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 Statement on Transparency of Children’s Clinical Trials

January 24, 2023: A new report finds that 3,627 American children participated in clinical trials whose results remain hidden. This is not ‘only’ unethical – it’s illegal.

NCHR Comments on the FDA Preliminary Assessment of Potential Non-prescription Naloxone Products

January 17, 2023: NCHR agrees with the FDA’s assessment that certain types of naloxone drug products could be safe and effective for non-prescription use but training is needed to use it correctly in urgent situations. We also support FDA’s request for more research to determine how to provide the most effective instructions and labeling for non-prescription naloxone products.

NCHR Comments on EPA’s Proposed Finding that Lead Emissions from Aircraft Engines using Leaded Fuel May Endanger Public Health

January 17, 2023: The presence of lead in aircraft engines has a significant, negative effect on public health, and we enthusiastically agree with the proposed EPA finding in support of these conclusions. These findings should be finalized as soon as possible to give EPA the authority to set aircraft emission standards for lead under section 231 of the Clean Air Act.

NCHR Comments on the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Proposed Ruling of Safety Standards for Adult Portable Bed Rails

January 9, 2023: NCHR strongly agrees with CPSC’s proposed ruling that APBR has an “unreasonable risk of injury and death associated with entrapment hazards” and enthusiastically supports CPSC’s plan to make the voluntary safety standards mandatory, include new requirements for testing and labeling, and consider banning the products if the new standards do not substantially improve their safety. It is important to consider alternatives to APBR’s if it becomes necessary to ban them, and alternatives can be bed trapezes, adjustable beds, nonslip mattress pads, and bed exit alarms.

Patient, Consumer, and Public Health Coalition Letter to CMS on Lecanemab Approval

January 6, 2023: We applaud your National Coverage Determination that made the wise decision to limit coverage of this class of drugs solely to patients participating in clinical trials following the approval of aducanamab (Aduhelm) by the FDA. The FDA approved Biogen and Eisai’s lecanemab today, and we urge you to hold firm to your decision to prioritize patient safety and the scientific credibility of CMS’s coverage decisions.