March 17, 2026
john-wilkerson-avatar-teal
Washington Correspondent, D.C. Diagnosis Writer

STAT’s Breakthrough Summit East conference is happening in New York this week. There’s a great lineup, from CMS Medicare Director Chris Klomp to former FDA Commissioner Rob Califf, and a rare interview with the godfather of biotech in between. As always, please send news tips to John.Wilkerson@statnews.com or John_Wilkerson.07 on Signal.

congress

Congressional hearings on tap

Jay Bhattacharya is scheduled to testify today before the House Appropriations oversight subcommittee. Bhattacharya is the NIH director and acting CDC director. He’s appearing in his role as NIH director, but it’s doubtful that Democrats will limit themselves to questions about the NIH, especially after a federal judge dealt a blow yesterday to the administration’s overhaul of vaccine policy. (More on that below.)

It’s a massive responsibility to run either the nation’s biomedical research agency or its public health agency, never mind both. The NIH and the CDC have each been the subject of controversies during the Trump administration, including over vaccine policies and research grant shake-ups. They’ve both also been hit with massive layoffs and protest resignations among the top ranks.

Also, academic researchers are worried about fresh delays in awards and funding calls. And the deadline for the president to nominate a permanent CDC director is a week away.

There are also two House Energy and Commerce subcommittees hearings this week on health care. CMS’ Kim Brandt will talk about the agency’s fraud-fighting measures on Tuesday at the oversight subcommittee, and provider groups will testify on Wednesday before the health subcommittee.

vaccines

Vaccine policy overhaul stalled

A federal judge on Monday stalled major parts of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s campaign to remake vaccine policy, Anil Oza, Chelsea Cirruzzo, and Daniel Payne report.

The preliminary ruling says Kennedy’s reconstitution of a key vaccine advisory panel, and changes made to the childhood vaccine schedule in January, were likely illegal because of how they were done.

The next meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices was scheduled for this week, but has been postponed due to the ruling.

Read more about the judge’s ruling and the Trump administration’s response to it.

maha

MAHA keeps the focus on vaccines

As the White House pivots away from vaccine skepticism, certain quarters of the MAHA movement are trying to swivel the administration right back around on the subject, Daniel and Chelsea report.

The administration’s shift began late last year, when Republican pollster Tony Fabrizio published a memo finding that “vaccine skepticism is bad politics,” especially as the midterm elections near.

In response, MAHA groups commissioned a poll of their own in hopes of convincing Republicans that their vaccine policies are winning issues. Read more.

Medicaid drug rebates

Drug pricing law backfires

File this one under unintended consequences.

Democrats passed a law in 2021 that lifted the cap on rebates that Medicaid could collect when drugmakers raise prices faster than inflation. The provision was designed to dissuade drugmakers from big price hikes, but in one case it led to patients paying much more out of pocket for two popular asthma inhalers.

Ed Silverman explains how it happened. His story is based on an investigation by Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.).

trumprx

More drugs on TrumpRx, more of the same

The seven drugs newly added to TrumpRx follow a similar pattern as many of those already on the website. Some were already available for purchase without insurance at similar prices, one is a biosimilar, and two are available as generics.

The drugs from Amgen on TrumpRx are Amjevita, Aimovig, and Repatha. GSK added Incruse, Arnuity, Relenza, and Anoro, all inhalers. Arnuity and Relenza are available as generics, and Amjevita is a biosimilar version of Humira.

Overall, the site now highlights discounted prices on 54 drugs.

drug pricing

Trump vs. Biden

A new poll by KFF shows that 41% of Americans say it is likely the Trump administration’s policies will lower their prescription drug costs, though the responses were sharply divided along party lines, with 79% of Republicans and 11% of Democrats expecting Trump to lower drug prices.

When KFF polled the public on Medicare’s drug price negotiation program in September 2024, 31% of respondents were aware of the program. That means more Americans believe that Trump’s initiatives will lower drug prices than were even aware that Democrats passed a law directing Medicare to negotiate lower prices.

However, about 32% of Americans had heard about TrumpRx, which is on par with the level of public awareness of the Medicare drug price negotiation program.

More around STAT
Check out more exclusive coverage with a STAT+ subscription
Read premium in-depth biotech, pharma, policy, and life science coverage and analysis with all of our STAT+ articles.

What we’re reading

  • A brain-computer interface allowed people with paralysis to type with their minds, STAT
  • Confidential report calls for sweeping changes to track covid vaccine harms, The New York Times
  • How STAT would cover ‘The Fugitive’ if its pharma scandal were real, STAT
  • Bill Cassidy faces another MAHA fight with his reelection on the line, CNN