MMR confusion; in utero COVID exposure linked to autism; the 2025 biotech graveyard – Morning Medical Update

MMR confusion

As measles cases reach a 34-year high, a new survey from the Annenberg Public Policy Center finds that public understanding of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine’s safety and benefits is slipping. Only 82% of U.S. adults say they would recommend the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine for eligible children — down from 90% last year.

Fewer people now know that vaccines do not cause autism (65%, down from over 70%), and more than half are unsure whether thimerosal, a vaccine preservative long shown to be safe, affects autism risk. Confusion also surrounds Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s stance on MMR vaccination, with nearly half of respondents uncertain whether he supports it. With 1,650 measles cases reported across 42 states this year, public health experts warn that misinformation and declining vaccine confidence could jeopardize the nation’s measles elimination status.

In utero COVID-19 exposure linked to higher autism diagnosis rates

Children exposed to maternal SARS-CoV-2 infection during pregnancy may face an elevated risk of neurodevelopmental disorders by age 3, according to a new Obstetrics & Gynecology study from Massachusetts General Brigham researchers. Among more than 18,000 births between March 2020 and May 2021, 16.3% of children exposed in utero to COVID-19 were diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental condition by age 3, compared with 9.7% of unexposed peers. After adjusting for maternal and birth factors, infection during pregnancy was associated with a 29% higher risk. The effect was strongest for third-trimester exposure and among male offspring.

The biotech graveyard

Cell and gene therapy companies faced a chilling year in 2025, as regulatory uncertainty, federal funding cuts and pharma deal collapses sent several biotechs to an early grave. Fierce Biotech released its annual “graveyard” report on Halloween, naming 16 firms that shut down and three more hovering near bankruptcy, with cell therapy ventures hit hardest. Once-promising names like Carisma, Appia, Oncternal and Abata Therapeutics all folded amid a broader industry retreat from the modality. While major players like Takeda and Novo Nordisk abandoned cell therapy altogether, others shifted focus to in vivo approaches — Bristol Myers Squibb, for example, acquired Orbital Therapeutics for $1.5 billion. Some biotechs, including Vor Bio, have been unexpectedly revived through new capital and pivots to autoimmune disease. Yet, as layoffs and liquidations mount, 2025 has proven that innovation alone can’t keep a biotech alive in a haunted market. Check out their full 2025 Biotech Graveyard.