STAT News, February 2, 2024: NCHR’s Diana Zuckerman’s commentary in STAT News explains why Medicare should not pay for every medical product that FDA approves, since some are more likely to harm rather than help Medicare patients. She points out that FDA does not require diversity in clinical trials and rarely includes enough older and less healthy patients that tend to rely on Medicare.
Read More »On Health Policy
NCHR Provides Recommendations for the Public Meeting Agenda to Reduce Added Sugar Consumption in the United States
January 22, 2024: NCHR recommends that FDA policies are discussed as a key strategy to reduce added sugar consumption at the national public meeting on hunger. The FDA should require targets for added sugar amounts in packaged food, hold restaurants accountable for disclosing added sugar content, and regulate food with artificial sweeteners.
Read More »NCHR Public Comment on Communications From Firms to Healthcare Providers Regarding Scientific Information on Unapproved Uses of Approved Medical Products
December 26, 2023: We responded to the FDA’s request for public comment about the scientific information (SIUU) that firms can provide to healthcare providers about the unapproved uses of approved medical products. Promotion for unapproved (off label) uses were prohibited years ago, but that has been loosened over the decades and the FDA’s new draft guidance is worrisome because it is not as specific as it should be about how to ensure that the information the companies provide is accurate and not misleading. We agree with some of the guidance but urge more careful wording to ban the use of poor quality data and misinterpretation.
Read More »Patient, Consumer, and Public Health Coalition Letter to Senator Braun Regarding the Promising Pathways Act
NCHR and the Patient, Consumer, and Public Health Coalition oppose the Promising Pathways Act, which would allow FDA to approve drugs that aren’t proven to work and then to remain on market for up to 8 years without proof of effectiveness. The bill is supposed to help provide treatment for the most serious diseases, but is poorly written, providing false hope, huge financial burdens for patients and Medicare, and undermining existing FDA pathways that are more targeted to urgently needed treatments.
Read More »Public Comment of the National Center for Health Research on USDA Proposed Rule on New Program on Natural Grass and Sod Products, Docket AMS-LP-21-0028
December 15, 2023: In response to a request for public comment, NCHR submitted a comment in support of the USDA proposed rule to establish a promotion, research, and information program for natural grass sod products. We believe this will provide important information that will help reduce the proliferation of artificial turf, which endangers the health of children and adults as well as harming the environment.
Read More »