Drug Czar Nominee Withdraws Following Reports That He Helped Undermine DEA’s Power On Opioids
President Donald Trump says in a tweet that Rep. Tom Marino (R-Pa.) withdrew his name from contention to be the next drug czar after a Washington Post and "60 Minutes" report revealed deep ties to the drug industry.
Politico:
Trump Says Marino Has Withdrawn As Drug Czar Nominee
President Donald Trump on Tuesday announced that Rep. Tom Marino has withdrawn his name from consideration to become the administration's next drug czar, after CBS' "60 Minutes" and The Washington Post reported that the lawmaker championed a law that hobbled federal efforts to combat the abuse of opioids." Rep.Tom Marino has informed me that he is withdrawing his name from consideration as drug czar. Tom is a fine man and a great Congressman!" Trump tweeted on Tuesday morning. (10/17)
In other national health care news —
The Hill:
Trump Promises Action On Drug Prices
President Trump on Monday attacked prescription drug companies and hinted at taking action to bring down rising drug prices. “We are going to get prescription drug prices way down because the world is taking advantage of us,” Trump said during a wide-ranging press conference. (Weixel, 10/16)
Politico:
Undocumented Pregnant Girl In Texas Tests Trump Policy To Stop Abortions
The Trump administration is preventing an undocumented, pregnant teenager detained in a Brownsville refugee shelter from getting an abortion in a policy shift with big implications for hundreds of other pregnant, unaccompanied minors held in such shelters. She is not the first to be stopped, according to advocates who work with undocumented teenagers. (Rayasam, 10/16)
The Hill:
No Progress On Negotiations To Fund Children's Health Insurance Program
Negotiations on a bipartisan bill to fund the popular Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) have made little progress, a top House Republican said Monday. Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) said Democrats have not made a counteroffer on paying for an extension of the program. (Hellmann, 10/16)
Bloomberg:
Drugmakers Are Planning To Start A Phase 2 Trial To Cure Peanut Allergy
Aimmune Therapeutics Inc. is teaming with Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. in hopes of developing a cure for peanut allergies. Aimmune, based in Brisbane, California, specializes in food allergy treatments and has been developing a desensitizing therapy, AR101, to protect peanut allergy sufferers against reactions from accidental exposures. By combining AR101 with Regeneron’s inflammation-inhibiting drug Dupixent, the companies are seeking to increase protection enough so patients stop reacting to peanuts even after treatment ends. (Chen, 10/16)