Trump Administration Imposes New Abortion Restrictions On Federally Funded Family Planning Clinics
The policy would mirror similar restrictions in place during the Reagan administration. The policy has been derided as a "gag rule" by abortion rights supporters and medical groups, and it is likely to trigger lawsuits that could keep it from taking effect.
The Associated Press:
Trump To Deny Funds To Clinics That Discuss Abortion
The Trump administration will resurrect a Reagan-era rule that would ban federally funded family planning clinics from discussing abortion with women, or sharing space with abortion providers. The Department of Health and Human Services will announce its proposal Friday, a senior White House official said Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to confirm the plans before the announcement. (5/18)
The New York Times:
Trump Administration To Tie Health Facilities’ Funding To Abortion Restrictions
The rule, which is to be announced Friday, is a top priority of social conservatives and is the latest move by President Trump to impose curbs on abortion rights, in this case by withholding money from any facility or program that promotes abortion or refers patients to a caregiver that will provide one. The policy would be a return to one instituted in 1988 by President Ronald Reagan that required abortion services to have a “physical separation” and “separate personnel” from other family planning activities. That policy is often described as a domestic gag rule because it barred caregivers at facilities that received family planning funds from providing any information to patients about an abortion or where to receive one. (Davis and Haberman, 5/17)
The Associated Press:
FDA Names Drugmakers Accused Of Blocking Cheaper Generics
U.S. drug regulators are publicizing information on brand-name drugmakers that use what government officials call "gaming tactics" to block cheaper copycat versions. The Food and Drug Administration's new webpage names the makers of more than 50 brand-name drugs, many carrying five- or six-figure annual price tags, who are under scrutiny. The agency also lists inquiries it has received from generic drugmakers requesting FDA's help in getting access to the brand-name drugs though not all the complaints have been verified. (5/17)
The New York Times:
F.D.A. Names And Shames Drug Makers To Encourage Generic Competition
Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, calls this “gaming the system,” and has vowed to stop it as part of the government’s campaign to lower drug prices. On Thursday, the F.D.A. took a new tack and began posting a list of makers of brand-name drugs that have been the target of complaints, to persuade them to “end the shenanigans,” in the commissioner’s words.Dr. Gottlieb calls it transparency, but this approach is better known among ethicists as naming and shaming. (Kaplan, 5/17)
Stat:
Right-To-Try Bill Headed For Vote Puts Bigger Burden On FDA, Gottlieb Says
The House is set to take up a controversial “right-to-try” bill next week — and if it passes, the Food and Drug Administration will have to work harder to protect patients than it would if a different version of the legislation were advancing, Commissioner Scott Gottlieb told STAT in an interview. Gottlieb’s comments, made at FDA headquarters on Thursday, indicate that one of President Trump’s top lieutenants believes Congress is moving forward with a bill that contains less of his agency’s input than an alternative version of the bill — a more recent, updated bill that passed the House in March but ultimately stalled in the Senate. (Swetlitz and Mershon, 5/17)
Politico:
Pulse Check: Azar To Drug Plan Critics: Bring On The Fight
HHS Secretary Alex Azar has a message for critics of the Trump administration's plan to lower drug prices: Bring it on. Drugmakers, pharmacy benefit managers and some physician groups have spent a week taking shots at the new effort — a reprise of how the industries banded together to stop a similar Obama-era initiative in 2016. On POLITICO’s “Pulse Check” podcast, Azar encouraged the players to engage with the administration. (Diamond, 5/17)
The New York Times:
N.I.H. Halts Enrollment In A Study Of Drinking Now Under Scrutiny
The National Institutes of Health has suspended enrollment in a huge clinical trial on the health benefits of moderate drinking while officials review whether its employees inappropriately solicited funding from the alcohol industry. Five liquor and beer companies are providing about $67 million of the $100 million cost of the 10-year study. In March, The New York Times reported that scientists and officials with the N.I.H.’s National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism met with alcohol industry groups on several occasions in 2013 and 2014 to discuss funding. (Rabin, 5/17)
The Associated Press:
Gov't Approves $10B Deal To Overhaul VA Medical Records
The government approved a $10 billion deal Thursday to overhaul the electronic health records of millions of veterans, part of a bid to improve wait times and expand access to doctors outside the Veterans Affairs system. The aim of the contract with Cerner Corp. is to provide veterans easy access to their health records upon leaving active-duty service and when they receive medical treatment at a VA facility or a private doctor referred under the VA's Choice private-sector program. (5/17)
The New York Times:
New Drug Offers Hope To Millions With Severe Migraines
The drug, Aimovig, made by Amgen and Novartis, is a monthly injection with a device similar to an insulin pen. The list price will be $6,900 a year, and Amgen said the drug will be available to patients within a week. Aimovig blocks a protein fragment, CGRP, that instigates and perpetuates migraines. Three other companies — Lilly, Teva and Alder — have similar medicines in the final stages of study or awaiting F.D.A. approval. “The drugs will have a huge impact,” said Dr. Amaal Starling, a neurologist and migraine specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix. “This is really an amazing time for my patient population and for general neurologists treating patients with migraine.” (Kolata, 5/17)
The New York Times:
Hail Caesar Salad! Romaine Is Safe To Eat Again
Attention Caesar salad fans: You may now safely rekindle your romance with romaine. Federal health officials have concluded that the tainted lettuce that sickened 172 people across 32 states, and killed one, is no longer available for sale. Both the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced this week that the danger had passed. (Hoffman, 5/17)