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Monica Bertagnolli, President Biden’s nominee to lead the National Institutes of Health, spent her confirmation hearing Wednesday stuck in the middle of Republicans’ and Democrats’ bickering over her agency’s role in high drug costs, ultimately refusing to commit to either party’s approach. (Owermohle, 10/18)

Bertagnolli hinted at what her priorities will be for the biomedical agency if she is confirmed. At the top of the list is improving the diversity of clinical-trial participants, enhancing collaboration among the NIH’s 27 institutes and centers and restoring public trust in scientists and the agency. (10/19)

The committee plans to vote Oct. 25 on whether to send her nomination to the Senate floor. ... The top job at the NIH has been vacant since December 2021, when long-time director Francis Collins retired. Biden announced plans to nominate Bertagnolli in May, but HELP Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders delayed a hearing because of concerns that the Biden administration was not doing enough to lower the cost of prescription drugs. Sanders, I-Vt., reiterated those concerns during the hearing, noting the high cost of drugs in the U.S. compared to other western nations. (Cohen, 10/18)

Watch as Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, nominee to be director of the National Institutes of Health, testifies at a confirmation hearing before the Senate Health Committee. (10/19)

California Sen. Alex Padilla announced Tuesday that he and three other senators were forming the chamber’s first mental health caucus, a group dedicated to decreasing mental health stigma, improving quality of care and expanding the mental health workforce. (Stein, 10/18)