Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Dr. Mandy Cohen Is Next CDC Director
AP: Former North Carolina Health Official Is Picked To Be New CDC Director
Dr. Mandy Cohen, a former North Carolina official, will be the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the White House announced Friday. Unlike the last two people to serve as head of the nation’s top federal public health agency, Cohen has prior experience running a government agency: She was secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services from 2017 until last year. Before that, she held health-related jobs at two federal agencies. “Dr. Cohen is one of the nation’s top physicians and health leaders with experience leading large and complex organizations, and a proven track-record protecting Americans’ health and safety,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. (Stobbe, 6/16)
In updates from the FDA —
Stat: The FDA Is Testing New Nutrition Labels On The Front Of Food
The FDA wants to make it easier for consumers to know if the foods they’re buying are unhealthy — but doing so is harder than it seems here in the United States. (Florko, 6/20)
USA Today: FDA Approval Weighs Benefits, Harms Of The Alzheimer's Drug Lecanemab
Federal drug regulators will decide by July 6 whether to grant the first traditional approval to an amyloid-busting drug to treat Alzheimer's disease. On June 9, the Food and Drug Administration's advisory panel of experts endorsed the drug, lecanemab, as effective – while not voting on the thornier question of how to advise doctors and patients about known side effects and medical risks. The FDA doesn't have to accept its advisory panel's recommendation when evaluating a drug but often does. (Alltucker, 6/20)
