NIH Installation Of Vance Pal To Lead Environmental Health Sciences Panned
Some fear the elevation of Kyle Walsh to a director's role — a promotion that didn't abide by standard procedures — will pave the way for future political appointments. Plus, President Trump issues an all-caps missive about Tylenol, touts his "perfect" MRI findings, and more.
Researchers are raising concerns that an institute director at the NIH was abruptly replaced with a friend of Vice President JD Vance. NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, sent an email to staff late last Friday announcing that Kyle Walsh, PhD, a neuroepidemiologist, became director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) the Friday prior, ScienceInsider reported. (Fiore, 10/24)
More from the Trump administration —
President Trump on Sunday once again urged pregnant women not to take Tylenol unless “absolutely necessary,” to avoid giving the over-the-counter drug to children “for virtually any reason” and to break up certain vaccine dosages. Trump’s renewed call comes a month after he and top health officials said pregnant women should not take acetaminophen — one of the most widely used medications in the world — for pain relief because of a potential risk of autism, despite no new evidence proving the drug directly causes it. (Limon, 10/26)
An independent review of recent decisions made by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices reveals that its policymaking maturity rating fell from an overall score of 100% to 58% from April to September this year. "Since 1964, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has shaped US vaccine policy but recently underwent significant structural and procedural changes affecting recommendation quality," the authors wrote. (Van Beusekom, 10/24)
Nonprofits working to combat domestic violence and sexual assault have notched a string of legal wins as they push back against efforts by the Trump administration to put restrictions on work that goes against the administration’s views. (Barclay and Mithani, 10/24)
President Donald Trump said he got a MRI during his October visit to Walter Reed Medical Center, without sharing more details on what prompted the imaging test. “I got an MRI; it was perfect,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One Monday. “I gave you the full results.” (Dlouhy and Wingrove, 10/27)
On tariffs, the FDA, and drug ads —
As the U.S. government moves to guard against an increasingly competitive Chinese biotech industry, Chinese drugmakers are striking major deals with their global counterparts — including some in the U.S. (Yang, 10/27)
Commissioner Marty Makary wants the Food and Drug Administration to move more quickly. The launch of a new priority review voucher program in June was no exception. (Lawrence, 10/24)
Late last month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which is overseen by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., drew a line in the sand over direct-to-consumer advertising by pharmaceutical companies: In a post on X, the agency declared that drug ads “can push people to take drugs they don’t actually need. Americans often end up harmed instead of helped. ”That’s why, the post continued, President Donald Trump and Kennedy “are taking action.” (Cohen, 10/27)
