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The Trump administration disclosed it formally opened an investigation into the extent to which the importation of certain pharmaceuticals may threaten national security, a move that is a widely anticipated prelude to imposing tariffs on a potentially large number of medicines. (Silverman, 4/14)

Despite the Trump administration's recent 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs, hospitals and health systems remain concerned about the ongoing impact of tariffs on medical devices. Industry organizations including the American Hospital Association continue to push for tariff exemptions for medical devices, but to date, no action has been taken by the administration. (Dubinsky, 4/14)

In March, the pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca — which is working on opening a research and development center in Cambridge in 2026 — announced it would spend $2.5 billion to build a global R&D center in Beijing. The company’s chief executive, Pascal Soriot, noted the center reflects “the extensive opportunities that exist for collaboration and access to talent, and our continued commitment to China.” (Miller, 4/14)

During an on-camera interview with CBS News last week, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said that Matthew Memoli, MD — currently the principal deputy director at NIH — will be the next director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Memoli, "the top flu researcher at NIH, is going to be running NIAID," Kennedy said in response to a question from Jon LaPook, MD, CBS News chief medical correspondent, about who is making decisions about NIH research. (Fiore, 4/14)

The Food and Drug Administration earlier this month fired dozens of staffers responsible for going after retailers who illegally sell tobacco to minors. Now it’s begging them to come back. Senior FDA officials asked laid-off employees in recent days to temporarily return after mass cuts decimated the agency’s ability to penalize retailers that sell cigarettes and vapes to minors, four federal health officials familiar with the matter said. (Cancryn and Gardner, 4/14)

In interviews, three former health communications specialists whose positions were terminated said they’re concerned about the impact on the agency. Their jobs were to get the message out about key health issues, be it by sharing information about contaminated medicines, informing the public on drug shortages and spreading the word about fraudulent health products. (DeGroot, 4/14)

A group of more than 40 organizations is urging Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to reinstate staff who were purged at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. (DeGroot, 4/14)

The Federal Trade Commission wants the public to suggest regulations to revoke as part of President Donald Trump's far-reaching deregulation agenda. The FTC issued a formal request for information seeking suggestions for federal rules deemed 'anticompetitive' as a follow up to an executive order Trump signed last Wednesday. Submissions are due May 27. (Kacik, 4/14)