Category: Donald Trump
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STAT+: TrumpRx’s slow start
STAT+: TrumpRx’s slow start You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Mary Talley Bowden, who spent years in an expensive court battle with the Texas Medical Board over her license for…
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STAT+: Trump most-favored nation drug pricing deals end after three years for some companies
STAT+: Trump most-favored nation drug pricing deals end after three years for some companies WASHINGTON — President Trump often brags that the “most-favored nation” deals he struck with drugmakers have set the country on a new path to no longer paying more than its fair share for prescription drug costs. But many details of the…
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Everything you need to know about RFK Jr., MAHA, and ‘glypho-gate’
Everything you need to know about RFK Jr., MAHA, and ‘glypho-gate’ A recent executive order has put health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in a tight spot. The order aims to shore up production of the herbicide glyphosate (better known as the active ingredient in the weed killer Roundup) for “national security and defense reasons.”…
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STAT+: Drugmakers lay out their legal arguments against Trump’s drug pricing experiments
STAT+: Drugmakers lay out their legal arguments against Trump’s drug pricing experiments WASHINGTON — The pharmaceutical and biotech industries are pushing back against two Trump administration proposals that would test plans to lower drug prices in Medicare by aligning them with the prices paid in other rich countries. Their comments preview arguments that they might…
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Scientists worry finalizing ‘Schedule F’ rule will further politicize NIH grant decisions
Scientists worry finalizing ‘Schedule F’ rule will further politicize NIH grant decisions The Trump administration is moving forward with a personnel rule that critics say will subject a broader swath of the federal workforce to political pressure, raising concerns that the change could deter accomplished scientists from joining the federal workforce and give political appointees…
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STAT+: TrumpRx claims to offer the lowest prices. But many drugs have cheaper generics
STAT+: TrumpRx claims to offer the lowest prices. But many drugs have cheaper generics WASHINGTON — President Trump said the administration’s new TrumpRx website will offer the cheapest prices in the world for 43 brand-name drugs, and counting. But about half of them are already available as generics, usually for much less. The website is…
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STAT+: White House looks for more drug pricing deals to add to TrumpRx
STAT+: White House looks for more drug pricing deals to add to TrumpRx WASHINGTON — After striking 16 deals with pharmaceutical giants and launching a direct-to-consumer drug purchasing platform, the Trump administration is looking to expand its efforts to lower drug prices to more companies. Federal officials on Thursday unveiled the administration’s TrumpRx drug purchasing…
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Amid federal pressure, more hospitals stop gender-affirming care for minors
Amid federal pressure, more hospitals stop gender-affirming care for minors At least nine hospitals or health systems have stopped providing gender-affirming hormones and puberty blockers to young trans people since the start of the year, in the wake of federal rules proposed in December that would withhold Medicare and Medicaid funding from clinics that continue…
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What to know about TrumpRx, the Trump administration’s prescription drug platform
What to know about TrumpRx, the Trump administration’s prescription drug platform President Trump on Thursday night is planning to announce the launch of TrumpRx, the website that he and his aides have touted for months as a platform aimed at lowering prescription drug prices. The website, which uses technology from health care company GoodRx, is…
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STAT+: Senators raise concerns about TrumpRx in letter to HHS watchdog
STAT+: Senators raise concerns about TrumpRx in letter to HHS watchdog The Trump administration soon plans to launch TrumpRx, a website it says will allow patients to buy prescription drugs directly from pharmaceutical companies at a discount. Over several months, the administration has made deals with more than a dozen pharmaceutical manufacturers to expand access…
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Alex Pretti remembered by health care workers at a Minneapolis vigil as a ‘stand-up guy’
Alex Pretti remembered by health care workers at a Minneapolis vigil as a ‘stand-up guy’ MINNEAPOLIS — On Sunday afternoon, as the sun shone clear and bright through another subzero day here, mourners gathered around a patch of snow on Nicollet Avenue to pay their respects to Alex Pretti, the man fatally shot on that…
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STAT+: Unfilled vacancies have depleted NIH advisory councils, key players in grant approvals
STAT+: Unfilled vacancies have depleted NIH advisory councils, key players in grant approvals Since President Trump took office last January, only one new member has been added to the NIH advisory councils, key panels that make final recommendations on what research to fund at universities and medical centers, depleting their ranks as current members’ terms…
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STAT+: House and Senate appropriators endorse NIH budget increase, reject Trump’s proposed cuts
STAT+: House and Senate appropriators endorse NIH budget increase, reject Trump’s proposed cuts Congressional appropriations committees offered a near-total rebuke of President Trump’s proposed downsizing and reshaping of the National Institutes of Health in their spending bill for the 2026 fiscal year. In a compromise bill released Tuesday, Congress set NIH’s budget at $48.7 billion,…
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STAT+: What’s in Congress’ sweeping health care deal: PBM reform, telehealth, science funding
STAT+: What’s in Congress’ sweeping health care deal: PBM reform, telehealth, science funding WASHINGTON — Congress has reached a deal on several health care policies, including a crackdown on drug-industry middlemen, transparency measures for hospital billing, pediatric cancer research measures, and Medicare coverage of multi-cancer screening tests. Those measures are part of a bill to…
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Tylenol use during pregnancy not linked to autism, new study says
Tylenol use during pregnancy not linked to autism, new study says Acetaminophen use during pregnancy is not likely to raise the risk of having a child with autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability, according to a new study published Friday. Researchers across Europe reexamined evidence from multiple studies investigating the link between these conditions and the…
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STAT+: Limit on multiyear funding of NIH grants is a sticking point in Senate budget talks
STAT+: Limit on multiyear funding of NIH grants is a sticking point in Senate budget talks Last year, the country’s biomedical researchers watched with apprehension as the National Institutes of Health’s grant awards lagged billions of dollars behind the pace of previous years. Fears grew that the Trump administration would impound funds appropriated by Congress…
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STAT+: Trump releases health care plan amid pressure over affordability
STAT+: Trump releases health care plan amid pressure over affordability WASHINGTON — President Trump on Thursday released a hodgepodge of health care policies that would create new price-control power over pharmaceutical companies, but that otherwise wouldn’t fundamentally overhaul America’s existing system, as he faces mounting pressure to address the cost of insurance and care. The…
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Trump tells Republicans to be ‘flexible’ on abortion restrictions to get a health care deal
Trump tells Republicans to be ‘flexible’ on abortion restrictions to get a health care deal President Donald Trump said Tuesday he wants Republicans to reach a deal on health care insurance assistance by being willing to bend on a 50-year-old budget policy that bars federal money from being spent on abortion services. “You have to be a little…
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Federal health officials slash recommended childhood vaccinations under Trump’s directive
Federal health officials slash recommended childhood vaccinations under Trump’s directive WASHINGTON — Federal health officials are unilaterally reducing the number of recommended pediatric immunizations in response to an order from President Trump, the most significant reshaping of the vaccine schedule since Trump took office and empowered health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime critic…
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NIH director says DEI-related grants that were restored under a court order won’t be renewed
NIH director says DEI-related grants that were restored under a court order won’t be renewed Throughout the year, researchers have been heartened by legal decisions pushing back on directives from the National Institutes of Health to halt and deprioritize work it deems related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. In June, two suits filed against the…
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NIH begins review of thousands of delayed research proposals, funding 135 on first day
NIH begins review of thousands of delayed research proposals, funding 135 on first day A deal between the federal government and groups that sued the Trump administration over National Institutes of Health research grant proposals consigned to bureaucratic limbo because of anti-DEI policies is already bearing fruit. The agreement, which was reached Monday, came with…
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Trump administration agrees to reconsider frozen and denied NIH grant submissions related to DEI
Trump administration agrees to reconsider frozen and denied NIH grant submissions related to DEI The Trump administration has reached an agreement to reevaluate research projects left in bureaucratic limbo while a lawsuit over the termination of thousands of grants from the National Institutes of Health moves through the courts. The decision caps off a tumultuous…
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STAT+: Director of NIH neurological disorders institute is ousted, adding to leadership churn
STAT+: Director of NIH neurological disorders institute is ousted, adding to leadership churn Walter Koroshetz, director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, will soon be leaving his role, STAT has learned. His departure in the coming days means nearly half the 27 NIH divisions will have interim leaders. Koroshetz sent an email…
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STAT+: Major pharma companies may avoid Medicare experiments’ forced price cuts
STAT+: Major pharma companies may avoid Medicare experiments’ forced price cuts Many of the largest drugmakers may be exempt from Medicare pilot programs intended to force them to lower some of their prices, potentially undermining the effort and depriving American patients of cheaper drugs. Several of the 14 pharmaceutical companies that have struck individual drug-pricing…
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STAT+: Trump moves to require lower drug prices in Medicare
STAT+: Trump moves to require lower drug prices in Medicare You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The NIH director did the Pete & Bobby fitness challenge, but I didn’t see…
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Trump administration’s plan to shrink vaccine schedule sends health sector scrambling
Trump administration’s plan to shrink vaccine schedule sends health sector scrambling WASHINGTON — A possible Trump administration effort to change the childhood vaccine schedule has left hospital leaders, health policymakers, and pediatricians scrambling to navigate what could be the most significant changes to the American vaccine program in decades. The administration had planned to announce…
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STAT+: Drugmakers promise to stockpile certain drugs as part of new drug pricing deals
STAT+: Drugmakers promise to stockpile certain drugs as part of new drug pricing deals WASHINGTON — Brand drugmakers have agreed to donate bulk ingredients to a national stockpile as part of deals with the Trump administration focused on lowering U.S. drug prices to levels available to other wealthy countries. The administration announced Friday that nine…
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Trump’s marijuana reclassification could boost research, broaden access
Trump’s marijuana reclassification could boost research, broaden access President Trump on Thursday signed an executive order directing the federal government to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III substance, marking a major milestone in American drug policy and choosing sides in the debate between advocates for more research and drug policy hawks. Under the new classification,…
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STAT+: NIH funding rates for early-career researchers plunged in 2025, new data show
STAT+: NIH funding rates for early-career researchers plunged in 2025, new data show A Trump administration change to how the National Institutes of Health awards grants has reduced early-stage investigators’ odds of securing funding, new data from the agency show. During the 2025 fiscal year, 18.5% of early-stage researchers who applied for grants equivalent to…
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STAT+: More drugmakers set to sign pricing deals with Trump on Friday
STAT+: More drugmakers set to sign pricing deals with Trump on Friday WASHINGTON — Several drugmakers are expected to sign pricing agreements with the Trump administration on Friday, according to four people familiar with the plans, who were not authorized to speak publicly. The agreements would be the latest in a series of deals in…
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Experts assess Trump’s declaration of fentanyl as weapon of mass destruction
Experts assess Trump’s declaration of fentanyl as weapon of mass destruction There is no doubt that, in the wrong circumstances, fentanyl can be an agent of mass destruction. In the last decade, the ultra-potent synthetic opioid has caused hundreds of thousands of Americans to die by overdose, shattering families, shortening life expectancy, and destabilizing the…
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STAT+: NIH specifies how grant reviewers should ensure alignment with Trump priorities
STAT+: NIH specifies how grant reviewers should ensure alignment with Trump priorities Signaling a move toward the next phase of change, leaders at the National Institutes of Health have sent new guidance to its staff on how to further move its $39 billion portfolio in alignment with the Trump administration’s priorities. The seven-page guidance, sent…
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STAT+: Trump weighs plan to extend extra ACA subsidies for two years
STAT+: Trump weighs plan to extend extra ACA subsidies for two years WASHINGTON — In an about-face, the White House is weighing a proposal to extend the Affordable Care Act enhanced subsidies that Democrats have been clamoring for since last year. ACA health insurance enrollees face a spike in premium payments if Congress does not…
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How Mark Cuban plans to ‘f— up’ health care
How Mark Cuban plans to ‘f— up’ health care How much time does Mark Cuban spend thinking about health care? Why does he think TrumpRx, a direct drug purchasing platform that the Trump administration aims to launch, is “the most incredible program ever”? And what are his thoughts on sports betting? We discuss all that…
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Merck’s heart disease win and the FDA’s new drug regulator
Merck’s heart disease win and the FDA’s new drug regulator What does Rick Pazdur’s new role mean for the Food and Drug Administration? Has Merck solved the PCSK9 access issue? And how much credit can the president take for lowering GLP-1 drug prices? Dean Li, the head of R&D at Merck, joins us to discuss…
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STAT+: States might not get cheaper drugs in Trump’s most-favored nation Medicaid pilot program
STAT+: States might not get cheaper drugs in Trump’s most-favored nation Medicaid pilot program WASHINGTON — When President Trump announced the administration’s deal to cut prices for weight-loss drugs, he proclaimed that “you will pay the lowest price anywhere in the world.” But state Medicaid programs might already be getting lower prices, according to a research…
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STAT+: Seven burning questions about Trump’s big deal for cheaper weight loss drugs
STAT+: Seven burning questions about Trump’s big deal for cheaper weight loss drugs WASHINGTON — The Trump administration’s deal to expand access to and lower the cost of weight loss drugs has left industry leaders, public health experts, and patients with a host of open questions. The administration’s agreements with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk…
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STAT+: Kennedy, a longtime pharma critic, embraces Trump deal to expand access to obesity drugs
STAT+: Kennedy, a longtime pharma critic, embraces Trump deal to expand access to obesity drugs WASHINGTON — Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was uncharacteristically chummy with pharma executives at the White House on Thursday as he cheered the Trump administration’s plan for lowering obesity medication prices. Kennedy has railed against drugmakers in the past, and…
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Federal judge orders Trump administration to fully fund SNAP benefits in November
Federal judge orders Trump administration to fully fund SNAP benefits in November A federal judge in Rhode Island ordered the Trump administration Thursday to find the money to fully fund SNAP benefits for November. The ruling by U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell Jr. gave President Donald Trump’s administration until Friday to make the payments…
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STAT+: Children’s hospital lobby shifts strategy amid MAHA’s rise in Washington
STAT+: Children’s hospital lobby shifts strategy amid MAHA’s rise in Washington WASHINGTON — As long-revered health institutions come under new scrutiny in President Trump’s Washington, one powerful group is shifting its strategy. The Children’s Hospital Association, which represents more than 200 hospitals and spends millions on lobbying each year, announced Tuesday a new messaging approach…
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STAT+: Trump administration nears deals for cheaper weight loss drugs with Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly
STAT+: Trump administration nears deals for cheaper weight loss drugs with Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is nearing deals with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to lower the prices of their weight loss drugs and expand access to them, people familiar with the talks told STAT. The companies have been close to…
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Trump administration says SNAP will be partially funded in November
Trump administration says SNAP will be partially funded in November PROVIDENCE, R.I. — President Donald Trump’s administration said Monday that it will partially fund SNAP after two judges issued rulings requiring it to keep the nation’s largest food aid program running. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, had planned to freeze…
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Trump says he will help ‘Dilbert’ creator get cancer drug
Trump says he will help ‘Dilbert’ creator get cancer drug WASHINGTON — President Trump said Sunday that he planned to help the creator of the satirical comic strip “Dilbert” get access to a prostate cancer drug. Scott Adams, known for his office humor comic Dilbert as well as his controversial opinions live-streamed on YouTube, wrote…
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Delays and uncertainty around SNAP; health care subsidies expire
Delays and uncertainty around SNAP; health care subsidies expire WASHINGTON — The crises at the heart of the government shutdown fight in Washington were coming to a head Saturday as the federal food assistance program faced delays and millions of Americans were set to see a dramatic rise in their health insurance bills. The impacts on basic needs — food…
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Judges order the Trump administration to use contingency funds for SNAP payments during the shutdown
Judges order the Trump administration to use contingency funds for SNAP payments during the shutdown BOSTON — Two federal judges ruled nearly simultaneously on Friday that President Donald Trump’s administration must continue to pay for SNAP, the nation’s biggest food aid program, using emergency reserve funds during the government shutdown. The judges in Massachusetts and…
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Trump team takes aim at state laws shielding consumers’ credit scores from medical debt
Trump team takes aim at state laws shielding consumers’ credit scores from medical debt The Trump administration took another step Tuesday to weaken protections for Americans with medical debt, issuing new guidance that threatens ongoing state efforts to keep that debt off consumers’ credit reports. More than a dozen states, including Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado,…
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Texas lawsuit against companies behind Tylenol asserts unproven claims of autism risk
Texas lawsuit against companies behind Tylenol asserts unproven claims of autism risk Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday accused the companies behind Tylenol of deceptively marketing the pain reliever to pregnant mothers in a lawsuit that asserted unproven claims that early exposure to acetaminophen increased risk of autism and other disorders. Paxton, an ally of President…
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STAT+: Trump’s IVF deal spurs hopes — and adjustments — across fertility sector
STAT+: Trump’s IVF deal spurs hopes — and adjustments — across fertility sector WASHINGTON — The Trump administration’s push to make in vitro fertilization more affordable is changing the outlook and offerings in the fertility sector, even as some details of its policies remain confidential and others have yet to be released. The administration’s changes…
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Trump announces plan to expand fertility treatment coverage alongside latest pharma deal
Trump announces plan to expand fertility treatment coverage alongside latest pharma deal The Trump administration has struck a deal with EMD Serono to lower drug prices — part of a larger push from the administration to expand coverage and improve affordability for fertility services, officials announced at the White House on Thursday. The administration’s plan…
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Democratic governors form a public health alliance in rebuke of Trump administration
Democratic governors form a public health alliance in rebuke of Trump administration A group of Democratic state governors has launched a new alliance aimed at coordinating their public health efforts. They’re framing it as a way to share data, messages about threats, emergency preparedness and public health policy — and as a rebuke to President…
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President Trump is in ‘exceptional health,’ his doctor says, after visit to Walter Reed
President Trump is in ‘exceptional health,’ his doctor says, after visit to Walter Reed WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is in “exceptional health,” his physician said Friday after he underwent a checkup that included lab tests and preventive health assessments at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Trump spent roughly three hours at the Bethesda, Maryland, hospital…
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STAT+: AstraZeneca strikes drug pricing deal with Trump
STAT+: AstraZeneca strikes drug pricing deal with Trump WASHINGTON — President Trump on Friday said he struck a drug pricing deal with AstraZeneca aimed at fulfilling his plan to bring U.S. drug prices in line with what other countries pay, the second agreement after Pfizer’s last week. Similar to Pfizer’s deal, the British pharma company…
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STAT+: HHS employees to be fired as White House enacts mass terminations it blames on shutdown
STAT+: HHS employees to be fired as White House enacts mass terminations it blames on shutdown WASHINGTON — Federal health employees on Friday were being fired as the White House followed through on its threat to terminate federal employees en masse as the second week of the government shutdown drags to a close. Between 1,100…
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STAT+: Pharma companies scramble to make deals with Trump after Pfizer scored White House praise
STAT+: Pharma companies scramble to make deals with Trump after Pfizer scored White House praise WASHINGTON — The agreement between Pfizer and the Trump administration to lower drug prices has sent other companies scrambling to make a deal. Several major pharmaceutical firms that received letters from President Trump demanding lower prices have been hustling to…
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A pharma C-suite shakeup and Trump’s deal with Pfizer
A pharma C-suite shakeup and Trump’s deal with Pfizer How will we look back on Emma Walmsley’s tenure as GSK’s CEO? Why did one of the FDA’s top drug officials call out an obscure lupus drug on LinkedIn? And will we ever stop talking about the pharma patent cliff? We discuss all that and more…
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STAT+: Trump administration backs off 100% pharma tariffs threatened to start today
STAT+: Trump administration backs off 100% pharma tariffs threatened to start today WASHINGTON — President Trump told pharmaceutical companies last week that they should start building infrastructure in the U.S. — or face a 100% tariff, starting Wednesday. But a White House official told STAT on Wednesday that the tariffs have not gone into effect…
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STAT+: Trump, Pfizer, and the art of a drug pricing deal
STAT+: Trump, Pfizer, and the art of a drug pricing deal Amid all the hand-shaking and back-patting, it was perhaps the word “friendship” that stood out the most when the CEO of Pfizer joined President Trump to address a drug pricing deal in the Oval Office. “But most of all, Mr. President, I want to…
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Trump strikes deal with Pfizer aimed at lowering prescription drug prices
Trump strikes deal with Pfizer aimed at lowering prescription drug prices WASHINGTON — President Trump announced on Tuesday that Pfizer has agreed to offer lower prices on its drugs to the Medicaid program and directly to patients, the first in what he said would be a series of deals intended to secure cheaper prescription medicines…
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Opinion: The Trump administration’s Soviet approach to autism policy
Opinion: The Trump administration’s Soviet approach to autism policy When it comes to developmental disability, the Kennedy legacy is as storied as anywhere else. In 1961, President John F. Kennedy appointed the President’s Panel on Mental Retardation (PPMR), a blue-ribbon initiative designed to put forward a national plan of action for what we today refer…
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3 burning questions about the MMR vaccine, answered
3 burning questions about the MMR vaccine, answered On Friday, President Trump doubled down on calling for changes to the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine. “BREAK UP THE MMR SHOT INTO THREE TOTALLY SEPARATE SHOTS (NOT MIXED!),” he wrote on his Truth Social account. Currently, parents are offered either the MMR vaccine or a one-shot…
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STAT+: Days before Trump deadline to lower prices, companies push a flurry of initiatives. Will it be enough?
STAT+: Days before Trump deadline to lower prices, companies push a flurry of initiatives. Will it be enough? Pharmaceutical companies are scrambling to make last-minute announcements ahead of a Trump administration deadline on Monday for the firms to lower U.S. drug prices. But it’s not clear if the initiatives — which include investments in the…
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Why this week underscores the value of STAT’s journalism
Why this week underscores the value of STAT’s journalism Dear Readers, This week, like so many others, has demonstrated why I think STAT is so essential. Read the rest… Rick Berke Go to statnews
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STAT+: Anthony Letai of Dana-Farber is front-runner to lead National Cancer Institute
STAT+: Anthony Letai of Dana-Farber is front-runner to lead National Cancer Institute Anthony Letai, a cancer researcher and oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard University, has emerged as a leading candidate to be the next director of the National Cancer Institute, according to multiple sources with direct knowledge of the situation. The NCI…
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STAT+: With Trump’s anti-vaccine comments, Kennedy’s influence grows
STAT+: With Trump’s anti-vaccine comments, Kennedy’s influence grows WASHINGTON — President Trump’s anti-vaccine comments on Monday signal health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s growing influence — and raise new questions about how far the pair may go to upend vaccine policy. Standing with Kennedy beside him at the White House, Trump called the childhood vaccine…
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Opinion: The U.S. government has jumped the public health shark
Opinion: The U.S. government has jumped the public health shark On Monday, President Trump, health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Studies Administrator Mehmet Oz, and other top officials at the National Institutes for Health and the Food and Drug Administration presented their promised conclusions regarding the cause and treatment of…
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In dispensing advice on Tylenol and autism, Trump takes on a new role: doctor in chief
In dispensing advice on Tylenol and autism, Trump takes on a new role: doctor in chief He’s already the commander in chief, chief of state, chief diplomat, and chief legislator. But at his news conference Monday, President Trump ventured far beyond the usual responsibilities of the presidency and began to dispense medical guidance to the…
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STAT+: FDA brings back GSK’s leucovorin drug that RFK Jr. touted as autism treatment
STAT+: FDA brings back GSK’s leucovorin drug that RFK Jr. touted as autism treatment In a highly unusual move, the Food and Drug Administration reapproved a drug on Monday that stopped being sold more than 25 years ago, part of a push from the Trump administration to identify the causes of and potential treatments for…
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Citing possible link to autism, Trump urges limiting use of Tylenol during pregnancy
Citing possible link to autism, Trump urges limiting use of Tylenol during pregnancy President Trump announced on Monday that his administration has concluded that some cases of autism may be linked to pregnant women’s use of acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, and said the medication should be used sparingly and only if absolutely needed…
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Pharma sours on the U.K., plus biotech M&A’s quiet roll
Pharma sours on the U.K., plus biotech M&A’s quiet roll Are pharmaceutical companies pulling their money out of the United Kingdom because of Trump? How is biotech M&A pacing this year? And what will vaccine advisors discuss at their closely watched meeting this week? We discuss all that and more on this week’s episode of…
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Trump administration’s new global health aid strategy focuses on bilateral deals with countries
Trump administration’s new global health aid strategy focuses on bilateral deals with countries NEW YORK — The State Department on Thursday announced it will refocus its foreign health assistance strategy around multiyear bilateral deals with recipient countries, making aid dependent on negotiations that officials say will help reduce waste and advance American priorities. “We must…
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CDC temporarily revokes remote work approvals for employees with disabilities
CDC temporarily revokes remote work approvals for employees with disabilities The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has revoked permission for employees with disabilities to work from home, at least temporarily, and paused approving reasonable accommodations for new applicants seeking to work from home, according to a Sept. 15 email obtained by STAT. The agency’s…
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STAT+: Hill staff gets briefed on implications of Trump’s drug pricing plan
STAT+: Hill staff gets briefed on implications of Trump’s drug pricing plan WASHINGTON — Congress is again discussing the Trump administration’s plan to force drug companies to lower their U.S. prices, at least behind the scenes. Congressional staffers and health policy experts from major think tanks held a closed-door meeting to discuss policy options that…
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Trump, Chinese biotech, and an industry career reshaped by illness
Trump, Chinese biotech, and an industry career reshaped by illness On this week’s episode of “The Readout LOUD”: a drug-industry career reshaped by illness, and the potential for political blowback against Chinese biotech. Listeners of this podcast probably know pharma consultant Mike Rea for his annual ranking of drug company R&D productivity. But this week,…
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STAT+: Harvard federal funding set to resume — at least for now
STAT+: Harvard federal funding set to resume — at least for now Federal agencies have begun to inform Harvard that it is in the process of restoring at least some of its previously canceled research funding. The notices come a week after a federal judge in Boston said the Trump administration illegally canceled nearly $3…
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Opinion: STAT readers weigh in on fake CPR, a Nobel Peace Prize for Trump and Operation Warp Speed, and more
Opinion: STAT readers weigh in on fake CPR, a Nobel Peace Prize for Trump and Operation Warp Speed, and more First Opinion is STAT’s platform for interesting, illuminating, and provocative articles about the life sciences writ large, written by biotech insiders, health care workers, researchers, and others. To encourage robust, good-faith discussion about issues raised…
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Opinion: The Trump administration’s endless quest for vaccine data is public-health gaslighting
Opinion: The Trump administration’s endless quest for vaccine data is public-health gaslighting The public discourse on vaccines has been distorted by a relentless and misleading demand for data that is already available, impractical, or unnecessary. This strategy is regularly deployed by the Trump administration: insisting that science is incomplete, that manufacturers and past regulators are…
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Washington, Oregon and California governors form a health alliance in rebuke of Trump administration
Washington, Oregon and California governors form a health alliance in rebuke of Trump administration SEATTLE — The Democratic governors of Washington, Oregon and California announced Wednesday that they created an alliance to safeguard health policies, believing the Trump administration is putting Americans’ health and safety at risk by politicizing the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.…
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Trump says CDC is ‘being ripped apart’ over Covid products, calls for drugmakers to prove their benefits
Trump says CDC is ‘being ripped apart’ over Covid products, calls for drugmakers to prove their benefits WASHINGTON — President Trump on Monday urged pharmaceutical companies to publicly prove that their Covid-19 products work, saying in a Truth Social post that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is “being ripped apart over this question.” …
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STAT+: Amid chaos at CDC, Kennedy consolidates his power
STAT+: Amid chaos at CDC, Kennedy consolidates his power WASHINGTON — In another administration, an exodus of top public health officials would’ve been an earth-shattering crisis for the head of the Department of Health and Human Services. In the age of MAHA, it seems like just another week under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. If…
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Trump’s hand bruise renews attention to his health — and his heart
Trump’s hand bruise renews attention to his health — and his heart President Trump’s bruised hand and his apparent use of makeup to cover the discolored patch of skin have renewed attention to his health in general and his cardiovascular health in particular. His case also highlights an often underrecognized and undertreated condition. It’s called…
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HHS moves to strip thousands of federal health workers of union rights
HHS moves to strip thousands of federal health workers of union rights NEW YORK — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has moved to strip thousands of federal health agency employees of their collective bargaining rights, according to a union that called the effort illegal. HHS officials confirmed Friday that the department is…
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Supreme Court lets Trump administration cut $783 million of research funding in anti-DEI push
Supreme Court lets Trump administration cut $783 million of research funding in anti-DEI push WASHINGTON — The Trump administration can slash hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of research funding in its push to cut federal diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, the Supreme Court decided Thursday. The high court majority lifted a judge’s order blocking $783 million…
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STAT+: How Trump may use Democrats’ drug-price negotiation law
STAT+: How Trump may use Democrats’ drug-price negotiation law You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I’m happy to report that Last Week Tonight with John Oliver did a segment on…
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Opinion: The CDC shooting was public health’s Jan. 6
Opinion: The CDC shooting was public health’s Jan. 6 A week ago, on Aug. 8, a gunman attacked the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, firing nearly 500 rounds, breaking about 150 windows, and killing a police officer. The shooter had reportedly become fixated on his belief that the Covid-19 vaccine had made him and others sick,…
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Opinion: Trump’s firing of the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner puts crucial health data at risk
Opinion: Trump’s firing of the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner puts crucial health data at risk In early July, I began teaching a summer course: introductory biostatistics for an accelerated master’s of public health program. Most of the students are clinicians, and biostatistics is (understandably) not often the favorite course. On day one, I told…
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STAT+: Trump executive order seeks to centralize control of grantmaking under political appointees
STAT+: Trump executive order seeks to centralize control of grantmaking under political appointees A sweeping new executive order seeks to transform how the federal government awards billions of dollars in research grants by giving President Trump’s political appointees unprecedented power over the projects agencies fund. The order issued Thursday night, titled “Improving Oversight Of Federal…
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STAT+: Unpacking Trump’s approach to health care oversight
STAT+: Unpacking Trump’s approach to health care oversight You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I was reminded recently of why I dig mass transit upon overhearing the train conductor and…
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Opinion: Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for Operation Warp Speed’s global impact
Opinion: Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for Operation Warp Speed’s global impact Cambodia recently announced that it plans to nominate President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. In response, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, naming other conflicts that Trump has “ended,” said that, “It’s well past time that President Trump was awarded the…
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Trump escalates demands that pharma companies lower their drug prices
Trump escalates demands that pharma companies lower their drug prices President Trump escalated his demands that pharma companies lower U.S. drug prices in line with what other countries pay, sending letters to 17 major drug companies Thursday that called on them to take actions by Sept. 29. He specifically asked the firms to: provide their…
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STAT+: Senate committee endorses NIH budget increase, rebuking Trump administration’s proposed 40% cut
STAT+: Senate committee endorses NIH budget increase, rebuking Trump administration’s proposed 40% cut WASHINGTON — Senators from both parties endorsed a $400 million increase to the budget of the National Institutes of Health on Thursday, in an Appropriations Committee vote that represents a clear rebuke of President Trump’s plan to dramatically reduce the agency’s spending.…
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STAT+: Inside the fall of Vinay Prasad at the FDA
STAT+: Inside the fall of Vinay Prasad at the FDA Vinay Prasad had a problem. Several, actually. His staff at the Food and Drug Administration kept leaking to the press. He was under attack by President Trump’s allies after moving to pull a gene therapy off the market. Democrats were not happy with his Covid…
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STAT+: Pharma firms will face 15% tariffs in Trump’s E.U. trade deal
STAT+: Pharma firms will face 15% tariffs in Trump’s E.U. trade deal WASHINGTON — President Trump’s tariffs on pharmaceuticals coming from the European Union will be set at 15% and will not go into effect until a national security investigation has been completed, according to a White House official familiar with the plans. Once the…
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Judge blocks Trump administration’s efforts to defund Planned Parenthood
Judge blocks Trump administration’s efforts to defund Planned Parenthood A federal judge on Monday ruled Planned Parenthood clinics nationwide must continue to be reimbursed for Medicaid funding as the nation’s largest abortion provider fights President Donald Trump’s administration over efforts to defund the organization in his signature tax legislation. The new order replaces a previous…
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Trump targets supervised consumption of drugs and harm reduction in executive order
Trump targets supervised consumption of drugs and harm reduction in executive order President Trump is threatening to withhold funds from supervised drug consumption sites and potentially pursue criminal penalties against them, offering his clearest stance yet against the philosophy of harm reduction and marking a significant escalation of his rhetoric on substance use and addiction. …
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STAT+: 10 million expected to lose health insurance under Trump’s tax cut law, CBO says
STAT+: 10 million expected to lose health insurance under Trump’s tax cut law, CBO says WASHINGTON — President Trump’s major domestic policy law will result in nearly 10 million more people going without health insurance by 2034, according to the Congressional Budget Office’s estimate on the final law. The law, which included significant cuts in…
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Trump is checked for swelling in legs and was diagnosed with a common condition in older adults
Trump is checked for swelling in legs and was diagnosed with a common condition in older adults WASHINGTON — White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday read a doctor’s letter about President Donald Trump that she said was intended to dispel health concerns about the swelling in his ankles and a makeup-covered hand. Leavitt…
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PEPFAR keeps millions of people with HIV alive and may be spared from Trump spending cuts
PEPFAR keeps millions of people with HIV alive and may be spared from Trump spending cuts The program known as PEPFAR is one of the most effective and popular U.S. foreign aid projects in history, and the government says it has saved the lives of over 25 million people around the world with HIV. But…
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STAT+: RFK Jr. gives vaccine skeptics plum HHS posts
STAT+: RFK Jr. gives vaccine skeptics plum HHS posts You’re reading the web edition of D.C. Diagnosis, STAT’s twice-weekly newsletter about the politics and policy of health and medicine. Sign up here to receive it in your inbox on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Mr. Medicare Dr. Oz suggests 10 minutes of yoga straight out of bed, preferably with…
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Justice Department issues subpoenas to clinics and drugmakers over gender-affirming care
Justice Department issues subpoenas to clinics and drugmakers over gender-affirming care The Department of Justice has issued “nearly 20 subpoenas” to clinics that provide gender-affirming care in relation to “transition-related investigations,” DOJ chief of staff Chad Mizelle said at an event held by the Federal Trade Commission Wednesday. The department has also issued subpoenas to…
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STAT+: How Republicans sidelined the health care industry and pushed through historic Medicaid cuts
STAT+: How Republicans sidelined the health care industry and pushed through historic Medicaid cuts WASHINGTON — Republicans swiftly approved President Trump’s tax cut bill last week, despite a full-court press from doctors, hospitals, and patients to beat back some of the largest health care cuts in American history — more than $1 trillion in all…