John Carroll
@JohnCendpts
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46 yrs before the mast. Invented FierceBiotech, founded Endpoints News w/ 230,000 subs. Devoting time to the big cancer fight. These are personal opinions.
VT and TX (yes)
Joined January 2010
You know you want to :).Don’t miss my new daily biotech email from Endpoints — starts June 20. Sign up here:
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Here we go!.I have some personal business news here and it is thrilling. After lengthy transatlantic talks, The Financial Times has acquired a majority interest in Endpoints News. This is transformational for us. We’re incredibly proud to be a new part of this media enterprise.
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If any biotech exec just said what Hahn said about an experimental drug, they'd be charged for it. It's a crime.
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For all those out there who would still like to act as an apologist for Shkreli. You know who you are.
Here's my statement on Martin Shkreli: I would (still) rather eat my own organs. So much as touch me, and I'll gladly chop off one of yours.
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Let's face it, the singe best thing Trump could do right now is make @ScottGottliebMD the coronavirus czar with a special mandate to make things happen. He clearly wants the job and he'd be great at it.
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An absolute must-read for anyone even vaguely interested in antibiotic development -- this is reality:.Biopharma has abandoned antibiotic development. Here’s why we did, too.
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Hitting landmark milestone, Intellia shows CRISPR can edit genes directly in patients.By @Jasonmmast $NTLA.
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DAY #7. (#2 at MDA) Mike Wong came by this morning. The Merkel guy @MDAndersonNews. He said he was 90% sure it was Merkel and he was going to get started today. If I show an early response to immunotherapy I have a shot at a longterm prognosis. Unfortunately, it’s in a bad spot.
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It's clear that we're running an experiment this weekend involving a large population. If #covid19 doesn't spike in 2 weeks, that will be interesting. If it does. .
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My father-in-law died a few minutes ago. We're taking a knee now. Important to remember that meds kept him alive these past 15 yrs. RIP.
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So Biden is backing the IP waiver. What an awful idea. Trashing IP without doing anything about making the vaccine actually available. Let's do the hard work people and get vaccines to the poor, we don't need more governmental dysfunction.
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Well that was literally painless. Stood in line for 4 minutes, got the $MRNA vaccine, waited a few minutes for a reaction that didn't happen and left. Back later in the month for #2. Rock on, world.
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Regeneron is not recommended for people with near-term dementia. It may cause babbling, idiotic comments and damaging free association. Do not take Regeneron if you are nearing a public election. Regeneron will not lift polling numbers. But it may greatly enhance ego.
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The last thing my wife said to her mother: "If the lord is calling you, momma, that's OK. If you need to go now and be with daddy, that's OK." And she heaved a great sigh, and died.
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Life will smack you in the ass when you least expect it. Here everything was going so damn well and I end up taking an Uber to the ER because I clearly have a major, though bizarrely non-painful, issue with sudden kidney failure. Serious business. “Dr. Death is making his rounds.
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Have to hand it to the EMA. They spell out rejections. So aducanumab was soundly rejected due to conflicting data, no clear link between amyloid and Alzheimer's and concerns it's dangerous. All the things that would lead a rational FDA to the same conclusion. #regulatorycapture.
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I have an open offer to any recognized biotech startup exec/VC. When your startup goes under after boldly promising a revolution, you can explain the whole thing in a post I'll run in Endpoints. What happened. Moving on. You want to help patients? Explain failure.
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Day #163. I’m 68 today. Birthdays are more gilt-edged these days. I was talking to a cancer expert earlier in the week and he casually mentioned that the prognosis for metastatic patients remains bleak. (He hadn’t heard, so nothing brutal intended. If he had heard, he would have.
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A 'historic breakthrough' that will save "countless" lives. Pushed thru by the president's bold leadership. "this is a major advance" insists azar.Really, it's just disgusting. Gold standard my ass.
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Day #6 - part 2. Mike Davies, head of melanoma group dropped by. He's persuaded I may have Merkel cell cancer due to the first biopsy report from the Valley. Mike Wong, their Merkel expert at @MDAndersonNews on rotation next week, is coming by tomorrow. Very, very rare cancer.
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Just to put it out there, I'm down 39 pounds on semaglutide and my last blood pressure reading was 120/79. I was told last week that I'm now classified as fat, and not obese, so this little experiment of mine isn't finished. But I have recorded a statistically significant.
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Never in my dreams did I think I would be writing a story that tied in a porn actress, the president of the US, a Russian oligarch and Novartis payments.
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A few minutes ago @endpts broke the 100,000 mark on subscribers. Over 1,686 days. Primarily citizens of Biopharma City. Way cool. The 23 staffers here -- the hardest working crew in business journalism, with more coming -- thank all our readers. "The biopharma world is here".
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Day #5: Biopsy starting to deliver. Looks now like stage 4 merkel cell or neuroendocrine tumors, according to the local oncologist. I have a quick procedure and then I'm headed to MDA in Houston. Not what you want to hear but it's a place to draw a line.
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Today is @endpts 3rd birthday, which we're celebrating with more than 53,000 subscribers and an amazing growth rate. Thanks to all of you who have been reading us and supporting us. Here's to many years more of the same. (What a great day to get a premium Enterprise subscription).
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Another day I wake up, scan the Post, the Times, look over Twitter and there's no offensive, confrontational, toxic, abusive, lying remark from the president of the United States. Thumbs up.
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Pretty decent report just ahead of my third treatment with avelumab. We can see some distinct shrinking in the cancerous lymph nodes from the CT scan, some return of normal functions. Not bad for 2 rounds of immunotherapy. Likely be some weeks more before we can possibly move.
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This is so cool --.Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer A. Doudna win the Nobel prize for groundbreaking CRISPR discovery.
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DAY #9 (#4 @MDAndersonNews ) Looking good. My drainage bags are working as planned, they may be able to go after the clots more directly and I'm hopeful that the lower body swelling can start to moderate as the backup systems kick in. I'm pressing to get out of here ASAP. Likely.
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On another note, I'm taking a couple days to celebrate my daughter's wedding in Austin. The team has this. My duties are straightforward from here to Monday. Drink fine Scotch, tell a couple of jokes and tell the world how immensely proud I am of my wonderful daughter Aine.
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Dear @realDonaldTrump Sir, you moron. Nearly 100 people died from #covid19 today in Texas. Up from yesterday's record of 60 and more than twice the elevated rate of recent weeks. More than 60K new cases in the US. This blood is on your hands. You good with that? I'm not.
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We're taking a knee here as my mother-in-law passes. My wife and I came down to South Texas early last year so she could spend time with her mother before her departure. She visited with her, took care of her, every day we were here. I'm happy for that. .
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Day #109 -- Here at @MDAndersonNews for a PET scan and another infusion of avelumab. Bottom line: There has been significant shrinkage of cancerous lymph nodes; metabolic activity — typically high in cancer — has been reduced to almost nil. But we won’t know if I have a complete.
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A personal note to end the week. My wife, Tracy Staton, is retiring today after 15 years at Fierce lifesci. She took my old job when I left to start Endpoints. And none of it would have happened without her daily support and love.
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Dear Big Pharma: Please spend about $50B on biotech buyouts in Q2. The biotech CEOs - the ones without $200M+ in the bank - are feeling pressed and would like to see some happy news. And don't forget, you need better pipelines. Oh, yes, you do.
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I know the $MRNA market cap is nuts. I know they're attempting to make the impossible possible. I understand the odds and what happens to the stock if they so much as slip. I've followed vaccine dev for 18 yrs. But really, wouldn't it be totally cool if it works?.
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Texas is broadly lifting shelter rules tomorrow. Masks not always necessary. Testing has never reached the bare minimum. Or close to it. My family and I are doubling down on reducing exposure. I want no part of this viral experiment.
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More than any other biotech startup I've seen, $MRNA got grilled repeatedly for, well, raising a ton of money. Which put them at history's door step. And they have the data to back it all up. Welcome to the revolution.
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It's a damn shame @ScottGottliebMD didn't stay on at the FDA through the #COVID19 outbreak. It would have been a lot more reassuring to people to have one dynamic, young exec leading the charge. These Trump people seem primarily concerned with praising the boss.
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Quick update on my sister, who was diagnosed with corona; she's 3 days past symptoms now and getting back on track teaching yoga -- virtually. Relieved and well past that 'hit by a train' feeling.
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Wouldn't it make more sense for CDC to lift the masks by state? Here you've reached 70% vaccinated. you win, drop the masks. You're at 50%, keep them on. Now that's an incentive.
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The big shindig came to a successful end with the wedding last night. My daughter Aine knows how to throw a party. The clans gathered from around the world. I haven't quite recovered/
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The CDC is dropping the 5-day rule on Covid isolation. 24 hours free of fever, you're good. All I use the CDC for now is to determine what is politically expedient. Science was eliminated long ago. Shame about that.
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The hydroxy scam, the convalescent plasma con, the antibody "cures," great vaccines will be here any minute now. At every turn Trump chose a snake oil solution and batted down what worked. Result: Close to 100,000 infected Friday.
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Letting people put away the masks, almost encouraging them to believe the outbreak was over, is one of the biggest blunders made so far. People have a responsibility to wear masks. Governments need to provide more tests. It's not hard to understand.
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Day #52: In the weeks since being diagnosed, I've been working on an in-depth story that explores how a small group of researchers pushed a revolution in the way Merkel cell carcinoma is treated -- without a lot of encouragement from Big Pharma. I hope this helps the patients to.
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SIX days ago Gov DeSantis said that he thought Florida's #covid19 trends had "stabilized" at about 6,000 new cases daily and a 14% positive rate. Today the state broke the 15,000 mark and came close to 20% pos. Everything looking great for the Republican convention next month.
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The instinct is to say 'we won't give up' on Alzheimer's. But seriously, trying the same failed approach over and over again -- while shamelessly touting experimental drugs to these patients -- is just wrong. Go back to the drawing board.
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Day #27: Second round of immunotherapy yesterday, along with a catch-up with Mike Wong's great team @MDAndersonNews. So we should know fairly soon whether I'm on the right track -- or not. Throughout this 4-week journey, my wife, Tracy Staton, has been caregiver, sherpa, nurse,.
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DAY 11 (#6 at MDA) It's interesting watching how a top institution like @MDAndersonNews handles a case compared to a small, poorly staffed regional center on the border. The philosophy here is very much team-based, gaining quick consensus on a game plan, bringing in specialists.
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no, it's a bad drug -- $CLVS
Poor clinical design
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70.450 new cases on Friday. The 3rd wave is officially upon us. Let's buckle down, with no leadership from washington. #fucktrump.
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Day #19 -- I've been giving social media a rest after 2 weeks of drama. Not that much to report. My zombie walk has turned into more of a shuffle. I'm cooking some. Went to the store to buy a printer. Mundane stuff. I am writing a series on this experience. I think it would help.
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That 94.5% rate vs 90%+ is really indistinguishable. The key differentiator right now is the supply chain and the rate on severe illness, however that holds up. $MRNA $PFE.
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My wife is the hero of the support team. Also, the nurses at @MDAndersonNews are outstanding.
@JohnCendpts Do you have a care partner with you? This is a step-n-fetch-it person who can run interference with the nursing team for anti-nausea or pain meds, eg. Warm blankets, cold ice, etc. Relief meds are often not “one dose fits all.”.
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So now we know the rollout of the vaccines in the US is a colossal, Trumpsized mess. How about Joe Biden declare a national emergency on January 20, open up 100s of vaccination centers military style and start pumping vaccines into arms. Line up here. Here's your wrist band.
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That's it for Aduhelm. It's a goner. We'll need to see solid PhIII data before an amyloid beta drug gets picked up. And that is how it should be.
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#14 -- Two weeks in. Morning of firsts. First zombie walk -- sans walker -- around the AirBnB. I reward myself with watermelon, which is mercifully vine ripened and good to go. First shower, which was damned fine and required various patches to plug the incisions, like an old.
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Hydroxy not looking too good on #COVID19, so now Trump's suggesting heat and light therapy. Maybe crystals next. Religious icons. IDK.
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Credit where it's due. My case manager @MDAndersonNews got on the phone this morning with @Cigna and accelerated my preauthorization for treatment. Got it done. Patients need a team of advocates -- family, physicians, case managers, themselves, etc -- to make sure the system.
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It took some testing, a video and some other precautionary measures, but after 8 months my wife made physical contact with her mother in the nursing home. Tears shed.
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Joyfully just celebrated my 20th anniversary and - hopefully - signed up for 20 more. I hope all of you find the love of your life. Cheers.
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I don't know how to explain benefit/risk to the public. Sadly, neither does anyone in the government. What a mess. $JNJ.
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So the FDA has bamboozled the general public to believe that there's a new Alzheimer's drug that works. There isn't, but the public believes that now, and no manner of in-the-beltway talk will change that. OK. So what are we going to do about thaT? BIG QUESTION. $BIIB.
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Driving through east Texas and Arkansas. Masks are rare and the full vaccination rate is 50.7%. It won't take a rocket scientist to figure out what's coming next.
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This was interesting -- 72% of late-stage drugs in the hands of biotech startups:.The biotech era in late-stage drug R&D and marketing has arrived. And it looks like it’s here to stay.
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I'm curious what everyone in biopharma thinks will happen when the FDA no longer OKs drugs because they are more likely to help than hurt. And still cost a fortune? It's the end of the game, folks. Das ende.
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I remember when my mother, an Argentine, took her citizenship test several decades ago. She nervously asked me to give her a test quiz on our system of government. Immigrants are some of our best informed citizens, and we all benefit enormously.
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3 days later it still amazes me what a monstrous eff-up Stephen Hahn created by hyping bad data for Trump. Apologies now will not contain the damage done to the FDA's rep when it needs it the most. Bring back Gottlieb for a special, 6-month appearance.
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It's official: Pfizer and BioNTech have submitted their Covid-19 vaccine to the FDA.By @Nicole_DeFeudis .
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Also, the stakes here are huge. If mRNA gets over the line and works as billed, it will trigger the proverbial -- and long awaited -- revolution in vaccine development. The implications are enormous.
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So who wants to read a 5,750 word article on Merkel cell research, told from a patient perspective? Killer idea, right? Shamelessly in depth. Coming to you soonish.
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DAY #13 -- Transitioning back to a house -- and out of a hospital that commits teams for 24/7 care -- is an interesting challenge. Not possible without my wife, who's maintaining the schedule and dosing. For decades now I have operated on the understanding that while I may not.
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Monthly web visits @endpts since starting:.July 2016 90,110.September 2016 126,326.November 2016 141,211.January 2017 170,573.April 2017 222,07.August 2017 336,145.November 2017 430,181.January 2018 497,351.March 2018 485,852.
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Phase 2 reopening starts tomorrow. Gyms etc opening up. Retail going to 50% capacity. General testing not available. Welcome to the 2nd wave.
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Hell, they don't even want to tell seniors to stay off of flights. The easy stuff.
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First all the fireworks over the $AZN vaccine. Now trouble brewing for $JNJ? $MRK a no show, $SNY in hiding. Can you all imagine the fix we'd be in without mRNA right now? And what this means for global herd immunity?.
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The price of new drugs is not the problem. It's the growing price of old ones like Humira. That's the issue.
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Does anyone at this stage believe that paying more in the US gets you better care? This Canada/US comparison seems obvious to me. What I'm saying: disjointed, dysfunctional system with rampant overcharging, opaque pricing leads to-the US healthcare system.
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Scheduled to get my first vaccine dose tomorrow at 1 pm CST as Texas really starts to open up. It's the $MRNA jab; thanks Stephane Bancel and Tal Zaks and the whole crew. Thumbs up.
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Amazing how often a failed Phase II study is predictive of a failed Phase III. You think it would put some people off.
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At the risk of being a little smug, @AKAarsalan and I are doing some basic review exercises, and I have to say there's something entirely satisfying about founding a co out of nothing that now has a staff of 40, and rising. I've failed before, and that makes it twice as sweet.
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I think it's incredible that we are witnessing biotech history, with the true arrival of the mRNA business. Now. Right now. Huge.$MRNA etc.
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Keeping a 20-year-old promise to my son, visiting Angkor Wat.
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My new hero: James Mattis, ex-sec of defense, Marine:."I have watched this week’s unfolding events, angry and appalled. The words ‘Equal Justice Under Law’ are carved in the pediment of the United States Supreme Court. This is precisely what protesters are rightly demanding."YES.
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Pretty cool, passed 125,000 subscribers earlier today. About 33K behind the paywall. Plan to hit 150,000+ in 2022. Thanks to all our core readers.
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36 hours from my 14th day past vaccine #2. Feeling quite fortunate. Get vaccinated, people. Let's end this thing.
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Yet another incitement to extreme right wingers. Really, just makes my skin crawl that Trump lives in the white house and represents the American people to the world. 4 more years of this? Really?.
In my opinion, these patriots did nothing wrong. Instead, the FBI & Justice should be investigating the terrorists, anarchists, and agitators of ANTIFA, who run around burning down our Democrat run cities and hurting our people!.
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Day #70 — Well, I got this far, and it’s been eventful. My (outgoing) doctor at @MDAndersonNews and I went over the scenario as long as treatment continues to work in keeping the Merkel cell carcinoma at bay: 2 years of bi-weekly infusions of avelumab in Houston. There are.
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One of the things I'm afraid of in the US is that half the population will act responsibly, social distancing, work at home, no gatherings, while the other half just says f*&k it and moves full speed ahead. Continuing the contagion rather than adopting hard measures.
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DAY #6 (DAY #1 @MDAndersonNews) Turns out I have massive clotting causing the elephantine swelling in the lower half of my body. They’ve been doing some quick scans and ultrasound to get a better view. Putting in a Heparin drip to start a weeks-long process of resolving.
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Really appreciate all the response to my earlier tweets and linkedin remarks. A number of experts have offered to serve in an adcomm for my case, which is humbling. I need that biopsy back, and we can determine the best hospital to jump for this. What you don't want is this sense.
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We would be so much better off if we had said, as a country, OK, mandatory masks make sense. We'll wash our hands and distance, and we'll responsibly reopen, without gatherings. That takes leadership.
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Posting a story in a minute about an interesting CEO move. In this piece, several execs tell me that they are never going to go back on the road like they did pre-pandemic. This is a major theme. Business travel permanently down 30%-50%??? Your thoughts?.
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Of course, we all need to understand basic vax R&D. First you have to capture the immune monkey. Then get its blood and make the vaccine. The scientist tests it on himself or herself and then its manufactured for global use. All inside 3 weeks. Thank you.
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