With the election determined, one identify is abruptly circulating in healthcare: Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
President-elect Donald Trump has promised Kennedy a big function within the new administration and signaled he could possibly be accountable for guiding the nation’s well being insurance policies. And Kennedy, who is just not a public well being or medical skilled, has made it clear he intends to make sweeping modifications in pharma and healthcare.
This week, Kennedy outlined three objectives directed to him from Trump: “clear up corruption,” return businesses to the “gold customary” of science and “Make America Wholesome Once more.” On the similar time, Kennedy famous he and Trump “haven’t determined but” on what his official function shall be, however he didn’t rule out the potential of main the Division of Well being and Human Companies or performing as a “White Home well being czar,” doubtlessly overseeing FDA, CDC, CMS, NIH and extra.
Whereas his path within the Trump administration is imprecise, Kennedy’s statements throughout personal run for president outlined his ideas on public well being Right here’s what we learn about Kennedy’s stance on varied well being and pharma points.
Capping drug costs
Like many political leaders on either side of the aisle, Kennedy has signaled his help for capping drug prices.
“Legislators ought to cap drug costs in order that firms can’t cost Individuals considerably greater than Europeans pay,” Kennedy wrote in a Wall Road Journal op-ed in September.
Kennedy pointed to Ozempic, Novo Nordisk’s standard diabetes drug, for example, noting that in Germany the drug prices lower than one-tenth of its value within the U.S., the place the checklist worth is round $1,000 per thirty days.
Throughout his first time period, Trump issued an govt order that might have required Medicare to pay not more than the bottom costs in different OECD international locations for medicine. CMS proposed what grew to become often called “essentially the most favored nation” mannequin in November 2020, after Trump misplaced the election, but it surely was rescinded earlier than the top of the yr.
Whereas Trump has since backed away from the coverage Kennedy’s publish place hints that he may revive the strategy.
Vaccines
Within the public well being sphere, Kennedy is maybe most well-known for his anti-vaccine conspiracy theories. Specifically, Kennedy needs to use federal well being knowledge to show vaccines are unsafe, which may get them pulled from the market, Trump transition group officers stated in October.
Nonetheless, Kennedy stated this week he “received’t take away anybody’s vaccines” and as a substitute promoted “selection.” Trump has additionally teetered on his vaccine stance, stating he should still ban some vaccines as soon as in workplace.
Kennedy’s anti-vaccine rhetoric has raised concern amongst some specialists about what sort of well being chief he’d turn out to be.
“If [Kennedy] has a major affect on the subsequent administration, that might additional erode folks’s willingness to stand up thus far with really useful vaccines,” Dr. Jerome Adams, who served as surgeon normal in Trump’s first administration, stated on the American Public Well being Affiliation annual convention not too long ago.
Vaccine shares additionally slid Wednesday morning. Pfizer, Moderna and BioNTech all noticed share costs fall greater than 2%, WSJ reported.
NIH funding
Kennedy additionally needs to upend funding for the Nationwide Institutes of Well being and has touted a plan to “dedicate half of analysis budgets … towards preventive, different and holistic approaches to well being,” he wrote in September.
Notably, Kennedy stated researchers at present don’t have funding to grasp underlying problems with illness, equivalent to food plan. He has additionally said in different interviews that the complete diet division of the FDA, which oversees meals high quality and security, “[has] to go” as a result of “they’re not defending our children.”
Drug advertisements
Kennedy’s mistrust of the pharma business can be underlined in his purpose to revisit direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical advert pointers.
In an op-ed, Kennedy recommended information channels could also be influenced by drug advert income of their well being information protection. Whole advert spending among the many high 10 pharma firms was practically $3 billion final yr.
Weight problems and power illness objectives
Kennedy needs to take up the mantle of battling power illness beneath Trump’s directive with the objective to make substantial enhancements amongst youngsters inside two years.
Trump has questioned whether or not “the overprescription of sure drugs” is in charge weight problems within the U.S. AndKennedy has postulated that the pharma and healthcare industries revenue from chronically sick youngsters.
Some specialists have criticized Kennedy for this stance, arguing that efficient medicines to deal with power ailments are obligatory and useful.
“Kennedy makes it sound as if treating power illness is a nasty factor,” Former CDC Director Tom Frieden wrote in an op-ed final month. “No person needs to need to take medicines to remain wholesome, but it surely’s harmful to insinuate that drugs are the issue.”
Kennedy’s marketing campaign workplace didn’t reply to a request for remark.
