Moderna's low-dose COVID vax got approved by the FDA. I wanted to learn more about this new Moderna vax, referred to as mRNA-1283. Guess what? There's no published peer-reviewed data on
it!
Yup, Moderna just supposedly sent their internal data to the FDA, and that was good enough.
There is published data from a phase 1 study from 2023, which is only powered to study safety, not efficacy. For that, you need a phase 2 study.
A phase 2a study came out only two months ago. All it showed was that the mRNA-1283 could elicit antibodies against receptor-binding and N-terminal domains of SARS-CoV2.
It didn't show survival benefit or any kind of useful protection, which you usually need to see.
A phase 2a study is a small study designed to take a preliminary look at efficacy after you've established a safe dose from a phase I study. It determines whether to proceed to a phase 2b study which is better powered for efficacy determination.
But Moderna released a press statement last year that the new formulation was able to elicit antibody responses in phase 3 study. This hasn't been published for review.
Then in July 2024 they announced release of data showing that it was
non-inferior to Spikevax, but when you click for data, it only goes to their investors page.
In a very recent letter to the editor, it was pointed out that the mRNA-1283 data does not really show "vaccine effectiveness" as is generally understood, and that there are methodologic deficiencies in the existing studies.
So, no transparency. We're supposed to just accept that this is another "safe and effective" vaccine. And the media dutifully promotes it like obedient sheep, without any questions of how this
new low-dose vax was tested and shown to be worthy of approval.
State senator Lisa Reynolds is mulling ethics conflict of interest declaration. Yeah, private clinics get reimbursed less than hospital clinics. That was supposed to be a feature of Obamacare. That's part of the reason why so many private doctor practices shut down and the doctors became employees of hospitals or private equity owned companies. The other reason was 340B pricing.
So Reynolds wants to "mandate commercial insurers reimburse independent primary care clinics at rates equal to those of clinics owned by hospital systems". Guess what the insurance companies are likely to do? They'll lower hospital clinic reimbursements when the contract expires, not raise reimbursements of primary care clinics. It's like the old joke about genies granting wishes. Why is she concerned about this all of a sudden? It's been going on for a long time.
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"Learn to Code" Backfires Spectacularly as Comp-Sci Majors Suddenly Have Sky-High Unemployment. Things may be dire for CS majors. Hope their curriculum had time to incorporate some AI/machine learning. But to be competent, you need an extra 1 to 2 years of education.
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Gene therapy to treat elevated cholesterol levels? Seems like using a nuclear weapon when a grenade might do. This treatment knocks out the PCSK9 gene permanently. Let's wait for long-term studies shall we? Maybe it would be best for those with sky-high resistant elevations.
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Yeah, even the Swedes are finding "Wind energy more expensive, less stable and less secure". For now, stick with petroleum-based energy or nuclear power.
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Deepfakes are getting harder to detect. This is going to affect society and what we accept as reality now. Everything will have to be verified.
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48% of Americans have no investments at all. Because so far, federal money has been available in one form or another. Notice that very few people (druggies) really experience problematic poverty? Even the homeless can live the vagabond life in Portland – with free food coupons, money for drugs, tents, tarps, etc. Everyone seems to make it somehow, on welfare/SNAP, free this and that. Why save and struggle? Instead, smoke weed, get tattoos, spend disposable money on whatever.
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