December 8, 2016 – Against all expert opinion, Jim O’Neill, “a snake oil salesman” with no medical background, is rumored to head the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2017
December 7, 2016 – the 21st Century Cures Act, the most expensive and far-reaching health reform bill since the ACA, has just been passed by Congress
The 21st Century Cures Act passed in the House, but comes with a lot of regulatory compromise and threats to patient safety. Most notably, Senator Warren and Senator Sanders oppose the bill along with NCHR President Diana Zuckerman due to patient safety concerns and breaks for Big Pharma. “It really is a David and Goliath issue of where the money is,” said Dr. Zuckerman.
Star Tribune, November 10, 2016 – CPTF President Diana Zuckerman said the Infuse Bone Graft is “contraindicated” for children. But the FDA’s 2015 warning didn’t ban the product in kids because some children have such significant bone defects or such rare bone disorders that they would be willing to accept the risks.
Washington Post, November 14, 2016 – “I think the honest answer is nobody knows” what to expect, said Diana Zuckerman, president of the National Center for Health Research. “Some members of Congress owe pharma a favor; we don’t know the Trump campaign is in that position, and they might not be — and that might give them a certain amount of flexibility. The Trump campaign is nothing if not iconoclastic.”