Zachary Tracer

Excited to share that I'm joining @statnews to run business & policy coverage. I've long admired (and envied) STAT's great reporting, and I can't wait to get started. statnews.com/new-leadership…

In the Health/Science category, small division, the 2025 Best in Business Award winner is @statnews for “How the CRISPR boom went bust.” #BIB25

Breaking: White House delays CDC pick. Duties of CDC Director fall to NIH director Jay Bhattacharya, who has been acting cdc director. Me @rachel_roubein @ddiamond washingtonpost.com/health/2026/03…

New: The CDC's acting director, Jay Bhattacharya, told staff today that he knew of no plans to cut more jobs at the agency — and that, if they were proposed, he would do his best to oppose them. Via @HelenBranswell statnews.com/2026/03/25/cdc…

Acting CDC Director Bhattacharya addresses staff at all-hands meeting statnews.com/2026/03/25/cdc…

We’re thrilled that @statnews picked up three Best in Business awards and one honorable mention! For general excellence in business coverage. For @bobjherman’s must read newsletter. And for @Jasonmmast’s super sharp health and science coverage.

Don't miss the showdown between a study about how smartphones affect adolescents and a smart floss that measures your stress (and lots more!). #STATMadness - keep voting! statnews.com/feature/stat-m…

A white envelope. An $8 billion deal. A red-eye flight to buy a drug out of bankruptcy. How Eli Lilly’s cancer chief, Jacob Van Naarden, rewrote the company’s plans in oncology — and quietly became its top dealmaker. Also: why biotechs keep turning down good offers… and why targeted drugs for rare cancers are so brutally hard to develop. statnews.com/2026/03/25/eli…  $LLY

FDA issued a warning letter to $IBRX about "false and misleading" statements regarding Anktiva made by @DrPatrick on the Sean Spicer TV show. fda.gov/inspections-co… h/t @AlecGaffney for spotting first.

Women lost a larger chunk of their NIH grant funding than men over the past year — on average women had 57.9% of their grant terminated, while men had 48.2%. Via @AnilOza16 statnews.com/2026/03/23/nih…

Pfizer’s Lyme vaccine shows efficacy, but misses key statistical hurdle There is a set up for drama here. $Valn $pfe Valneva stock is down 14% in premarket trading. statnews.com/2026/03/23/lym… via @statnews

Pfizer’s Lyme vaccine shows efficacy, but misses key statistical hurdle statnews.com/2026/03/23/lym…

Automatic enrollment in Medicare Advantage plans under consideration, top Trump health official says statnews.com/2026/03/20/med… via @statnews

Chris Klomp outlines for STAT new details on how he is sifting through prospects for pivotal role of CDC director statnews.com/2026/03/20/new… via @statnews @_daniel_payne @AlexHoganTV

New: The Trump admin is still weighing its options after a federal judge stalled many of its major vaccine policy changes — and what it does can be a sign of whether or not the White House is “done” with vaccines, as officials tell us: statnews.com/2026/03/20/ken…

NEW: ACIP conflict is test of Trump’s support for RFK Jr.’s vaccine policy overhaul. Via @ChelseaCirruzzo statnews.com/2026/03/20/ken…

Inside the delicate, high-stakes search for a new CDC director, via @rickberke statnews.com/2026/03/20/new…

If you've been following the situation at #CDC — specifically the agency's lack of a director for most of the past 15 months — you'll want to listen to Chris Klomp, chief counsellor to HHS, discuss the administration's search for a director. They're on the clock. statnews.com/2026/03/20/new…

If you care about the future of the CDC or public health, you need to read this piece and watch this video on how leadership is thinking about the search for a new director. Definitely watch the 10 minute video in which @rickberke interviews HHS chief counselor Chris Klomp in detail about the process on the sidelines of #STATBreakthrough. statnews.com/2026/03/20/new…

A writeup of my conversation with former FDA commissioner Rob Califf, written up by the excellent @_daniel_payne: statnews.com/2026/03/19/pol…