Voice Box Transplant, Free Med School, and Smelly Clothes

Adam Rogers
July 10, 2024

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Big Stories

A Massachusetts man named Marty Kedian regained his voice after surgeons at the Mayo Clinic replaced his cancerous larynx with a donated one.

Larynx transplants are extremely rare, especially for cancer patients. Kedian is only the third person in the U.S. to undergo this surgery. The groundbreaking procedure is part of a new clinical trial aimed at helping more patients, including those with cancer, who lose their larynx.
Marty Kedian lost his voice due to a rare type of laryngeal cancer. He underwent many surgeries and had to use a tracheostomy tube to breathe and swallow. He struggled to speak and had to use a speaking valve to communicate. The Mayo Clinic's trial allowed him to regain his natural voice and talk to his family in his own voice.
The trial only has 9 participants but the team hopes to learn from each patient to improve the procedure. Dr. David Lott, who led the surgery, believes that the clinic’s work can help patients live fuller lives, as losing the ability to speak can make people feel isolated and disconnected.

Prescription drug middlemen are making billions on cancer treatments.

A Federal Trade Commission (FTC) report found that middlemen in the prescription drug industry, known as pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), made nearly $1.6 billion in extra revenue from two cancer drugs in less than three years. They did this by directing business to affiliated pharmacies.
The report highlights how PBMs can influence the drug supply chain, possibly leading to higher costs for patients. This is especially true with three major PBMs—CVS Caremark, Express Scripts, and OptumRx—which controlled nearly 80% of the 6.6 billion prescriptions filled in U.S. pharmacies in 2023. These companies paid their affiliated pharmacies up to 40 times the average cost of the drugs. This allows PBMs to steer business away from smaller pharmacies or impose unfair contract terms.
The report may prompt Congress to take action against the PBM industry. CVS Caremark defended its practices, saying that restricting PBM tools would benefit drug manufacturers and harm businesses and patients by letting drugmakers set high prices. However, PBMs currently have that price-setting power and often overcharge patients for cancer drugs.

A former employee, Topaz Smith, has sued the World Economic Forum (WEF) and its chair, Klaus Schwab, for discrimination.

Smith, a Black woman, claims she was denied professional opportunities because of her race and gender during her nearly two years at the forum. She alleges that the forum has a dismissive attitude towards anti-discrimination laws, creating a hostile environment for women and Black employees.
Smith describes incidents where she was treated unfairly, including being told by a white manager to think of her boss as her “master” and observing that public-facing roles at the Davos conference were mostly given to white employees. She also claims she was fired in retaliation for having a child and was replaced by a "non-pregnant, white employee" during her maternity leave. Smith's lawyer argues that the forum and Schwab should be held accountable for their discriminatory behavior.
The WEF responded to the lawsuit, saying that the claims are false and will be proven frivolous in court. The lawsuit follows other allegations of discrimination and sexual harassment by Schwab and other leaders at the non-profit. The WEF denies these accusations and says they “mischaracterize the organization and its culture.”

At the NATO summit, President Biden promised to defend Ukraine against Russia's invasion, aiming to show he can still lead despite recent concerns about his age and ability after a shaky debate performance. (More)

Most students at Johns Hopkins University studying to become doctors will get free tuition because of a $1 billion gift from Michael Bloomberg's charity. Starting this fall, students from families making less than $300,000 will have their tuition paid. If their families make less than $175,000, tuition, fees, and living expenses will be covered too. (More)

A recent study by three universities found that popular tampon brands contain harmful metals like lead and arsenic. These metals, which enter the body directly through vaginal absorption, were found in all samples tested. (More)

A court in Moscow has issued an arrest warrant for Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, on charges of extremism. Navalny died in February in a Siberian jail, with Russian authorities claiming natural causes. However, his widow said he was tortured and killed by President Putin. (More)

Europe's new heavy-lift rocket, Ariane 6, successfully made its first flight from French Guiana yesterday. Ariane 6 can launch missions to both low-Earth orbit and deep space. ESA's Director General Josef Aschbacher called it a historic moment that “reinstates European access to space”. (More)

Why some clothes get smellier.

America’s most and least stressed cities.

TSA set single-day travel record with over 3 million passengers.

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