The transition into the new Trump administration is marked by significant changes in leadership across key health agencies, alongside notable advancements in cancer therapy approvals by the FDA.
New Leadership at HHS, CMS, CDC, and FDA
President-elect Donald Trump has announced several nominations that signal a potential reshaping of the nation's healthcare landscape. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is nominated to serve as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Dr. Mehmet Oz as administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Dr. Dave Weldon as director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and Dr. Marty Makary to lead the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Kennedy's nomination has raised concerns within the medical research community, particularly regarding his views on vaccine safety and efficacy. He has stated his intention to study vaccine safety but has promised not to remove vaccines from anyone. Dr. Oz, known for promoting healthy lifestyles, faces scrutiny due to his past promotion of questionable diet pills and ineffective COVID-19 treatments. Dr. Weldon, a skeptic about vaccine safety, aims to reform the CDC. Dr. Makary, a surgical oncologist, has been critical of public health responses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
FDA Approvals in Oncology
The FDA has recently granted several important approvals in oncology, providing new treatment options for various cancers:
- Asciminib: Accelerated approval was granted for asciminib for adult patients with newly diagnosed Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia in chronic phase. This approval expands the use of asciminib to the first-line setting.
- Obecabtagene autoleucel: This CAR T-cell therapy received approval for adults with relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia. It is the first approval for this drug and the seventh FDA-approved CAR T-cell product overall.
- Revumenib: Approved for relapsed or refractory acute leukemia with a lysine methyltransferase 2A gene (KMT2A) translocation in adult and pediatric patients 1 year and older. This is the first drug indicated to treat patients with KMT2A-rearranged acute leukemia.
- Zanidatamab-hrii: Granted accelerated approval for previously treated, unresectable or metastatic HER2-positive (IHC 3+) biliary tract cancer (BTC), as detected by an FDA-approved test.
Surgeon General's Report on Tobacco Use Disparities
A new report from U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy highlights the persisting disparities among tobacco usage, as well as presenting potential solutions in addressing these concerns. The report explains that despite an overall trend of cigarette use, progress in reducing tobacco use has not been equitable and that tobacco use rates are persistent amongst several U.S. populations, including underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, LGBTQ+ populations, and people living in rural areas.
