Axios

Suicide death rates among 10- to 14-year-old girls and boys nearly evened out from 2018 to 2024, according to new research published this week.

Why it matters: The research found that suicide death rates between boys and girls nearly evened out during the years analyzed, bucking previous data showing boys had higher suicide death rates, though girls think about and attempt suicide more often.

PHILADELPHIA — Significant investments in biotech research and manufacturing are positioning the Philadelphia region for new jobs and broader economic growth, policy and science experts said at an Axios event.

Why it matters: The burst of investments could create high-skilled job pathways and accelerate new treatment studies at a moment when there's high competition among U.S. cities to become top life science hubs.

Axios' Isaac Avilucea, Mike D'Onofrio and Brock Turner spoke with Science Center interim president and CEO Kerry Benson, Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry president and CEO Luke Bernstein and state Rep. Lisa Borowski (D). The Sept. 9 event was sponsored by PhRMA.

What they're saying: Benson cited Philadelphia's "1,200 life sciences companies" and "15 major health care systems" as a driving force behind investments from major drugmakers and technology companies.

• "We have countless examples of … companies that have already built … manufacturing plants, and they're producing products that are being shipped worldwide," Benson said.

Follow the money: Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) announced in January a $3.5 billion investment from Eli Lilly to build a new manufacturing facility in the state, "the largest life sciences investment" in Pennsylvania history.

• GSK and Johnson & Johnson also plan to build facilities in the region.

What's next: Another big investment in southeastern Pennsylvania's life sciences sector will come next month, Bernstein announced. He said future workers will feel the impact of these supports.

• "So you're going to see burgeoning economies coming out," Bernstein said, with "highly skilled jobs that are going to really, not train the workforce just for today, but those for tomorrow."

Yes, but: Borowski said access to health care in the region is regressing due to changes to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace and local provider strain, despite biotech innovation.

• "Things haven't changed that much since 1991, and sadly, we've actually taken some steps back," she said.

Content from the sponsor's segment:

During a View From the Top conversation, PhRMA vice president of policy and research Jocelyn Ulrich pointed to advances in drug manufacturing with the potential to modernize disease prevention and treatment.

• "The science really has never been more promising," she said.

Voters for Cures advocate and founder of BK Hope Cures Bob Kiesendahl applauded recent breakthroughs in cancer treatment since his own diagnosis nearly 30 years ago.

• "If I was diagnosed today, I'd probably just take a pill," Kiesandahl said. "I wouldn't have to go through all the toxicity of full-body chemo and radiation."

Go deeper: Watch the full event.

On September 23 at 6:00pm ET, tune into conversations with Healthcare Leadership Council president and CEO Maria Ghazal, Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) and more on conversations examining how the U.S. can maintain its global leadership in biotechnology as international competition accelerates.

The program will also include a sponsored View from the Top segment featuring Ashley Magargee, CEO at Genentech.

Next year is shaping up to be tumultuous for Medicare Advantage as insurers continue to shore up their profits.

Why it matters: Benefit cuts and insurer exits from certain markets mean more upheaval for seniors — and right before the midterm elections.

Book club events on Eventbrite jumped 33% during the first half of this year compared with last — driven largely by "hyper niche" meetups, the platform tells Axios.

Why it matters: These clubs are as much about finding community as finishing the book.

The fight against mail-order abortions continues Wednesday as Louisiana state attorneys argue that they undermine the state's abortion ban.

Why it matters: Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill's office seeks an end to a Biden-era FDA rule that expanded telehealth access to mifepristone, a drug widely used for abortions. If successful, the state case could affect abortion access nationwide.

A new tool visualizes how much premium revenue health insurers keep to cover overhead and, spoiler alert, it's not very much — an average of 15% in 2024.

Why it matters: Just cracking down on insurer overhead won't meaningfully bring down premiums. Making coverage affordable requires lowering health costs.

Most of us aren't taught how to fight well. We tend to bounce between avoiding conflict and "burning the house down," author and conflict-resolution facilitator Priya Parker tells Axios.

Why it matters: Avoiding every disagreement can create what Parker calls "unhealthy peace" in a group, where the real conversations never happen and people are afraid they'll be punished for saying what they think.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration released more than 170,000 pages of documents Tuesday that suggest city officials knew air conditions following the 9/11 attacks were unsafe, despite assurances otherwise.

The big picture: Twenty-five years later, New Yorkers are still seeking a full accounting of what city officials knew about the toxic air around Ground Zero and whether they were honest with the public about the risks.

A societal spotlight on extreme thinness is stripping body diversity from screens, just as fashion magazines did in the early aughts, mental health experts tell Axios.

The big picture: Fake content creators are introducing unattainable, AI-generated body images that prey on human nature and exacerbate the struggle for many to reach self-acceptance for their bodies.