NIH, FDA Cuts Would Lead To Fewer New Meds, CBO Analysis Indicates
An estimated 53 drugs would not enter the market in the next 30 years if the NIH is hit with a permanent 10% budget cut and the FDA experiences a nine-month drug review delay due to staffing cuts, the analysis suggests. Plus, the Trump administration rejects WHO health regulation changes.
Roll Call:
CBO Finds Health Agency Cuts Would Result In Fewer New Drugs
The Trump administration’s proposed cuts at the National Institutes of Health and Food and Drug Administration could lower the number of new drugs that come to market in the next three decades, according to an analysis released Friday by the Congressional Budget Office. (Cohen, 7/18)
The Hill:
HHS, State Department Reject Amendments To WHO Health Regulations
Trump administration officials rejected a series of rules Friday to help the international community prevent and respond to public health risks. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a joint statement formally rejecting the 2024 International Health Regulations (IHR) Amendments by the World Health Organization (WHO). (O’Connell-Domenech, 7/18)
KFF Health News:
$50B Rural Health ‘Slush Fund’ Faces Questions, Skepticism
A last-minute scramble to add a $50 billion rural health program to President Donald Trump’s massive tax and spending law has left hospital and clinic leaders nationwide hopeful but perplexed. The Rural Health Transformation Program calls for federal regulators to hand states $10 billion a year for five years starting in fiscal year 2026. (Tribble, 7/21)
Capitol developments —
MedPage Today:
What Are The Health Impacts Of The $9 Billion Rescissions Package?
The House passed legislation on Thursday clawing back $9 billion in federal funding for global aid projects, which would significantly impact public health domestically and abroad, physicians and policy experts told MedPage Today. The Rescissions Act of 2025 homed in on programs related to the U.S.'s response to conflict, hunger, disease, and democratic decline, noted a Center for American Progress fact sheet. (Firth, 7/18)
NPR:
‘Safer Beauty Bill Package’ Aims To Rid Cosmetics Of Toxins
Personal care, salon and beauty products sold across the U.S. are subject to little federal oversight — and many have been found to contain toxic ingredients. The average American adult uses about 12 personal care products a day, Consumer Reports says, resulting in exposure to an average of 168 chemicals. Those can include formaldehyde, mercury, asbestos, lead and parabens, which have been linked to cancer, brain damage and reproductive harm. Women of color are thought to use twice as many products, according to Consumer Reports. (Treisman, 7/21)
HHS and MAHA —
The New York Times:
Truemed, A Start-Up Run By An RFK. Jr. Aide, Gives Tax Breaks For Meat And Mattresses
An insomnia diagnosis yielded a recommendation for a five-pack of beef hot dogs. An acne diagnosis brought a medical note proposing that the condition be treated with classes at a mixed-martial-arts gym. Decades-old arm fractures earned a nurse practitioner’s order to buy a kettlebell from Nike. And because a medical provider had blessed the purchases, they came with the promise of a major perk: People could buy them using money not subject to federal income taxes. (Lieber and Mueller, 7/18)
Bloomberg:
Froot Loops, Apple Jacks To Cut Synthetic Dyes By 2027
WK Kellogg Co. will remove synthetic dyes from its cereals, including Froot Loops and Apple Jacks, by the end of 2027, joining a growing cohort of other US companies that have committed to eliminate colorants such as Red 40 and Yellow 5 from their foods. The Battle Creek, Michigan-based company said it would remove the additives on its website on Friday. It had previously announced that it wouldn’t introduce new products with the dyes beginning in 2026 while also committing to eliminate the ingredients from its cereals served in schools by the 2026-2027 school year. (Kubzansky and Peterson, 7/18)
Also —
AP:
EPA Eliminates Research And Development Office, Begins Layoffs
The Environmental Protection Agency said Friday it is eliminating its research and development arm and reducing agency staff by thousands of employees. The agency’s Office of Research and Development has long provided the scientific underpinnings for EPA’s mission to protect the environment and human health. The EPA said in May it would shift its scientific expertise and research efforts to program offices that focus on major issues like air and water. (Daly, 7/19)
KFF Health News:
Journalists Dig Into Megabill's Slashing Of Medicaid. Plus, How To Avoid Tick Bites
KFF Health News journalists made the rounds on national and local media recently to discuss topical stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances. ... KFF Health News Nevada correspondent Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez discussed the potential impact of Medicaid cuts on rural hospitals on KNPR’s “State of Nevada” on July 17. ... KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner discussed Medicaid cuts in President Donald Trump’s megabill on WAMU’s “1A” on July 16. Rovner also discussed immigrant health coverage on MSNBC’s “Velshi” on July 13. (7/19)
