Optimism for Trump’s CDC pick is tempered by questions about RFK Jr.’s role As one CDC employee, who asked not to be named, put it on Friday, among staff “the general vibe is guarded but hopeful.”

Trump's CDC pick is raising questions about the future of public health policy in this administration — and the power of the MAHA movement

w/ @helenbranswell.bsky.social @chelseacirruzzo.bsky.social

www.statnews.com/2026/04/18/e...

Illuminating detail on how (at least some) health policymaking is done in the Trump administration:

How Trump is pushing psychedelics reform through the health agencies Trump directed the federal government to rush access to psychedelic treatments and reevaluate their status as controlled substances.

How a text from Joe Rogan helped remake the federal government's approach to psychedelics

www.statnews.com/2026/04/18/p...

Kennedy focuses on affordability, combating fraud in Capitol Hill hearing RFK Jr. focused on President Trump's health care agenda and largely avoided vaccines.

RFK Jr.'s first in a marathon series of hearings offers a window into a shifting politics of health care — for the Trump administration and Democrats alike

w/ @chelseacirruzzo.bsky.social

www.statnews.com/2026/04/16/r...

Small drugmakers, facing threat of tariffs, negotiate pricing deals with White House The Trump administration is negotiating new drug-pricing deals, now with smaller companies, according to three people with knowledge of the meetings.

New: Small pharma companies are in talks with the White House to sign drug pricing deals of their own.

Small companies will have to cut a deal in the next 180 days to fully avoid tariffs on branded drugs.

www.statnews.com/2026/04/02/d...

Trump announces 100% tariffs on brand-name drugs, with plenty of carveouts The taxes are part of the president's push to rein in the pharmaceutical industry and bring manufacturing to the U.S.

Trump’s long-awaited pharma tariffs are here — with plenty of carveouts

www.statnews.com/2026/04/02/t...

Trump administration prepares 100% tariffs on some imported drugs The White House is readying a 100% tax on some imported medicines, a draft order shows.

The Trump admin has drafted an order that would put a 100% tariff on patented drug imports, according to a copy obtained by STAT.

But there are several exemptions — and open questions.

www.statnews.com/2026/04/01/t...

Amid focus on food, FDA leader briefs lawmakers on priorities Infant formula safety, updating labels, defining ultraprocessed foods, and expanding inspections of processing plants are among the priorities.

Amid the Trump administration's focus on food, a key FDA leader briefs lawmakers on the agency's plans

www.statnews.com/2026/03/27/f...

In private meetings, White House works to win pharma companies' support for drug pricing bill The White House is working to build support for drug pricing legislation, part of an election year focus on affordability.

Early details of what's in the White House's drug pricing bill text — and who's getting a sneak peek of it

www.statnews.com/2026/03/27/m...

Inside the delicate, high-stakes search for a new CDC director At #STATBreakthrough, top HHS official Chris Klomp talked to STAT about the delicate, high-stakes search for a new CDC director.

Inside the delicate, high-stakes search for a new CDC director, via @rickberke.bsky.social

www.statnews.com/2026/03/20/n...

Political influence ‘a serious problem’ for FDA under Trump, former commissioner says “What's changed now is that there's a view in this administration that everything is political,” said Robert Califf, former FDA commissioner.

The future of promising therapeutics is on the line in the Trump administration's FDA, says the agency's former commissioner

www.statnews.com/2026/03/19/p...

Trump’s Medicare director seeks to rein in expectations for TrumpRx The Trump administration is counting on its drug pricing efforts to help with the midterm elections.

Trump’s Medicare director seeks to rein in expectations for TrumpRx

www.statnews.com/2026/03/19/c...

STAT Breakthrough Summit East 2026 - New York City, March 19 Join us in New York City March 19, 2026, for STAT Breakthrough Summit East, a gathering of industry thought leaders and premier networking opportunity.

More here:
www.statnews.com/stat-summit-...

An image showing the details of a conversation between Rob Califf and Lizzy Lawrence

An image showing the details of a conversation between Chris Klomp and Mario Aguilar

Many interesting conversations ahead today at #STATBreakthrough — including on CMS and FDA, both at critical junctures:

National survey of NIH-funded researchers shows precarious state of U.S. science — ‘This is like the Titanic’ A nationwide STAT survey of NIH-funded researchers reveals that, a year after Donald Trump's return to the White House, many scientists are reeling

@statnews.com conducted a national survey of NIH-funded researchers and found that, a year after Trump's return, many scientists are reeling, with some closing labs entirely. ‘This is like the Titanic,' one respondent told me. For full details, see our special report
www.statnews.com/2026/03/19/n...

White House digs in on ‘most-favored nation’ drug pricing despite Congress’ cool reception Despite a cool reception from Congress, the White House is looking to intensify its pressure campaign on lawmakers to pass a “most-favored nation" drug pricing bill.

The Trump administration is "gearing up for war" to push Congress to codify its drug pricing policy — despite little appetite for it on the Hill.

Still, the pharma industry sees risk in the back-and-forth.

www.statnews.com/2026/03/17/m...

Federal judge stalls health secretary RFK Jr.’s overhaul of vaccine policy Breaking: A federal judge on Monday stalled major parts of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign to remake vaccine policy in the U.S.

Federal judge stalls health secretary RFK Jr.’s overhaul of vaccine policy

www.statnews.com/2026/03/16/k...

Featured Session: Medicare's High-Tech Cost-Cutter. 2026 Breakthrough Summit East

Thursday, STAT's @mariojoze.bsky.social will sit down with the Director of Medicare, Chris Klomp, to talk about Medicare's high-tech cost-cutter, and much more.
#STATBreakthrough full agenda and tickets here: www.statnews.com/stat-summit-...
Get 40% off virtual passes with promo code: LASTCALL-40

White House says it’s ‘done’ with vaccines. MAHA begs to differ As Trump political advisers try to move on from vaccine policy debates, MAHA movement insiders push back, calling RFK Jr. supporters vital to GOP's success.

“We’re just kind of done with the vaccine issue,” said one White House official. “We’ve done what we want to do on the vaccine front.”

On the future of the MAGA-MAHA alliance, w/ @chelseacirruzzo.bsky.social

www.statnews.com/2026/03/13/t...

A month in, TrumpRx falls short of president’s grand promises Trump wants to focus on his efforts to lower drug prices, but the TrumpRx website is falling short of his promises.

President Trump heralded TrumpRx as “one of the most transformative health care initiatives of all time.”

A month in, administration pledges are far from being met — even as drug pricing has become a key part of its pitch to voters.

www.statnews.com/2026/03/05/t...

Thank you!

Can an RFK Jr. action figure help cement the MAHA-MAGA alliance? He’s an action figure. He’s a milk-drinking rave-goer. He’s America’s health secretary.

He’s an action figure. He’s a milk-drinking rave-goer. He’s America’s health secretary — and he’s looking to cement the MAHA-MAGA alliance with political clout.

w/ @chelseacirruzzo.bsky.social

www.statnews.com/2026/02/27/r...

Pharma lobbyists focus on a surprising new target: the FDA Lobbyists told STAT they believe the odds of approval go up if a decision can be spun as a win for the Trump administration.

“It was always the case: if it’s FDA, leave it alone,” one lobbyist told STAT. “There’s been a swing. … Now the conversations are: Can we influence the process? I had never had that conversation before.”

Lobbying firms with close ties to Trump draw pharma industry clients Business is booming for Trump-connected lobbying firms as pharma giants see new opportunity to influence the FDA.

PLUS: The Trump-connected firms that are getting big (and growing) contracts from the pharmaceutical sector:

www.statnews.com/2026/02/23/f...

Pharma lobbyists focus on a surprising new target: the FDA Lobbyists told STAT they believe the odds of approval go up if a decision can be spun as a win for the Trump administration.

NEW: Pharma lobbyists are working to influence an agency once thought largely off-limits — the FDA.

How Trump-era politics are being injected into the agency tasked with regulating U.S. medicines:

w/ @lizzylawrence.bsky.social

www.statnews.com/2026/02/23/f...

At drugmakers' forum, Oz gets a friendly embrace, while Makary faces tough questions Two of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s top lieutenants struck decidedly different tones at a forum held Tuesday by the pharmaceutical industry group PhRMA.

Good cop, bad cop?

@lizzylawrence.bsky.social and @danielpayne.bsky.social — neither a cop — checked out Oz and Makary as they addressed pharma executives and lobbyists today in Washington.

www.statnews.com/2026/02/17/p...

At drugmakers' forum, Oz gets a friendly embrace, while Makary faces tough questions Two of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s top lieutenants struck decidedly different tones at a forum held Tuesday by the pharmaceutical industry group PhRMA.

RFK Jr. has long criticized pharma's influence on the federal government.

But Dr. Oz, talking to PhRMA today, took a different approach: welcoming the idea of closed-door meetings and urging industry leaders to work in the admin.

w/ @lizzylawrence.bsky.social

www.statnews.com/2026/02/17/p...

Major shakeup underway at HHS as White House braces for midterms Several senior officials are exiting RFK Jr.'s department amid an effort to focus on drug pricing and food issues.

Major shakeup underway at HHS as White House braces for midterms

www.statnews.com/2026/02/13/h...

Photo of moakley courtroom

I’m at the Boston federal court this AM for a hearing on the suit from AAP and other groups challenging a slew of changes to vaccine policies – which could affect the forthcoming ACIP meeting and the change to the childhood vaccine schedule

How pediatricians found themselves at war with RFK Jr. The AAP has become a leading opponent of MAHA and RFK Jr.'s vaccine agenda.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has become a leader in the effort to reverse RFK Jr.'s vaccine policies.

The success — or failure — of the group's approach will have consequences for kids' health nationwide.

Inside the AAP's plan for the MAHA age:

www.statnews.com/2026/02/13/a...