 Health Care |
Health Care |
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Trump administration reviewing abortion pill |
The Trump administration confirmed to GOP state attorneys general that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is reviewing the safety protocols for the abortion drug mifepristone. |
In a letter sent earlier this month but made public on Tuesday, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary said the agency is considering modifying the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy requirements. The duo wrote that the review was spurred by "recent studies raising concerns about the safety of mifepristone as currently administered," but said HHS will be "conducting its own review" of the medication. The update to states comes as HHS is feeling pressure from anti-abortion advocates and lawmakers to restrict access to mifepristone. The FDA first approved mifepristone in 2000 for abortion up to seven weeks of pregnancy, but then made a series of changes in 2016 and 2021. Those changes included increasing the gestational age at which mifepristone can be used to up to 10 weeks of pregnancy, allowing the medication to be mailed to patients, lowering the dosage, approving telehealth prescribing and permitting providers other than physicians to prescribe the drug. The FDA has repeatedly found that mifepristone is safe and that a medication abortion regimen that includes mifepristone and a second drug, misoprostol, is a safe and effective alternative to surgical abortions. But anti-abortion groups contend the drugs are dangerous. It's not clear if Kennedy and Makary will go so far as to suggest the drug be removed from the market. But they have cited findings from a study conducted by the conservative think tank Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC) as a reason to at least revisit the Biden administration's changes. The two health leaders wrote that "safeguards for women regarding the administration" of mifepristone have been "significantly reduced." |
Welcome to The Hill's Health Care newsletter, we're Nathaniel Weixel and Joseph Choi — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health. |
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Vice President Vance said Wednesday that pregnant women should lean on their doctor for advice on whether to take Tylenol after President Trump earlier this week said pregnant women should "fight like hell not to take it" because of potential links to autism. Vance was asked during an exclusive interview with NewsNation reporter Reshad Hudson what pregnant women should take for pain given the president's comments, which … |
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is warning of the surge in infections in the U.S. of a drug-resistant bacteria called NDM-CRE. In 2020, about 12,700 infections and 1,100 deaths in the country were due to CRE. Between 2019 and 2023, NDM-CRE infections increased by more than 460 percent in the U.S., the CDC said, citing a study that was published Tuesday. The CDC said infections — which can include … |
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Dr. Mehmet Oz on Tuesday softened President Trump's warnings that pregnant women should not take Tylenol due to a largely unproven link to autism. In an interview with TMZ, Oz, who leads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said pregnant women should consult with a physician and use the medication if they have a high fever. "If you have a high fever … you ought to be talking to a doctor … |
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Branch out with a different read: |
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Should pregnant women take Tylenol? What the guidance really says |
The Trump administration has thrust Tylenol into the spotlight this week with its warnings about a potential link to autism when taken by pregnant women. However, the actual guidance coming from the administration is more nuanced than President Trump's repeated "don't take Tylenol" urgings at a Tuesday press conference. And major health groups continue to say Tylenol is safe, arguing the president's warnings are not backed … |
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Local and state headlines on health care: |
- Oregon hands over Medicaid personal data to federal government to avoid losing federal funding (Oregon Live)
- Connecticut vaccine opponents crash legislative health forum, call it 'a pep rally for insiders' (CT Insider)
- Measles outbreak growing in parts of Arizona and Utah, health officials say (NBC News)
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Health news we've flagged from other outlets: |
- Philanthropies strike a promising deal to turn back H.I.V. (The New York Times)
- Anthony Letai of Dana-Farber is front-runner to lead National Cancer Institute (Stat)
- Pharma is pushing $200,000 cancer drugs when cheaper doses may work (Bloomberg)
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Opinions related to health submitted to The Hill: |
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