In which Big Brained economist and cancer patient Charles Manski identifies* how distorting the incentives are in cancer care and drug development... I love stories that combine economics, economists, and health policy. *yeah, a bit of inside-baseball there by @arthurallen202.bsky.social

KFF Health News@kffhealthnews.org · 2w ago

Lower dosages of popular cancer drugs might fight disease as well as what the label recommends, while reducing side effects and “financial toxicity” @arthurallen202.bsky.social reports ⤵️

A prolonged vacancy atop the FDA could mean delayed work on new treatments until there's greater policy clarity, USC Schaeffer's @profgenkanter.bsky.social tells Pharma Voice. “Transition delays and really, any uncertainty in leadership, are not good for the industry and not good for the public."

Why the FDA’s top spot could sit empty for months

Multiple factors could get in the way of confirming a new commissioner before the midterm elections, experts said, leaving the agency’s long-term initiatives in limbo.

pharmavoice.com

EXCLUSIVE: As the White House embraces talc + tobacco, chaos reigns at @hhsofficial.bsky.social, agency lawyers warn of legal peril - and Sec Kennedy talks UFOs w/ a billionaire. Inside the MAGA-MAHA crack-up based on 35+ sources, dozens of internal HHS docs www.rollingstone.com/politics/pol...

Are MAGA and MAHA Heading for Divorce?

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. promised ambitious plans to make Americans healthier. But insiders say as soon as he was named Health Secretary, the problems began.

rollingstone.com

BREAKING: Dr. Marty Makary is resigning as the FDA chief after angering health CEOs, vaping companies and anti-abortion groups, AP source says.

Trump FDA chief is leaving after angering pharma CEOs, vaping lobbyists and anti-abortion groups

Marty Makary is resigning as President Donald Trump's Food and Drug Administration head. That's according to a White House official who was not authorized to speak before an official announcement and insisted on anonymity Tuesday.

bit.ly

#econ_ra

Genevieve Kanter@profgenkanter.bsky.social · 4mo ago

** Research Assistant/Predoc Job Opportunity! ** Our research team at USC is seeking a full-time RA/predoc fellow. We work on health policy, health economics, and political economy projects. usc.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/ExternalUSCC... (Combine cover letter + resume into one document + upload)

** Research Assistant/Predoc Job Opportunity! ** Our research team at USC is seeking a full-time RA/predoc fellow. We work on health policy, health economics, and political economy projects. usc.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/ExternalUSCC... (Combine cover letter + resume into one document + upload)

It is with great sadness that we announce J. Craig Venter has died. 🧪🧬 www.jcvi.org/media-center...

J. Craig Venter, genomics pioneer and founder of JCVI and Diploid Genomics, Inc., dies at 79

La Jolla, California—April 29, 2026—The J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) announced that J. Craig Venter, Ph.D., the Institute’s founder, board...

jcvi.org

Providing evidence of strategic transfer pricing by vertically integrated health care firms in response to insurer profit regulations, from Pragya Kakani, Eric Yde, Genevieve P. Kanter, Richard G. Frank, and Amelia M. Bond www.nber.org/papers/w35043

Some thoughts from me on conflicts of interest in advisory committees, published in NEJM. TLDR: Gap between what public wants vs what govt can deliver is barrier to COI reform Link (paywall): www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.... Full text: caterpillar-coyote-chxz.squarespace.com/s/Kanter-Con...

Some thoughts from me on conflicts of interest in advisory committees, published in NEJM. TLDR: Gap between what public wants vs what govt can deliver is barrier to COI reform Link (paywall): www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.... Full text: caterpillar-coyote-chxz.squarespace.com/s/Kanter-Con...

“The claim that the Trump administration is making that Americans are getting the best deal is clearly false,” says Harvard Medical School professor @asarpatwari.bsky.social Gift link to story by on TrumpRx prices in NYTimes: www.nytimes.com/2026/03/18/w...

A health technology company "built a business on scooping digital medical records of individual patients... and distributing the information to law firms." 😮 @washingtonpost.com gift link below: wapo.st/4dteuEX

Company admits it diverted private patient records to law firms

The nation’s largest health records company, Epic Systems, sued firms including GuardDog Telehealth, alleging they improperly accessed personal medical records.

wapo.st

Judge Murphy ruled that ACIP membership changes violated the Administrative Procedure Act. A win for federal advisory committees. As the kids say, FACAround and find out...

STAT@statnews.com · 6mo ago

A federal judge in Boston on Monday stalled major parts of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign to remake vaccine policy in the U.S., saying the Trump administration had likely violated the law. www.statnews.com/2026/03/16/k...

R.I.P. Chris Sims essence of him right here (start at 8:36 if link doesn't work) www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVIO...

Princeton news conference with Nobel Prize in economics winners Sims, Sargent

YouTube video by Princeton University

youtube.com

Chris Sims, brilliant macroeconomic empiricist, has died. His Nobel acceptance speech: www.nobelprize.org/uploads/2018....

We showed a 72% drop in FDA advisory committees this past year from their 20-year average. Is this a problem? A lot of folks, incl former FDA leaders and CEOs of firms that prepped for canceled meetings think so. Link to @statnews.com article below (paywall) & free link to PDF in replies.

Lizzy Lawrence@lizzylawrence.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Despite recent controversial decisions, the FDA has stopped holding advisory committee meetings — which bring together regulators, companies, patients, and a panel of independent advisors to publicly discuss complex regulatory matters. I dug into why: www.statnews.com/2026/03/09/f...

Congress rejected massive cuts to US science budgets for 2026, but much of the money still isn’t flowing to researchers. The culprit? The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is quietly slow-walking the release of funds. 🧵👇

White House stalls release of approved US science budgets

The US Congress rejected sweeping cuts to science agencies. But the NIH, the NSF and NASA have had their spending slowed.

nature.com

The FDA is increasingly turning to ad hoc expert panels instead of federal advisory committees for external advice. FDA watchers generally agree these expert panels "are likely unlawful," USC Schaeffer's @profgenkanter.bsky.social tells Regulatory Focus.

Experts argue recent FDA expert panels may violate FACA requirements

The US Food and Drug Administration@s (FDA) increasing reliance on holding expert panels, rather than advisory committees, for external expert advice may violate the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FA...

raps.org

The American Statistical Association has an organizational sign-on letter urging Congress to exempt federal statistical agencies & units from Schedule Policy/Career. Are you a member in any orgs that value accurate, timely info about the U.S.? Please consider signing docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Schedule Policy-Career Sign-On Letter -- Federal Statistical Agencies

Please use this form to add your organization as a supporter of this letter to Congressional appropriators urging that they "stipulate in the FY27 appropriations bills that employees of the federal st...

docs.google.com

Aaron Sojourner@aaronsojourner.org · last yr.

The administration is moving this rule to increase its control over all fed agencies. Congress can exempt the fed stat agencies from it. The agencies don't make policy. Their only power is credibly informing us. Credibility requires political independence.

One week from today!

Alex Everhart@aoeverhart.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Next month, the AcademyHealth Health Economics Interest Group is hosting a webinar on navigating the job market for health economists. Here about what hiring committees look for when evaluating candidates. Also probably helpful for non-economists! Sign up here: wustl-hipaa.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

"Trump Picks Veteran Staffer to Head Bureau of Labor Statistics: Brett Matsumoto, the next chief, has worked as an economist at the BLS since 2015." Excellent choice! www.wsj.com/economy/trum...

Exclusive | Trump Picks Veteran Staffer to Head Bureau of Labor Statistics

Brett Matsumoto, the next chief, has worked as an economist at the BLS since 2015.

wsj.com

Had an in-depth conversation with Michael Gibney at PharmaVoice on politicization at the FDA and its impact on drug approvals, the pharma industry, and patients. www.pharmavoice.com/news/fda-pol... For more on FDA-industry relations, check out upcoming Health Affairs webinar on 2/17 (in replies)

Politicization runs deeper than ever at FDA, risking long-term impacts

Wide-ranging shifts at the FDA have set the stage for decisions that drag the agency through the political mud, according to an economist and public policy expert.

pharmavoice.com

Find out what's happening at the FDA at this Health Affairs webinar, "The FDA and its Changing Relationship to Industry," Feb 17, 8-9 am PT/11-12noon ET. Panel: Rachel Sachs (Wash U St Louis), Holly Fernandez Lynch (Penn), Chris Meekins (Raymond James) + me www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/h...

In a substantial indication of public sentiment, the “Alex Pretti is an American Hero” campaign on the GoFundMe platform surpassed its goal of $20,000 quickly after organizer Keith Edwards launched it Saturday. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...

Online fundraiser for Alex Pretti raises nearly $400,000 day after fatal shooting

GoFundMe platform surpasses goal of $20,000 a day after federal agents killed the US citizen in Minneapolis

theguardian.com

Our latest study on physician-industry COI, out last week in The Oncologist. I have often heard the rationale that "if I'm conflicted with all the companies, then I'm unbiased." So we asked, how often DO oncologists receive payments from all competing companies? academic.oup.com/oncolo/advan...

How Often Do Oncologists Receive Industry Payments from Competing Companies?

AbstractBackground. Payments from pharmaceutical companies to oncologists can influence prescribing practices. However, some physicians believe that receiv

academic.oup.com

Something for everyone at our #ASSA2026 health care session (Sun, 1/4, 12:30-2:15 pm, Room 410). * physician altruism and industry payments * conflicts of interest in FDA advisory committees * consequences of physician disciplinary actions * immigrant enforcement and the home care industry

We are deeply saddened by the passing of Kate Ho, the John L. Weinberg Professor at Princeton and a Fellow of the Econometric Society. Kate was a brilliant IO economist and scholar whose impact on the profession will resonate for many years to come www.econometricsociety.org/publications...

NEW: FDA review staff was excluded from voting on whether to approve first priority voucher drug. Top leaders like Vinay Prasad, George Tidmarsh, and Tracy Høeg led the vote instead. Read for the full list, and expert reaction from @hollylynchez.bsky.social: www.statnews.com/2025/11/21/t...

FDA review staff was excluded from voting on whether to approve first priority voucher drug

Top officials like Vinay Prasad and George Tidmarsh voted on the drug, a major break from the FDA's typical practice.

statnews.com

The entire HR department at the CDC is gone. Everyone at the IRB, which makes sure studies are conducted ethically and rigorously, and the ethics office, which oversee conflicts of interest for CDC leaders and advisory committee members, were also let go. www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...

‘Instability and confusion’ as CDC slashes 1,300 jobs before reinstating half

Trump administration says 700 notices were sent in error, while top CDC officer says ‘they didn’t think through what they were doing’

theguardian.com

USC rejects Trump education compact aimed at shifting the university to the right www.latimes.com/california/s...

USC rejects Trump education compact aimed at shifting the university to the right

USC interim President Beong-Soo Kim said in a statement that he had sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Education turning down the Trump offer.

latimes.com