

European Study: Falling Prices and Rising Costs Threaten Antibiotic Supply

An independent study by New Angle, presented by Viatris and Medicines for Europe for World Antibiotic Awareness Week, reveals dramatic disruptions in the European market for off-patent antibiotics: Between 2020 and 2024, the average prices of the ten most prescribed off-patent antibiotics fell by 10.4 percent, while production costs rose sharply. Key findings: The study “Securing access, improving lives” warns that current pricing policies and procurement rules jeopardize the economic viability of manufacturing and undermine supply security – a direct contribution to the worsening of antibiotic resistance (AMR). Viatris and Medicines for Europe are calling for urgent reforms: “Off-patent antibiotics are the backbone of infection treatment. If prices continue to fall while costs explode, we risk patients in Europe losing access to these vital medicines,” explained Margarida Bajanca, lead researcher at New Angle. Adrian van den Hoven, Director General of Medicines for Europe, described the findings as a “wake-up call” and called for bold political action to ensure supply security…

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