FDA Policy/General

Trump as President May Tap RFK for FDA Head

Former president Donald Trump appears to be elevating former presidential candidate and now supporter Robert F. Kennedy, Jr’s role in his new administration if Trump wins the upcoming election. In September, Kennedy told former Fox News talk show host Tucker Carlson that he had been asked by Trump to serve on his transition team to recommend people to head FDA, the Centers for Disease Control, and the National Institutes of Health (see earlier story).

On Sunday (10/27) during a rally in New York, Trump said he plans to let anti-vaxxer Kennedy direct the nation’s health policy if he wins. “I’m going to let him go wild on health, I’m going to let him go wild on the food, I’m going to let him go wild on medicines,” Trump said. Based on these statements, Trump might nominate Kennedy as FDA commissioner or Health and Human Service secretary.

In reaction to the rally statements, Trump’s former surgeon general, Jerome Adams, warned that Kennedy would hurt America’s health. Adams said at a medical conference on 10/28 that if “RFK has a significant influence on the next administration, that could further erode people's willingness to get up to date with recommended vaccines, and I am worried about the impact that could have on our nation's health, on our nation's economy, on our global security,” New York Times reporter Sheryl Gay Stolberg noted on X.

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

Read more

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