Dr. Jayanta (Jay) Bhattacharya was named NIH (NIH) director (NIH), and Dr. Martin Makary was named this week as the FDA. Dr. Bhattacharya’s hearing was held on March 5, 2025 and Dr. Makary’s hearing was held on March 6, 2025.
The common theme of the two hearings collapsed on the party line. Republican members focused on each candidate’s promise to increase the transparency of federal health institutions and to develop President Donald Trump’s agenda. Democrats emphasized the trump administration’s recent concerns, reducing the size of federal medical institutions and emphasizing the impact on US research companies.
The Help Committee will vote for two places on the Senate on March 13, 2025. Both candidates are expected to be confirmed.
NIH: National Institute of Health
In his opening statement, Dr. Bhattacharya explained five goals when it was confirmed to be leading NIH.
- Focus on NIH research on chronic diseases
- Science is “cloned, reproducible and generalized”
- Foster the freedom of the media in science
- Prioritizing NIH funds for innovative state -of -the -art biological medicine research
- Restriction on “dangerous” research, nodded with the debate about the origin of Covid-19
The Republican members of the Help Committee focused on the question of strengthening the transparency of federal funding research, and many people questioned their questions as many people criticized the BIDEN administration’s response to Covid-199 Pandemic against the confusion and distrust of vaccines and federal health institutions. Dr. Bhattacharya emphasized that he would like to implement a policy to rebuild the trust in NIH, including providing information on patient’s health decisions and providing “good data” to spread NIH funds to “non -traditional” organizations throughout the hearing. His answer indicates that NIH can reform the subsidy application process for the priority of the help committee chairman, as the research institute prioritized the priority of the historically validated topic. 2024 NIH Modernization White Paper.
Dr. Bhattacharya also advocated to prioritize new scientific perspectives and research methods, and Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) mentioned the question of the use of fetal organization’s stem cells that “scientific products should be ethically accepted to everyone.” Fetal organizational studies have previously been controversial, but federal law prohibits abuse. Nevertheless, his response means that NIH can move closer to the prohibition of federal funds on this study or other research.
The Democratic Party members of the Help Committee had a pressure to Dr. Bhattacharya’s efforts of the Trump administration and the US government efficiency. Dr. Bhattacharya repeatedly said that all NIH workers have “have the necessary resources,” and emphasized that the decrease in employee levels can be permanent. Members also pressed Dr. Bhattacharya about the Trump administration’s efforts to lead to indirect costs of NIH winners, and Dr. Bhattacharya said, “I will follow the law.” The order to capture an indirect cost of 15 %is currently suspended in the court, but his answer indicates that the Trump administration can pursue a backup option to reduce indirect costs.
FDA
Dr. Makary was pressed by both sides of the passage on his views of various vaccines and drugs approved by the FDA. Dr. Makary has asked Republicans and Democrats for the recent cancellation of the Vaccine Advisory Committee and approval of MIFEPRISTONE. Dr. Makary recently tried to re -evaluate the cancellation of vaccine and related biological product advisory committee (VRBPAC), but the FDA said it should prioritize the recommendations of US scientists. He did not try to maintain the approval of the risk assessment and easing strategy (REMS) for MIFEPRISTONE or current FDA.
Dr. Makary states that when confirmed as a FDA commissioner, he shared limited insights in priorities within the drug approval process and supports regulatory paths that meet certain diseases and indications. He emphasized the importance of actual data, considering the new drug applications, considering the new drug applications. Dr. Makary also emphasized that AI can be used to improve drug development, simplify FDA operations, and improve market surveillance.
Dr. Makary made some notable promises to members of the committee, including the promise to complete the FDA’s current employee level, and improved the current path for the approval of biosimilars and generic drugs without cutting the corner in scientific review, and converted more products from the OTC classification in prescriptions and to the present chemistry to the present chemistry. Re -evaluated the transition to the chemical system used. According to the latter, he mentioned that the United States allows many products and materials that are not in European countries to be on the market. Dr. MAKARY, like the US Minister of Health and Welfare (HHS) Robert F. Kennedy Jr., in a confirmation hearing, Dr. Makary generally re -to meet the future additional ingredients in order to continue to maintain safety to guarantee the products that have been in the market for decades. It has been recognized as the SAFE (Gras) standard that may need a visit.
Dr. Makary’s promise to this item increases the possibility of issuing new regulations or guidelines after confirmation.
