The first 3D printed ear implant has been successfully transplanted on a 20-year-old woman as part of an ongoing clinical trial.
Driving the news: 3DBio Therapeutics and the Microtia-Congenital Ear Deformity Institute announced Thursday that they conducted the human ear reconstruction using a living tissue ear implant.
The big picture: Cities have a "wide range of powers they can draw on to try to safeguard and expand access to reproductive health care, including abortion," said Andrea Miller, president of the National Institute for Reproductive Health, an organization that supports abortion rights.
The number of reported new COVID cases — along with COVID deaths — appeared to level off over the past seven days.
The big picture: It's unclear if this is a true change or the result of a Memorial Day disruption in reporting.
But, overall reported case rates are five times higher right now than they were this time last year, even though people are far less likely to have cases reported due to home testing.
Health care workers nationwide are organizing and pushing for workplace changes like better pay or more favorable staffing ratios after waves of pandemic-fueled burnout and frustration.
Why it matters: COVID-19 and its aftereffects triggered an exodus of health care workers. Those who stayed are demanding more from health systems that claim to be reaching their own breaking points.
Pfizer said Wednesday that it has asked the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to authorize its coronavirus vaccine for emergency use for children under 5.
Why it matters: It's one more step toward a vaccine for America's youngest.
Abortion providers have filed a lawsuit seeking to void the recently enacted 15-week abortion ban in Florida, which is set to take effect in July.
State of play: Providers argue the ban violates the state's constitutional protections, intrudes on the privacy rights of Florida women, and denies women autonomy over their bodies.
A new crop of drugs received FDA approval to help fight obesity, but often insurers are refusing to cover the prescription medications, the New York Times reports.
Why it matters: Obesity affects more than 40% of Americans and is linked to a larger number of chronic diseases that erode individuals' quality of life and drive up health care costs.
U.S. consumers overpay for generic drug prescriptions by as much as 20% and it's largely because of the industry middlemen known as pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), according to a white paper from the USC Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics.
Spanish and Portuguese health authorities said Wednesday that the total confirmed cases of monkeypox across both nations have exceeded 250, Reuters reports.
Why it matters: The Iberian Peninsula has served as the epicenter of the recent outbreak, which has swept across several European countries as well as the U.S. The emergence of the virus is notable as it is rarely found outside of Africa.
Ultima Genomics,a Newark Calif.-based gene sequencing startup, exited stealth with around $600 million in venture capital funding.
Why it matters: Ultima claims it can sequence an entire genome for just $100, which is an affordability advancement that could significantly accelerate genomic research. It's also seeking to challenge Illumina, an incumbent valued at more than $37 billion.
Efforts to update COVID vaccines can't seem to keep up with changes in the virus itself.
State of play: New variants appear to be even more immune-resistant than the original Omicron strain, raising the possibility that even retooled vaccines could be outdated by the time they become available this fall.
