STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about a controversial FDA pick, a Trump drug-pricing plan, and more
Vinay Prasad, a critic of the medical mainstream, will be the next director of the FDA center that regulates vaccines and gene therapies
Hello, everyone, and how are you today? We are doing just fine, thank you, especially since the middle of the week is upon us. After all, we have made it this far so we are determined to hang on for another couple of days. And why not? The alternatives — at least those we can identify — are not particularly appealing, as you might imagine. So what better way to make the time fly than to keep busy. So grab that cup of stimulation and get started. Our choice today is Tuscan tiramisu. Sweets for the sweet, you know? And now, the time has come to get cracking. Here are a few items of interest to help you get started. We hope you have a lovely day, and do keep in touch. And we will once again remind you that we changed our settings to accept postcards and telegrams. Back to the future, as they say. …
Vinay Prasad, an academic and fierce critic of the medical mainstream, will be the next director of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration center that oversees the regulation of vaccines, gene therapies, and the blood supply, STAT notes. Prasad, previously an epidemiology professor at the University of California, San Francisco, has sharply criticized the FDA in the past, including the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, the unit he will now lead. After reports of his appointment, the S&P Biotech ETF extended losses, tumbling more than 6%. Prasad earned his medical degree at the University of Chicago, and trained in oncology and hematology at the National Cancer Institute. But he earned broader recognition as a health care provocateur, criticizing the designs of clinical trials and the relationships between doctors and industry. On Substack, X, and YouTube, he opines on a wide range of topics, from antidepressants to full-body MRIs to Elena Ferrante’s popular Neapolitan Novel series.
The pharmaceutical industry estimates President Trump’s new drug-pricing proposal could cost drug companies as much as $1 trillion over a decade, its largest trade group is telling members of Congress, Bloomberg News reports. The idea, first floated last week by the White House as a way to help pay for the president’s tax cut plan, blindsided the pharmaceutical industry and has prompted a furious lobbying campaign. The idea has drawn the industry off the sidelines, with several senior executives preparing to barnstorm Capitol Hill this week. Specifically, the White House asked House Republicans to tie prices for medicines in the Medicaid program to lower prices foreign countries pay, a twist that would cost drugmakers billions of dollars in lost revenue. Trump had explored versions of the proposal before, but its potential application to the program for low-income and disabled people came as a surprise. The PhRMA trade group held an emergency call with its board members on Sunday to discuss its strategy. The pressure will only ramp up this week as industry executives at some of the world’s largest drug companies converge on Washington for a previously scheduled in-person board meeting.
