The Trump Administration has started mass layoffs at the FDA, CDC, NIH and other agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services, following up on a plan announced last week for Elon Musk’s DOGE team to shrink the workforce by 20,000 people through voluntary separations and new terminations. UPDATE: FDA’s chief medical officer is […]
NIH
Trump taps RFK Jr. to run HHS — but two groups could block him
President-elect Donald Trump says he wants Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), giving him oversight of the FDA, CMS, CDC, NIH and other critical health agencies and functions. It’s not clear yet whether Republicans in the U.S. Senate would confirm Kennedy’s appointment given […]
RFK Jr. says he wants to eliminate ‘entire departments’ at FDA under Trump
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — who claims President-elect Donald Trump promised him “control” of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and agencies including the FDA, CDC and NIH — today said that there are FDA departments that “have to go.” “There are entire departments like the nutrition department at the FDA … that […]
RFK Jr. says he’ll control FDA and Health and Human Services if Trump wins
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says former President Donald Trump promised him “control” of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and its agencies — including the FDA, CDC and NIH — if Trump returns to office. In August, Trump said he would consider adding Kennedy to his administration’s second term if Kennedy ended his […]
NIH funds Illinois Tech project using machine learning to fully automate insulin delivery
Researchers at Illinois Institute of Technology received $1.2 million from the NIH to develop a machine learning system for an artificial pancreas’ insulin delivery. Chemical engineering professor Ali Cinar leads the project to ease the burden on those with type 1 diabetes. NIH funding covers four years for developing the machine learning system. The researchers […]
Rescue Biomedical wins $2.8M grant for nalaxone-releasing implant for opioid overdoses
Rescue Biomedical announced today that it received a $2.8 million grant from the National Institutes of Health for its opioid overdose treatment. West Lafayette, Indiana received a Fast-Track Small Business Innovation Research, or SBIR, grant from the NIH. The company develops technology that detects when a person is overdosing on an opioid and delivers naloxone […]
NIH to launch clinical trial of three mRNA HIV vaccines
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has announced a Phase 1 clinical study of HIV vaccines using mRNA sequences. The study will test the safety and immunogenicity of three investigational HIV mRNA vaccines known as BG505 MD39.3 mRNA, BG505 MD39.3 gp151 mRNA and BG505 MD39.3 gp151 CD4KO mRNA. Get the full story […]
NIH launches $9.8M neuromodulation competition
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced today that it launched the first phase of its Neuromod Prize competition. Neuromod Prize, a $9.8 million competition, aims to accelerate the development of neuromodulation therapies. NIH seeks scientists, engineers and clinicians to submit novel concepts and clinical development plans to demonstrate solutions for stimulating the peripheral nervous […]
NIH director Francis Collins to step down
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced today that Dr. Francis S. Collins will step down as director of the agency. Collins, the longest-serving presidentially-appointed NIH director, decided to end his tenure by the end of the year. He had served three U.S. presidents over more than 12 years. NIH did not announce a successor […]
NIH launches study of allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccines
The NIH today announced that a clinical trial is underway to study whether people who are highly allergic or have a mast cell disorder are more likely to develop an allergic reaction to the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines. Reports of severe allergic reactions to COVID-19 vaccines have made headlines since the rollout to the […]
NIH announces more than $98M in contracts for new COVID-19 testing tech
The National Institutes of Health today announced six new contracts worth $98.35 million for COVID-19 testing approaches to improve sample collection, processing and results. NIH awarded the contracts in collaboration with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) as part of the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) initiative. They cover innovations including integration with […]
