Vaccine startup nets $45 million in funding despite wider skepticism
Today, they're viewed with skepticism — if not outright fear — by many Americans, including HHS chief RFK Jr.
So it seems like an unlikely time to raise $45 million in venture capital funding for an mRNA vax startup, let alone one working on a universal flu vaccine. But that's just what Silicon Valley-based Centivax did yesterday, led by Steve Jurvetson's Future Ventures.
Centivax is the second startup from Jake Glanville, who many may recall as the curly-haired guy featured on Netflix's "Pandemic" documentary series — filmed before COVID but airing right as it exploded.
His first was an antibody developer called Distributed Bio, which sold to Charles River Labs in 2021 but let Glanville keep the underlying tech.
Centivax initially raised some seed capital from NFX and Global Health Investment Fund, plus non-dilutive funding from The Gates Foundation, U.S. Army and U.S. Navy.
It's already begun manufacturing, done a variety of animal tests (including on pigs, which get the flu), and on human immune organoids. Phase 1 clinical trials come next, with expectations that they could go quicker than usual given the ubiquity of influenza in both hemispheres.
Glanville acknowledges the fraught political climate, but argues that "it's not as bad as some news articles would lead you to believe."
He believes that confusing vaccine messaging during the pandemic is partially to blame for mRNA hesitancy. Plus the spate of myocarditis cases for young men, which Glanville attributes to coronavirus' unique "spike" — something he thinks would normally have been engineered out of a vaccine, but wasn't given the time constraints.
"This FDA already has fast-tracked a couple of mRNA vaccines," Glanville says, adding that both President Trump and FDA chief Marty Makary have said they want a universal flu vaccine.
"They just put $500 million toward a universal flu shot effort — not ours, but they think mRNA needs more study and we're here to do more study."
Centivax believes that its tech eventually could apply to universal coronavirus, malaria, HIV and herpes viruses that may be linked to Alzheimer's disease.
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New York Post
21 minutes ago
- New York Post
I put an end to a decade of period bloating with this free dietitian service — it also left me more energized and less moody
New York Post may receive revenue from affiliate and advertising partnerships for sharing this content and/or when you make a purchase. Weight gain and bloating are pretty standard PMS symptoms, but that doesn't mean you should have to live with them. I'd been riding that rollercoaster for nearly a decade, and frankly, it was getting old. What concerned me was how there was almost nothing that I could do to control them. I felt like I'd tried everything: cutting back my salt and sugar intake, popping some purple PMS-relief gummies the Flo app sold me on and I even adjusted my workouts to align with my cycle, easing up during my luteal and menstrual phases. At some point, I finally gave up and bought myself a pair of jeans in the next size up so I could just stop fighting with the dreaded period bloat. I write about health and wellness for a living, and know that I'm fortunate that I've never dealt with intense cramps, headaches and other PMS symptoms that some women experience. But the water retention and weight gain, which always seem to hit the few days before my period, have been a constant struggle I could never seem to shake. That is, until I heard about Nourish, a telehealth site that connects users with a personal telehealth dietitian, mobile nutrition-tracking app, recipe ideas and plenty of other resources to help them hit their goals. Nourish set me up with a dietitian who specializes in the areas I was looking to optimize — women's health and weight stabilization. And just a few weeks after starting Nourish, I've already seen the proof it works. After a few meetings with my dietitian and a couple of weeks of implementing her advice, I'm already seeing that period bloat melt away. What is Nourish? Most Americans have insurance that covers working with a registered dietitian, but fewer than 1% utilize this benefit. Many also don't know that it exists (admittedly, I was one of these people). When Nourish launched in 2021, its founders set out to take on the broken U.S. healthcare system by creating a bridge to better care. In a nutshell, Nourish's overarching mission is to make it easier and more affordable for people to eat well and live longer, healthier lives. The type of support they offer depends completely on the person. When users sign up for Nourish, they can select their goals — whether it's to lose weight, improve sleep, build an exercise routine or eat more intuitively. Nourish pairs users with a registered dietitian for telehealth appointments and hyper-personalized, clinical care. But, beyond one-on-one health counseling, Nourish users can utilize a fleet of resources, including a mobile app that provides unique recipe ideas, a curated to-do list, AI-driven daily nutrition tracking and progress charts that sync with the Apple Health app. The best part about Nourish? Almost 95% of patients pay $0 out of pocket. The service is fully covered by insurance and available in all 50 states, which means there's really nothing to lose by trying it out. Signing up is simple, and after a quick questionnaire, you can choose your dietitian and set up your first appointment. My review I've been meeting with my Nourish dietitian every week, and have used Nourish's mobile app for almost three weeks. Since starting Nourish, I've been tracking my meals and leveraging Nourish's recipe idea section to select ingredients and cook meals that help my body during my cycle. Read on to see exactly how this personalized health service works. A typical meal I ate for lunch, per recommendations from my Nourish dietitian. Miska Salemann How Nourish works Signing up for Nourish was straightforward. Beyond standard steps like entering my insurance details and confirming my location, I answered basic questions about my current health habits, diet, and goals. The prompts were familiar — things like 'How many days do you work out on average?' and 'What's your typical vegetable intake?' There were also questions covering mental health, medical history and caffeine and alcohol consumption. Near the end of the questionnaire, users are prompted to select their specific goals. For me, that included managing PMS symptoms like bloating and weight stabilization, along with improving gut health and practicing intuitive eating. After that, I was presented with a list of available dietitians to choose from. If I wanted, I could have started sessions as soon as the next day — there was plenty of availability. I browsed the profiles and picked a dietitian specializing in women's health and weight management. Honestly, booking an appointment has never felt that quick or effortless. On my first call, which took place over Zoom, my dietitian introduced herself, spoke a bit about her background, and then opened up the floor to my concerns and goals, in which I quickly recounted the last decade of frustrating PMS symptoms, including everything from 'feeling like I gain give pounds overnight,' to 'becoming a whole different person the week before my period.' She nodded along, listened, and asked some more questions about my medical history and relationship with food. I told her it has been generally positive, besides the fact that I sometimes skip breakfast, crave too much chocolate, and skip the home-cooked meals in favor of whatever sounds good in the moment, especially the week before my period. During that introductory session, she said she would put together a list of meal recommendations that were packed with protein and healthy fats, which could help offset some of my sweet and salty cravings. She also suggested that I start tracking my food intake on Nourish's mobile app and incorporate more quick and easy breakfast ideas to avoid skipping that first meal of the day. Nourish After we finished up, I went ahead and downloaded the app and logged into my account. All my information was waiting there, right down to my to-do list, and a section where I could browse different recipe ideas. There's also a message channel, where users can connect to their dietitian if they have any questions or need to reschedule their appointments. I'm not someone who follows recipes to the T, but I did spend some time browsing for inspiration. This isn't the place for your basic chicken-and-rice dish — my daily recommendations included everything from sesame salmon and asparagus with nori, to baked fennel and chickpea mayo. You can also filter by dietary preferences and allergies, which makes it easy to find meals that actually suit your needs. Mostly, the recipe recommendations helped convince me that I could whip something together from my own kitchen, rather than resort to a late-night Uber Eats order. My dietitian did make it pretty clear that some of my PMS symptoms can be exacerbated by eating a diet high in processed foods and sugar (ie, whatever I order when I'm eating out or ordering in). For the next few weeks, I tried to limit my consumption of artificial coffee sweeteners, vegetable oils, and carb-heavy dishes. Every time I had a craving, I reached first for a protein snack — something like a bag of Quest Chips or a scoop of peanut butter. Originally, I'd imagined that I would end up still eating that sweet treat I wanted, but I was surprised to discover that a quick hit of protein did fill me up. Nourish Over just two weeks, I got pretty consistent with AI-powered meal logging, and it paid off. The Journal tab in the app makes it easy: users can snap a photo of their meals or jot down a quick description, and the app takes it from there. It scans the ingredients and automatically logs everything into your daily nutrition tracker (that includes calories, protein, carbs, fat, fiber and even hydration). The feature is surprisingly intuitive, and I found myself making better choices almost without thinking. Part of it was the gamification; filling the rings each day felt like closing my Apple Watch activity goals. But it also came down to accountability. My dietitian reminded me that managing PMS isn't just about the week before your period — it's about building healthier habits throughout the month. Just two weeks into the process, I'm already seeing results. My weight typically fluctuates by three to five pounds the week before my period. But this month, that didn't happen. I also felt more energized, a little less moody, and more comfortable in my clothes. None of this is rocket science. I probably could have done it without Nourish if I really wanted to. But would I have? Honestly, I'm not so sure. How Nourish compares to competitors There are several telehealth sites that offer similar services to Nourish. Apps like Wellory and Healthie also provide a space for people to connect with healthcare providers, but I'd argue that they're not quite as convenient, intuitive or affordable as Nourish. Nourish distinguishes itself with a broad in-network insurance model. By partnering with major payers, including Medicare, Aetna, and United, most Nourish users are able to access their care for free. About 95% of patients pay $0 out of pocket, which speaks for itself. Nourish also employs 3,000 dietitians who are employed as W‑2 employees (rather than contractors), and the quality of care speaks for itself. Nourish's platform is impressively user-friendly, thanks to its seamless AI integration. Logging meals is quick and intuitive, and session notes with your dietitian are automatically transcribed — so nothing gets lost, and no time feels wasted. Pros and cons Pros: Nourish offers broad insurance coverage, with most users paying $0 out of pocket Users receive one-on-one counseling from credentialed registered dietitians who are matched to their unique needs and goals The mobile app is very intuitive, offering features like AI-powered meal logging and quick transcriptions of session notes Nourish houses up to 3,000 dietitians — and they are employed as W‑2 employees rather than contractors, which could improve the quality of care for patients Cons: Some reviewers have mentioned that their dietitian wasn't the right fit for their needs — or provided guidance that didn't align with what they wanted There's no way to confirm results; the payoff depends largely on the user's approach to using Nourish Final verdict For someone as busy as me, Nourish offers real value. Between a demanding 9-to-5 and chasing after a toddler, my own health often falls to the bottom of the priority list. Nourish helped fill that gap — not just through regular check-ins with a dietitian, but by keeping me more in tune with my daily nutrition and overall habits (ie, meal logging). None of this felt forced; using Nourish was actually pretty fun. Maybe, even addictive. But, in a healthy way — not in a shameful way. The app also offers a range of tools I didn't even fully take advantage of, like symptom and movement tracking, as well as recommendations for people managing allergies or syndromes like PCOS and ADHD. It's hard for me to find any major flaws with the service. I've seen some reviews from people who didn't feel their dietitian was the right fit, but that wasn't my experience. Nourish is truly tailored to individuals' needs, and I believe that what helped me see real progress in easing my PMS symptoms. Considering it's a free service, I'm genuinely impressed with what Nourish offers. How we tested I met with my Nourish dietitian weekly and used Nourish's AI-powered meal logging feature for roughly three weeks. While testing the service, I considered how user-friendly it was, the quality of care provided and the overall impact Nourish had on my health. Miska Salemann User-friendliness: As with any telehealth app, it's very important that users can navigate the website offerings, app features and sign-up process with ease. With Nourish, I evaluated the time it took for me to sign up and input my insurance information, and considered the questions asked during the introductory questionnaire. I assessed how easy it was to find a dietitian that suited my needs, navigate the platforms (on desktop and mobile) and book/change appointments. Finally, I tracked how simple it was to log my meals and find different resources through the Nourish app. As with any telehealth app, it's very important that users can navigate the website offerings, app features and sign-up process with ease. With Nourish, I evaluated the time it took for me to sign up and input my insurance information, and considered the questions asked during the introductory questionnaire. I assessed how easy it was to find a dietitian that suited my needs, navigate the platforms (on desktop and mobile) and book/change appointments. Finally, I tracked how simple it was to log my meals and find different resources through the Nourish app. Quality of care: Nourish is primarily an online health service, but real, credentialed dietitians are still at the heart of this kind of personalized care. I looked into each provider's education, licensing and experience, as well as the variety of specialists available. During my sessions, I paid close attention to my dietitian's professionalism, communication style and how effectively they addressed my concerns with practical, evidence-based guidance. I also made note of how easy it was to get in touch with my dietitian for additional support through the process. Nourish is primarily an online health service, but real, credentialed dietitians are still at the heart of this kind of personalized care. I looked into each provider's education, licensing and experience, as well as the variety of specialists available. During my sessions, I paid close attention to my dietitian's professionalism, communication style and how effectively they addressed my concerns with practical, evidence-based guidance. I also made note of how easy it was to get in touch with my dietitian for additional support through the process. Impact on health: For me, the goal of using Nourish was to learn how to better manage my PMS symptoms. I tracked short-term changes in my eating habits and mindset, as well as the education I gained around intuitive eating and my personalized nutrition needs (daily calorie, protein, carb requirements, etc.). For longer-term outcomes, I focused on whether my efforts led to noticeable improvements in managing my PMS symptoms and how motivated I felt to maintain the progress I was making. This article was written by Miska Salemann, New York Post Commerce Writer/Reporter. As a health-forward member of Gen Z, Miska seeks out experts to weigh in on the benefits, safety and designs of both trending and tried-and-true fitness equipment, workout clothing, dietary supplements and more. Taking matters into her own hands, Miska intrepidly tests wellness products, ranging from Bryan Johnson's Blueprint Longevity Mix to home gym elliptical machines to Jennifer Aniston's favorite workout platform – often with her adorable one-year old daughter by her side. Before joining The Post, Miska covered lifestyle and consumer topics for the U.S. Sun and The Cannon Beach Gazette.
UPI
23 minutes ago
- UPI
James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, dies at 89
James Dobson, founder of the influential Evangelical group, Focus on the Family, prepares to listen to President Donald Trump address March for Life participants and Pro-life leaders via teleconference from the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington in 2018. File Photo by Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA Aug. 21 (UPI) -- James Dobson, a minister and child psychologist who was one of the most influential people among Christian conservatives in America, has died at 89. Dobson founded Focus on the Family, an evangelical group, in the 1970s. He advised five presidents and hosted a weekly radio show. The show at its peak was broadcast by 1,500 radio stations. The Colorado Springs-based Dr. James Dobson Family Institute announced its founder's death Thursday. The institute's announcement did not include the cause. Karen and I were deeply saddened to learn of the passing one of our Nation's greatest champions Faith and the American Family, Dr. James Dobson. Dr. Dobson leaves behind a legacy of defending our Christian faith, family and freedom that is unparalleled and will inspire... Mike Pence (@Mike_Pence) August 21, 2025 Dobson, born in Shreveport, La., was a former professor of pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California and a psychologist at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. While there, he became alarmed at the changes in social order in the 1960s and was appalled at the cultural permissiveness of those he saw in family counseling. He published Dare to Discipline, a child-raising manual that touted corporal punishment, and it made him a name as the anti-Dr. Benjamin Spock, who pushed greater flexibility in raising children. Dobson often denounced the "wickedness" of abortion and same-sex marriage. Hailing from a family of Nazarene ministers, Dobson founded the nonprofit, nondenominational religious group, Focus on the Family, in 1977. Over 30 years, it became a $140 million multimedia empire. It produced radio shows hosted by Dobson, published 11 magazines, made films and videotapes, and promoted his more than 70 independently published books. Focus on the Family was officially nonpolitical, and Dobson insisted his commentaries were not endorsements for candidates or legislation. But he often spoke out on political issues, especially his opposition to abortion, homosexuality, divorce, drugs, pornography and teaching evolution. Dobson received a bachelor's degree in psychology in 1958 from Pasadena College (now Point Loma Nazarene University) and a master's degree in 1962 from the University of Southern California. After four years as a teacher and counselor at high schools in Hacienda Heights and Covina, Calif., he earned a doctorate in child development in 1967 from USC. "He heard many stories of family trauma through the years, and he grieved for each one. He never lost his heart for those who weep," Focus on the Family president Jim Daly said in a statement. "Now, it is our turn to weep. He was a loving husband, father and grandfather, and a friend to millions of listeners and readers around the world."
Forbes
23 minutes ago
- Forbes
Generics Must Compete On Price, Not Safety
"Competition should always drive costs down—never quality," writes Pipes. NurPhoto via Getty Images America's generic drug market is one of our greatest health policy successes. Today, 91% of all prescriptions in the U.S. are filled with generics. That dominance saves patients and taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars every year—and it also drives innovation. Drugmakers know their monopoly on a new treatment will be temporary—typically only enjoying about 12-14 years of effective market exclusivity—which pushes them to keep inventing rather than coasting on old pharmaceuticals. This success rests on a simple but powerful principle: generics can compete on price, but never by sacrificing quality or safety. Patients and doctors trust generics because they are required to be clinically equivalent to their branded counterparts—matching on active ingredient, dosage, route of administration, therapeutic effect, and safety. The Hatch-Waxman Act of 1984 enshrined that principle, striking a balance that has made the U.S. generic market the strongest in the world—and the most affordable. Now, the FDA is putting that trust at risk. The FDA has issued new draft rules on aluminum contamination in certain injectable drug products. These medicines are building blocks of intravenous nutrition given to premature babies who can't yet feed normally. For these fragile newborns, too much aluminum is not a minor issue—it can stunt bone growth and impair brain development. For decades, the FDA insisted that aluminum exposure be kept to an absolute minimum. But the new guidance relaxes those limits. It effectively carves out generous allowances for each ingredient, even if the combined total pushes right up against the danger zone. The guidance also allows so-called 'skinny labels'—narrow instructions that assume hospitals will use the products only as written. But the FDA knows it has little control over how drugs are actually used in real-world hospital settings. The result is that some manufacturers will now be able to sell products with far more aluminum than the safest versions already on the market. That's a problem for two reasons. First, premature infants often need more than a handful of these nutritional components. When mixed together, the FDA's math simply doesn't add up—total exposure can easily overshoot the safety threshold. And worse, neither doctors nor parents will know exactly how much aluminum a premature baby is receiving from these products—information that is critical to making safe treatment decisions. Second, it punishes the companies that invested in cleaner, safer production methods. One brand-name manufacturer has shown it can reduce aluminum by nearly 98%. Instead of rewarding that innovation, the FDA's new approach tilts the field toward corner-cutters. The agency justifies this as a way to prevent shortages. But that's a red herring. The agency's own reporting has shown that the real causes of shortages are thin profit margins and poor manufacturing practices. Lowering safety standards won't fix those problems—but it will drive responsible producers out of the market and put vulnerable infants at risk. The stakes go beyond premature babies. If the FDA is willing to water down protections here, what's to stop it from doing the same elsewhere? The genius of Hatch-Waxman was its bright line: generics had to match the original drug in safety and effectiveness. The moment regulators blur that line, public trust in the entire system begins to unravel. Doctors hesitate to prescribe, patients resist switching, and costs rise for everyone. The more than 7,000 American babies born prematurely each week deserve uncompromising protection. Instead, the FDA's draft guidance sends the opposite message: that standards can be bent, and safety is negotiable. Competition should always drive costs down—never quality. The FDA should withdraw this misguided guidance before it harms vulnerable infants and undermines the trust that makes our generic system work.
