FDA Policy/General

18,000 ‘Appalled’ Physicians Urge Senate Rejection of RFK Jr.

Over 18,000 physicians have recently signed an open letter urging the U.S. Senate to reject incoming president Donald Trump’s nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve as HHS secretary. “As physicians who care deeply about the health and safety of our patients and communities, we are appalled by Donald Trump's reckless decision to appoint Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS),” the letter says. “The health and well-being of 336 million Americans depend on leadership at HHS that prioritizes science, evidence-based medicine, and strengthening the integrity of our public health system. RFK Jr. is not only unqualified to lead this essential agency – he is actively dangerous.”

The opposition letter addresses RFK Jr.’s well-documented history of “spreading dangerous disinformation on vaccines and public health interventions, leaving vulnerable communities unprotected and placing millions of lives at risk.” It notes that he has spent decades undermining public confidence in vaccines, spreading false claims and conspiracy theories.

“Beyond vaccines,” the letter continues, “president-elect Donald Trump's HHS pick has a long record of spreading baseless conspiracies, including linking school shootings to antidepressants, claiming Covid-19 (XXX U/lc XXX)was engineered to spare specific ethnic groups, and promoting discredited Covid-19 treatments like hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin. Such statements not only lack scientific merit but also actively erode public trust in evidence-based medicine and endanger the patients we are committed to protecting.” Additionally, it warns that RFK Jr. has vowed to gut the staff, funding, and resources of federal health agencies responsible for protecting public health. “This is not leadership – it's sabotage,” it contends.

Gupta Raises Concerns About Overton’s Independence, Ideology

FDA commissioner nominee Heidi Overton’s responses on vaccines, contraception and abortion medication during her 9/24 Senate confirmation hearing raise concerns that ideology could influence her decision-making if she takes over the agency, MSNBC senior medical analyst Dr. Vin Gupta said Friday. Gupta was particularly critical of Overton’

Overton Confirmation Remains Uncertain After Senate Hearing

FDA commissioner nominee Heidi Overton emerged from her Senate confirmation hearing Thursday (see earlier story) without resolving questions about whether she has enough Republican support to advance — and with a rapidly narrowing window for confirmation before the midterm elections. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing provided few

FDA Classifies Boston Scientific Imager II Catheter Recall as Class I

FDA has classified Boston Scientific's recall of its Imager II Angiographic Catheters as Class I because a manufacturing problem could cause catheter tips to degrade and detach, potentially resulting in life-threatening complications. The agency announced the Class I classification 9/25, updating an Early Alert it issued

FDA Approves Gazyva for Childhood-Onset Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome

FDA has approved Roche’s Gazyva (obinutuzumab) for reducing the risk of relapse in adults and children aged 2 and older with frequently relapsing or steroid-dependent, childhood-onset idiopathic nephrotic syndrome who are in remission. The expanded approval covers the use of the CD20-directed antibody beyond its existing

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Gupta Raises Concerns About Overton’s Independence, Ideology

Overton Confirmation Remains Uncertain After Senate Hearing

FDA Classifies Boston Scientific Imager II Catheter Recall as Class I

FDA Approves Gazyva for Childhood-Onset Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome