Read today’s Kaiser Health News
About pharma
AstraZeneca buys cell therapy biotech in up to $1bn deal: AstraZeneca has struck a deal to acquire biotechnology company EsoBiotec for up to $1bn, as the London-listed pharmaceutical group expands its investments in cell therapies for treating cancer.
About the public’s health
US births decline to lowest level in 40+ years: n 2023, there were 3.6 million births in the U.S. — the lowest the birth rate has been since 1979 when 3.5 million were recorded — according to data published March 18.
The birth rate fell 2% compared to 2022, following a decadeslong decline in U.S. births. The data, compiled by the National Center for Health Statistics, also showed a 3% decrease in the general fertility rate, from 56 births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44 in 2022 to 54.5 births per 1,000 in 2023.
A record high in 2023 was the mean age of mothers at first birth, at 27.5 years old.