August 9, 2017. We support the USPSTF’s draft recommendation for Hepatitis B screening in pregnant women. Universal screening and prevention programs for pregnant women with Hepatitis B can help to identify pregnant women who are at risk for passing the virus to their children. Preventing vertical transmission protects children from a potentially serious disease and other diseases that may develop as a result, such as cancer; protects others who may be infected; and allows children to participate in school and play activities important to their healthy development. Therefore, screening is highly beneficial for these children.
Read More »We’re Speaking Out on Health Issues
NCHR scientists and health policy experts provide written and oral statements on a wide range of topics.
Here are many of the ways we have been Speaking Out on Health Policy Issues for the last few years. Whether the topic is legislation intended to cure diseases, proposed bans on BPA or other chemicals that disrupt your hormones, the importance of including women, people of color, and patients over 65 in clinical trials, or many other topics, you’ll gain a better understanding of our evidence-based analyses by reading these letters, statements, and testimony.
Here are the ways we have been Speaking out on Medical Treatments and Products, such as prescription drugs and medical devices that the FDA is considering approving, or is considering taking off the market because of serious risks. Whether the topic is Chantix, Addyi, Yaz, Essure, or medical products you’ve never heard of, you can find out more about what is known and not known about the safety and effectiveness of a wide range of products by looking through this section of our website.
NCHR Comment on the USPSTF’s Draft Recommendations for Ovarian Cancer Screening
August 10, 2017. We strongly support the USPSTF’s draft recommendation to maintain the “D” grade for ovarian cancer screening, as well as their broader efforts to improve the health of all Americans by making evidence-based recommendations about clinical preventive services. As more high-quality research becomes available, we encourage the provision of additional recommendations about the benefits and harms of using new screening strategies in asymptomatic women who are not known to be at increased risk for ovarian cancer.
Read More »NCHR Letter to CMS on Arbitration Agreement in Long-Term Care Facilities
August 7, 2017. CMS should continue to enforce the existing requirement rather than changing it to forced arbitration.
Read More »Nonprofit Groups’ Letter to Commissioner Gottlieb on Menu Labeling
August 2, 2017. The FDA should maintain the current menu labeling requirements that allow Americans to easily access nutritional information about the food they purchase. Two thirds of adults and one third of children are overweight or obese and displaying nutrition information can help them make informed decisions.
Read More »NCHR Testimony at the FDA about Hepatitis B Vaccine, Heplisav-B
July 28, 2017. We feel for the company because it has previously tried and failed to obtain approval. However, the bottom line is we don’t know how safe the vaccine is overall, and specifically how safe it is for Asians, who comprise the majority of patients living with chronic Hepatitis B. It is better for FDA to be cautious rather than approve a potentially dangerous vaccine – especially because other options are available. We strongly urge this Advisory Committee to prioritize patient safety and urge the FDA to maintain its scientific safety standards for approval and therefore recommend additional pre-licensure studies to further evaluate the safety of Heplisav-B in subpopulations who are disproportionately affected by both acute and chronic hepatitis-B infection.
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