Legal Reader, February 2, 2017. In a study published on the JAMA Network, Dr. Zuckerman and her co-author, Tracy Rupp, looked at certain new – and expensive – cancer drugs. They found that many of these drugs failed to improve patient quality of life or extend patient life.
Read More »News That Quotes Us & Our Work
We are often quoted in major newspapers and magazines, and on well-respected TV shows, radio programs, and websites where we share our opinion on issues that matter to you and your health. Stay up to date on health news and our take on it by reading the articles in this section.
Trump Calls for Lower Drug Prices, Fewer Regulations in Meeting with Pharmaceutical Executives
The Washington Post, January 31, 2017. President Trump met with leaders of some of the world’s biggest pharmaceutical companies Tuesday and emphasized the need to lower “astronomical” drug prices, decrease regulations and bring more drug manufacturing into the United States. “There are many empty positions at the FDA,” said Diana Zuckerman, president of the National Center for Health Research. The recently enacted 21st Century Cures law provided for additional hiring authority. “But with the hiring freeze, will they be able to hire anyone?” she asked.
Read More »Trump Vows to Ease Rules for Drug Makers, But Again Zeros in on Prices
The New York Times, January 31, 2017. President Trump promised some of the nation’s top drug company executives in a meeting at the White House on Tuesday that he would slash regulations at the Food and Drug Administration and make it easier for them to manufacture products in the United States. “Streamlining drug approvals sounds good, but the agency has already weakened approval standards and patients are paying the price — hugely expensive drugs that don’t even work,” said Diana Zuckerman, president of the National Center for Health Research, a Washington research group that advocates strong safety and efficacy standards. She recently studied expensive new cancer drugs and found that many did not help patients feel better or live longer.
Read More »ACA Repeal Talk Sparks Fears Among Those with Pre-existing Conditions
The Times-Standard, January 28, 2017. The possible repeal of the Affordable Care Act reintroduces a fear among people with pre-existing conditions of maintaining health insurance. Under the ACA, pre-existing conditions were not counted against applicants seeking coverage through the state’s exchange, Covered California, but that could change if ACA is repealed and replaced under the Trump administration.
Read More »After Mastectomies, an Unexpected Blow: Numb New Breasts
The New York Times, January 28, 2017. Restoring sensation is “one of those things that’s regarded as the holy grail of breast reconstruction,” he said. “But no one has shown in any scientific article to date that we’re able to return sensation in any reliable way.”
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