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Pearl Freier

@pearlf.bsky.social
2.2K followers 960 following 1.3K posts

From Boston, MA. I'm @pearlf on the other blue-colored place. Founder of Cambridge BioPartners, Inc. I post mostly healthcare-related and biotech-related news items.

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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
An important story by @pharmalot.bsky.social about the ongoing shortage of cancer medications at US cancer centers. Includes this problem: 2/3 of the cancer centers said drug shortages delay treatment "because they must again pursue prior authorization from insurers, the survey noted" #medsky
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Below is a photo of the Washington, DC-based single mom who has been reported missing since September 4. She's a long-time public affairs employee & was last seen in her neighborhood near the American University campus: #medsky 1/n
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
The “please vote for me to host a podcast” scam is still impacting physicians, biotech investors & scientists on X/Twitter. If you get this type of DM from someone you know on any of your social media accounts, the sender's account has probably been hacked. 1/n #medsky
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 04/09/2026
The “please vote for me to host a podcast” scam is still impacting physicians, biotech investors & scientists on X/Twitter. If you get this type of DM from someone you know on any of your social media accounts, the sender's account has probably been hacked. 1/n
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
An AI update re: the top federal health agency in the US: a judge said HHS cited nonexistent scientific evidence that may have been hallucinated by AI and used it to support cutting tens of millions of dollars in grants. Washington Post story below: www.washingtonpost.com/health/2026/... #medsky #AI
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 02/09/2026
The Ig Nobel Prizes’ annual awards ceremony had been held in the Boston area since 1991. This year, the ceremony will be held in Zurich due to travel concerns among international scientists—including award winners. #biosky #medsky www.bostonglobe.com/2026/09/01/m...
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
More on "Herd's Law" in biopharma: The # of novel biological targets being tested each yr fell from ~100 in ’15 to only ~30 in ’24 said LEK analysis from 5/25 of preclinical & clinical biopharma pipeline worldwide. Pipeline nearly doubled from ~11,000 active drug programs in ’15 to ~21,000 in ’24.
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
Schrödinger’s president of R&D K. Akinsanya compares today’s application of ML models to chemistry to “AI-enabled selfies in chemistry that parallel the Ghiblified selfies of people showing up all over social media,” since ML models are mostly generating molecules that “look like or are inspired 1/n
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
NY has eclipsed the Bay Area as the home of the largest “tech talent workforce,” said a report by real estate firm CBRE. NY reached 394,300 in '25, surpassing the Bay Area’s 375,730. Bay Area's workforce dropped 6% from '22 to '25 while NY’s grew >8%. www.sfgate.com/news/article...
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
"HRT, anti-infectives, pain meds etc are all difficult if not impossible to accurately model with human genetic data. I’m not arguing that animal models get it perfectly right (although for anti-infectives it’s pretty darned good) but I’d be hesitant to just make the blanket assumption that we can
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Former long-time pharma antibacterial discovery head Jennifer Leeds commented on the feasibility of eliminating animal models & cautioned against assuming that straightforward genetic features account for all of a drug’s pharmacological & toxicological effects: #biosky
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Could AI models be taught scientific taste & make better judgments re: which experiments 2 run? Nathan Benaich’s Aug post explores 1 of the bottlenecks in training AI models 4 drug disc & development & ideas 4 change. AI Needs Science’s Search History www.linkedin.com/posts/pearlf... #medsky #biosky
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
From an X/Twitter post yesterday by former U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, MD MPH (2017–2021) #medsky #biosky #FDA #CDC
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Nobel Laureate in Chemistry Omar Yaghi (2025), who built much of his scientific career at UC Berkeley, has joined Beijing’s Tsinghua University full-time as a Chair Professor. The appointment ceremony was on July 3 www.tsinghua.edu.cn/en/info/1244... #medsky #biosky
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
If genomic interpretation can become more widely availablw in minutes like below, it could help clinicians make more informed decisions at point of care: identifyinging drug metabolism differences, avoiding serious toxicities, selecting therapies & matching patients 2 clinical trials #medsky #biosky
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 05/07/2026
Stanford genetics & biomedical data sci prof & dept of medicine chair used Claude 2 analyze his genome. What took 9 mos & 30 ppl in '09—took 30 min, 400K tokens & cost $5 in '26. Used 180 word prompt. Fable was downgraded to Opus 4.8 due to "security" www.linkedin.com/feed/update/... #medsky #biosky
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
An important #medsky story below about declining patient privacy in the US:
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 04/06/2026
HHS Sec Kennedy is pursuing federal govt access to most Americans’ medical records to access their vaccination history & health records for his autism research project according to @kffhealthnews.org story on CNN. He's studying chronic disease too he said. More ⬇️ www.cnn.com/2026/06/04/h... #medsky
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Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 @helenbranswell.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
An experimental #GSK drug achieved a functional cure for chronic #hepatitisB in 1 in 5 people treated in a pair of clinical trials, @statnews.com 's Drew Joseph reports. www.statnews.com/2026/05/28/h...
statnews.com
Experimental hepatitis B treatment was a ‘functional cure’ for nearly 1 in 5, new data show
An experimental GSK drug helped 1 in 5 patients with chronic hepatitis B achieve what's known as a functional cure, vastly outpacing current treatments.
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Adam Kucharski @adamjkucharski.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
Can AI spot AI-written stories? New post: kucharski.substack.com/p/can-ai-spo...
kucharski.substack.com
Can AI spot AI-written stories?
Why interpretation and mechanism are more powerful than simple pattern matching
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Carl Zimmer @carlzimmer.com · 25/05/2026
WHO chief says suspected Ebola deaths at 220 and 'epidemic is outpacing us' www.rte.ie/news/world/2...
rte.ie
WHO chief warns Ebola 'epidemic is outpacing us'
⁠The director-general of the World Health Organization said that there had been 220 suspected deaths in the current Ebola outbreak and that a delay in detecting cases meant responders were now "playin...
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
On healthcare AI education/courses: GE Healthcare announced they are making 20+ hours of healthcare AI education available at no cost through Hello AI (GE's AI fluency program) h/t GE Healthcare's Chief Science & Technology Officer Taha Kass-Hout research.gehealthcare.com/across-the-e... #medsky .
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Lisa Jarvis @lisamjarvis.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
I wanted this piece to get to Emily Oster a lot sooner.
statnews.com
1 in 8 women drink during pregnancy. Experts dread the consequences
More than 1 in 8 pregnant women report drinking. Doctors warn fetal alcohol disorders may be more common than many realize, perhaps more common than autism.
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Lisa Jarvis @lisamjarvis.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
My latest for @opinion.bloomberg.com on the rapidly escalating Ebola outbreak--and why the US's decimation of USAID, cuts at CDC and exit from the WHO could make an already-tough situation worse (gift link):
bloomberg.com
Containing Ebola Is Hard. The US Made It Worse
A rapidly unfolding Ebola crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo is a reminder of the value of maintaining robust global disease surveillance and response systems — and the dire consequences of we...
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
On the US's slow response to the Ebola & hantavirus outbreaks, also note that NIH was recently told by HHS Secretary Kennedy's dept to remove biodefense language from their websites due to deprioritization announcement last yr. Here's @cidrap.bsky.social www.cidrap.umn.edu/bioterrorism... #medsky
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
The US had a 48 hr response time during '22 Ebola outbreak in a city of 1 million on the Congo River h/t '23 essay by @agawande.bsky.social which looked at progress since '13. Compare this w/ HHS Secretary Kennedy's response on measles, hantavirus & now Ebola in '26. See link in the reply #medsky
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
See below for update on Ebola outbreak in DR Congo & Americans: #medsky
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 17/05/2026
On rumors that Americans were exposed to Ebola, @jeremyfaust.bsky.social substack said HHS Secretary's CDC team during media briefing 5/17 wasn't able to confirm or deny high risk exposures #medsky. Q's re: unconfirmed reports about "3 potential high-risk exposures & 1 symptomatic patient." 1/n
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Sarah Karlin-Smith @sarahkarlin-smith.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
This court case about CVS flagged by @bobjherman.bsky.social is helpful if you want to wrap you head around how PBMs have used GPOs to make the drug supply chain and pricing even more complicated. www.documentcloud.org/documents/27...
documentcloud.org
Roofers Union v. CVS Health
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
On FDA, Q's re Commish's National Priority Vouchers by FDA policy expert K. Trzeciak (ex FDA). *Will FDA issue guidance 2 clarify product selection criteria, sponsor expectations & review timelines. *Will FDA publish minutes from CNPV Council meetings www.linkedin.com/posts/kimber... #medsky #biosky
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 23/03/2026
On H-1B applications, Bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the US House of Representatives to exempt physicians & other healthcare workers from the new $100,000 H-1B visa application fee h/t @medpagetoday.com www.medpagetoday.com/washington-w... #medsky
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 16/03/2026
Court documents in lawsuit against HHS filed by American Academy of Pediatrics reveal HHS memos showing FDA/HHS allegedly hid data from the public re: the safety of vaccines when they changed US vaccine policies. Info incl the acting head of FDA's CDER ⬇️. #medsky www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
The FDA approved 20 drugs via the Accelerated Approval pathway in 2024—in 2025 the FDA only approved 9 drugs via accelerated approval said Gottlieb at the CNBC Cures summit focused on rare diseases #CNBCCures #medsky
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 03/03/2026
The FDA's oncology drugs review staff is down to <60 from 100 employees said ex FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb ('17-'19) on panel at #CNBCCures conf moderated by Becky Quick.HIgh # of senior reviewers are gone & v difficult to replace. Will probably see a higher # of CRLs in '26 he said #medsky
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Amy Maxmen, PhD @amymaxmen.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
@shanpalus.bsky.social reviews "Flackers" and nails the problem with Casey Means. slate.com/technology/2...
slate.com
One Detail About Trump’s Pick for Surgeon General Has Haunted Me for Years. Get Ready.
A wellness influencer could soon be writing the warning labels on your vices.
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Novartis's ex president of global drug development & ex CMO Dr. John Tsai has been hired by Japanese pharma Daiichi Sankyo to be Global Head of R&D in April. He was an executive partner at UK-based VC firm Syncona working on early stage biotech after he left Novartis daiichisankyo.us/press-releas...
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
No word yet if Bhattacharya will also serve as the acting director of FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) & as the acting Chief Medical and Scientific Officer if Prasad resigns from the FDA again: #medsky
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 18/02/2026
A staffing update at CDC & NSF: The NIH Director will reportedly now also be serving as acting CDC Director according to NYT's inside sources. Jim O'Neill, prev acting CDC dir & deputy health secretary, is going to be nominated by Trump to run the NSF. www.nytimes.com/2026/02/18/u... #medsky
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
The FDA's head of CBER has reportedly been accused of se*xual harassment of FDA employees & retaliation according to tonight's WSJ story. Here's an unlocked link to the story: #medsky www.wsj.com/health/healt...
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
Attendee at private investor meeting with FDA: Why did the FDA approve leucovorin calcium to treat a condition associated with autism? The largest study to date has been retracted by the journal after several of the authors admitted errors. Makary: The Dow is over $50,000!!! #medsky
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
The same problem for schizophrenia or bipolar disorder or any disease that HHS Secretary Kennedy believes can be treated or cured by a keto diet or "Real Food" or whatever he says. What was FDA's basis for approving leucovorin for autism? #medsky ⬇️
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 11/02/2026
Moderna's seasonal investigational influenza vaccine, mRNA-1010, has been submitted & accepted for review in EU, Canada & Australia. Kennedy's FDA now officially refuses to review the vaccine. "Refusal to review the submission is inconsistent with feedback at pre-Phase 3 & pre-submission" #medsky ⬇️
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 10/02/2026
The AI chatbots for medical advice study by Oxford Internet Research Institute researchers cites research on obsolete models that were released nearly 2 yrs ago (2 in 4/24 & 1 in 5/24). The paper wasn't published in an academic journal until 2/9/26. They couldn't publish it in 2024? #medsky
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
I saw that a patient with a PhD in nursing science & work experience in AI posted this on Linked In re: AI scribe her PCP used for annual physical. I left out company's name & similar has likely happened elsewhere. Check the AI-generated notes in your medical record (if you can get access) #medsky
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 07/02/2026
The largest study to date of leucovorin’s effectiveness for treating autism traits was retracted because of data inconsistencies & statistical issues, according to a notice posted by the European Journal of Pediatrics. From @thetransmitter.bsky.social: www.thetransmitter.org/spectrum/lar... #medsky
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Liz Szabo @lizszabo.bsky.social · 07/02/2026
83 children died during that measles outbreak.
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Laura Bassett @lebassett.bsky.social · 07/02/2026
So he personally admits now that a staffer did not post this without his knowledge
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 06/02/2026
More layoffs at the NIH including new cuts at ARPA-H. Congress approved the funding again including an increase but the layoffs continue. HHS spokesperson didn't reveal the # of employees that were fired or encouraged to resign. "radical transparency" www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/fier... #medsky
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Amanda Mull @amandamull.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
Really wild to see this termed as a "rival" situation because Novo is a pharma company that actually developed and manufactures the drug in question for highly regulated distribution to the public and Hims & Hers is a uhhhh telehealth company selling unauthorized gray market versions of Novo's drug
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Pearl Freier @pearlf.bsky.social · 05/02/2026
A very interesting story about why an FDA-approved gene editing therapy for sickle cell disease in 12/23 has only treated ~60 patients across US, Europe & MENA & some of the reasons are in the story below. Great explanation of the process involved #biosky #medsky
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