Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Let's Keep Realistic CRISPR Expectations; 'Most Favored Nation' Drug Pricing Falls Short
Stat: Biotech Investors: Stop Expecting CRISPR Science To Make Big Leaps
CRISPR is not a miracle product that can magically cure cancer. It is, however, an exceptionally powerful tool that is creating entirely new possibilities in cancer treatment. (Kelly Banas and Eric B. Kmiec, 4/14)
Stat: 'Most-Favored Nation' Drug Pricing Has Three Significant Problems
The administration is exploring so-called “most-favored nation” (MFN) pricing, which pegs U.S. drug prices to the lowest level paid by comparable countries. At the end of his first term, President Trump ordered Medicare to implement such an MFN policy, only to have the order blocked by the Biden administration. (Darius Lakdawalla and Dana P. Goldman, 4/14)
Bloomberg: RFK Jr. Needs To Explain How He'll Protect Americans Amid HHS Cuts
Some 10,000 federal health workers lost their jobs earlier this month — among them, a group of regulators who help new medicines get approved. If Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. doesn’t reverse course, American patients will suffer and half a century of US leadership in pharmaceutical innovation could come to a precipitous end. (4/14)
The Washington Post: The Trump-Kennedy Cuts At NIH Will Crush Our Leadership In Biomedicine
When Donald Trump accepted the 2024 GOP nomination for president, he included in his speech the importance of American leadership in biomedical innovation. “We’re going to get to the cure for cancer and Alzheimer’s and so many other things,” he said. “We’re so close to doing something great. But we need a leader that will let it be done.” (Fred Upton and Diana DeGette, 4/14)
The New York Times: What Is Actually The Point Of Treating The N.I.H. Like This?
By the time their spending accounts were reactivated on Thursday, some scientists at the National Institutes of Health said they were running on fumes. (Jeneen Interlani, 4/11)
The CT Mirror: A Parent's Worst Nightmare: RSV
According to the CDC, RSV is the leading cause of infant hospitalization in the U.S. It’s estimated that 58,000-80,000 children younger than five years old are hospitalized each year due to RSV. What’s so scary about RSV is that babies and kids are dying from this virus. (Sophia Bechenek, 4/14)
