STAT reports Pazdur sudden FDA retirement as CDER head as we agree with industry in questioning if FDA can function as a scientific and public health agency when it can’t keep dedicated staff amid controversial decisions on vaccines and other medical products.
Read More »We’re In The News
As a respected nonprofit health research center, our views are often quoted in the media, including newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, and websites. We also write articles and blogs for a number of different and highly respected newspapers, magazines, and popular websites, and we are published in prestigious medical journals and health policy publications. We frequently express our policy views in letters to government officials and public comments to federal agencies and we sometimes release statements or press releases on newsworthy issues.
Please e-mail info@center4research.org or call 202-223-4000 with your inquiries. We can assist you with scheduling interviews with the NCHR President, Dr. Diana Zuckerman, and other experts on our staff.
The FDA Commissioner Is Missing the Point of Advisory Committees
Diana Zuckerman’s oped in MedPage Today says FDA was never perfect but the media and public could see how the agency reviewed risks and benefits when they held public meetings where scientists and public citizens debated controversial medical products. In recent months they’ve switched to one-sided rubber stamp meetings followed by announcements of their decisions at events that feel like pep rallies. For example, research shows that hormones for menopause can be helpful or harmful, depending on your age and the type of hormones and your personal medical history. They are not safe for everyone, and can cause cancer, strokes, and dementia for many women. But the FDA expert panel focused on the benefits and ignored most of the risks.
Read More »What the shutdown’s end means for FDA
Politico, November 14, 2025: Politico quotes experts’ questions regarding FDA Commissioner Makary’s plausible mechanism pathway described in NEJM. NCHR Diana Zuckerman doubts insurance would pay for such expensive drugs based on “plausible mechanism” rather than evidence that they are safe and effective.
Read More »STAT: In an unconventional process, FDA reverses a decades-old warning for hormone therapy
STAT News describes the diversity of views on the decision to remove black
box warnings for menopausal hormone therapy, but the HHS announcement and
description of hormone therapy benefits was more PR than science, says NCHR Dr.
Diana Zuckerman
Helio: HHS revises hormone therapy black box warning for menopause treatment
Healio.com reports Commissioner Makary and HHS Secretary RFK Jr. plans to eliminate black box warnings on menopause hormone therapy but they exaggerate hormone benefits say Drs. Diana Zuckerman, Barbara DePree and Nanette Santoro.
Read More »