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benecal.bsky.social
Bénédicte C
@benecal.bsky.social
1.2K followers 2.5K following 6.4K posts
Biosciences & Tech policy
Post about research, innovation, public health, politics & policy making, regulation, disinfo
She/Her/Antifacist
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benecal.bsky.social
JD Vance is an anti vaxxer. In Sept 2025 he enlisted NIH Acting Director Memoli's help against an OH hospital so that his relative would not "have" to get a COVID vaccine before a pediatric HEART TRANSPLANT.

Memoli comes off badly here too.

www.nytimes.com/2025/09/04/h...
As the N.I.H.’s acting director, the complaints say, Dr. Memoli leaned on his subordinates in early February to take the side of Vice President JD Vance in a dispute his family had with a hospital in Ohio. The hospital had required that a young relative of Mr. Vance’s be vaccinated against Covid-19 before she received a heart transplant.
November 18, 2025 at 11:01 AM
benecal.bsky.social
Interview w The Onion’s Ben Collins is excellent. Lots of fun quotes.

The goal for buying InfoWars Collins says is to create a site to expose grifters and their business scams. So fitting!

english.elpais.com/technology/2...
Answer: to create a site focused on showing how everything in American life is a scam… not just Alex Jones. Almost every kind of drifter on the internet is selling you something behind the scenes, using their cult of personality to do it.
November 17, 2025 at 9:27 AM
benecal.bsky.social
Articles like this are a reminder that propaganda works and that public interest really is malleable.

We were treated to years of QANON hallucinations & stories about their deeply held beliefs. And now they have real life child trafficking and now it’s “whatever”.
November 15, 2025 at 4:07 PM
benecal.bsky.social
To reduce disagreement to a battle about data vs stories is a straw man.

Public health relies on data for decision making.

MAHA leaders wants to pretend data is dumb so they can ignore what is inconvenient & enact policies they like.
While many in public health remain convinced that the best way to counter health misinformation is with data, this conference made clear that data alone won’t do it. For many in the room, the “facts” we roll out arrive pre-contested — manufactured by pharma, laundered through government, delivered by people they don’t trust. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) underscored this point in his video address, praising “powerful anecdotal evidence” as the key to “open people’s eyes.”
November 14, 2025 at 10:33 PM
benecal.bsky.social
The article talks about the vast sums spent by antivax groups on PR and comms, their political strategy of reversing state vaccine mandates & the federal vaccine schedule, and litigating against pharma.

The counter to a well organized antivax bz empire cannot be just "showing up" to talk.
What might is showing up — listening, engaging, and communicating better. The leaders applauded at CHD, including Kennedy, are seen as truth-tellers who stand up despite the costs. Public health needs to reclaim that same moral authority: to be seen as standing for truth with equal courage and clarity.
November 14, 2025 at 10:33 PM
benecal.bsky.social
Anyhow, nothing particularly surprising in the attendees, or the random assortment of topics. Just gross.
The panel topics throughout the summit in the draft agenda obtained by STAT could offer insight into the most pressing issues in American health care: the “FDA of the future,” “how AI is transforming health care,” “compounding and pharmacy innovation,” “psychedelic medicine: the next frontier in mental health,” “making American biotech accelerate (MABA),” and “transformation at the NIH.” The closing keynote, slated after an “eloquent rant” from Russell Brand, will be delivered by Kennedy himself.
November 12, 2025 at 5:14 PM
benecal.bsky.social
For industry there is "exclusive networking" available. Or pay to play, I guess. Regeneron, CRISPR Therapeutics will be there. Guess they aren't inviting any mRNA developers.

Oh and Joe Lonsdale of the Thiel universe on the finance end of things. Dodgy DOGE and Abundance Institute connections.
They plan to talk to industry and MAHA leaders about a wide range of high-priority issues, from the future of the FDA and NIH to artificial intelligence in health care, biotech development, GLP-1s, and food as medicine. Those in attendance will also be able to take advantage of “exclusive networking” with the powerful leaders, according to a copy of the invite viewed by STAT.
November 12, 2025 at 5:14 PM
benecal.bsky.social
So the target customer is the under or un-insured. The person least likely to have cash on hand to pay for expensive though discounted drugs.

Trump has talked about, but not obtained, any agreement from companies to cut prices they offer to Medicaid, Medicare, and commercial payers.
Trump has made other demands of the pharmaceutical industry as part of his so-called “most-favored nations” plan, including that companies cut prices that they offer to Medicaid, Medicare, and commercial payers. Yet the notion of implementing direct-to-consumer models is the only one with which the industry has publicly agreed.
November 12, 2025 at 5:03 PM
benecal.bsky.social
TrumpRx -- what is it?

For the moment, it's a website.

With a dark picture of Trump at his desk looking like he might pounce if he were capable of standing on his own.

The last place I would go for my drugs.

trumprx.gov
November 12, 2025 at 11:21 AM
benecal.bsky.social
Death knell for the CDC:

Experts writing guidelines on pediatric liver transplantation are no longer citing the CDC on immunization because its information is no longer trustworthy.

Great job RFK. So much winning.

www.statnews.com/2025/11/11/a...
Elsewhere at the conference, experts who helped write forthcoming guidelines on pediatric liver transplantation said they decided to leave the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention out of their references. The “information on immunization isn’t trustworthy anymore,” Simon Horslen of CHOP said. Instead, the guidelines — which are slated to go public in coming weeks — will reference professional societies’ documents.
November 12, 2025 at 10:25 AM
benecal.bsky.social
My fuse with the NYTimes is already short. But healthcare is a political issue that is a weakness for DEMOCRATS?

JFC in NYTimes speak everything is a problem for Democrats and Republicans skate by w zero criticism.

How, pray tell is healthcare a STRENGTH for Republicans???
They assert that in hammering away at the extension of health care subsidies that are slated to expire at the end of next month, they managed to thrust Mr. Trump and Republicans onto the defensive, elevating a political issue that has long been a major weakness for them.
November 12, 2025 at 10:05 AM
benecal.bsky.social
We know this crap is error prone, hallucinogenic and easily corrupted by bad inputs...

But come to our free webinar where we sell you a product that we pretend is smarter than you but really needs you to be smarter than it. Capice?
Expert-Direct Applied Intelligence: Redefining AI in Life Sciences Harnessing AI with human expertise to engineer breakthrough value
November 12, 2025 at 9:36 AM
benecal.bsky.social
Note how focused the NYT is on the interests of the pharmaceutical INDUSTRY.

Now look at the NYT reporting on Thursday's TrumpRx announcement.

The CONSUMER is the focus. "You" are going to pay less for drugs under Trump. No ink wasted on the interests of industry.
What Trump’s New Drug Pricing Deal Means for People With Obesity The president’s agreement with drug companies involves a range of prices, depending on dose, product and how you’re paying. President Trump’s latest drug pricing deal, which would lower the costs of obesity medication, carries a flurry of new prices that will vary based on which product and dose you’re taking and how you’re paying.
November 8, 2025 at 12:03 PM
benecal.bsky.social
The negotiation of drug prices for CMS was made possible by Democrats with no R support under the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

Biden negotiated pricing for the first tranche of 10 drugs. Reporting was very hand-wring, lots of gov't overreach, isn't this socialism?

NYT headline from 2023
Drugmakers Are ‘Throwing the Kitchen Sink’ to Halt Medicare Price Negotiations The government will soon announce the first 10 medications that will be subject to price negotiations with Medicare under a new law. Drugmakers are fighting the measure in court. The pharmaceutical industry, which suffered a stinging defeat last year when President Biden signed a law authorizing Medicare to negotiate the price of some prescription medicines, is now waging a broad-based assault on the measure — just as the negotiations are about to begin.
November 8, 2025 at 12:03 PM
benecal.bsky.social
WaPo reports on parents now asking about leucovorin as a supplement for autistic children...

Now that Trump, RFK and Makary have hyped its benefits based on one small Indian study which suggests it may help result in modest change in symptoms and behaviors as part of other therapy.
These days, Jeste said, many parents are asking her about leucovorin, a form of vitamin B9, to treat autism in children, which has shown some promise but lacks rigorous clinical trials proving benefit. Kennedy and President Donald Trump have widely promoted the generic cancer drug, and the Food and Drug Administration recently said it will approve it for patients with cerebral folate deficiency, often associated with the symptoms of autism. The move set off a wave of hope among families coping with autism but also drew warnings about the many unknowns. Kennedy and Trump have also promoted the debunked theory that vaccines cause autism.
November 7, 2025 at 9:51 AM
benecal.bsky.social
Karma.
Monday evening, Makary was scheduled to appear at the Wall Street Journal’s Future of Health event in Washington, D.C., a prime opportunity to talk about streamlining policy and getting drugs to market faster while tightening regulatory excesses. Sometime on Monday, the Wall Street Journal removed Makary’s name from the event page.
November 5, 2025 at 9:11 AM
benecal.bsky.social
Former Commissioners, FDA staffers, investors, entrepreneurs, lawyers are all yelling S-O-S.
The news over the weekend shocked agency employees. “It is impossible for dedicated career FDA staff to responsibly regulate new products, conduct groundbreaking research, and manage FDA’s resources on behalf of the American public,” said one agency staffer. “The situation is not salvageable. We need our many stakeholders, legislators, and pharmaceutical companies to demand better and to insist on change now, from the top of FDA and HHS down.”
November 5, 2025 at 9:11 AM
benecal.bsky.social
I hope we can stay grounded in the science too.

But RFK and his buddies, Makary and Bhattacharya, are completely untethered chaos agents.
When asked about his thoughts on the leucovorin situation, John Maraganore, co-CEO of Corsera Health and the former CEO of Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, said, “I would hope that we can stay grounded in science.”
November 5, 2025 at 8:44 AM
benecal.bsky.social
This is outrageous. Bausch & Lomb at fault, but also Congress could have built in some sort price gauging regulatory oversight...

www.statnews.com/2025/10/31/w...
In December 2019, Bausch & Lomb, formerly a division of Valeant, acquired the exclusive license for the commercialization and development in the United States and Canada for NOV03, now called Miebo in the U.S. Rather than getting an approval for an OTC drug, like it is in Europe, Bausch secured U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval as a prescription medication, subsequently pricing it at a high level. Currently, according to GoodRx, a monthly supply of Miebo will cost $830.27 at Walgreens, and it’s listed at $818.38 on Amazon Pharmacy.
November 4, 2025 at 9:13 AM
benecal.bsky.social
For a low, low fee of $397. Or $77 online.
Does 7 have a meaning? Seems odd.

So now the global pandemic was "unprecedented"?
But while it was happening y'all said it was no big deal and just government overreach.

These jabberwocking idiots...
We are at a defining moment in human history. With the effects of an unprecedented, global pandemic still reverberating, and after decades of struggling to be seen, heard, and understood, the health freedom community and its mission have finally reached the national and global stages. This is, in every sense, a moment of truth for the world.
November 3, 2025 at 8:44 AM
benecal.bsky.social
Children Health Defense Fund is having a "conference" this week.

Cheryl Hines will be there, how bout hubby?
Andrew Wakefield and Peter McCullough who wrote s dumb review of the causes of Autism funded by Shanahan, RFK's billionaire babe running mate.
Fearless leaders Johnson and Paul.
CHD's 2025 Conference in Austin TX with headshots of speakers including Cheryl Hines, Ladapo, Ron Johnson, Rand Paul, Russel Brand, Andrew Wakefield, Peter McCullough, Brett Weinstein
November 3, 2025 at 8:44 AM
benecal.bsky.social
Tidmarsh thought the process for FDA approval these new health products was illegal.

www.nytimes.com/2025/11/02/h...

Because they were handpicked by the FDA Commissioner? Because the approval process ignored passed guidance or practice?
Because of the type of data and studies submitted or not?
“The effort was going to basically change the entire paradigm of the legal underpinnings of drug approvals that have for decades supported the actions on the safety and effectiveness of drugs,” Dr. Tidmarsh said. “There was insufficient legal support for what they wanted to do, and so I didn’t agree.”
November 2, 2025 at 11:53 PM
benecal.bsky.social
Tidmarsh says that he raised questions about the FDA's Priority Review Vouchers announced Oct 16th. These are 9 techs that will get fast tracked thru a (hobbled) FDA.

For the record, I too was perplexed and wondered how they got chosen and why...

bsky.app/profile/bene...
Dr. Tidmarsh said his concerns stemmed from the F.D.A.’s announcement in mid-October that it would approve a slate of drugs in record time. The program was meant to convey quick authorizations to drugs that reflected the administration’s priorities, which included addressing unmet medical needs or supporting lower pricing. Candidates for the program included a drug meant to help people break their addiction to vaping and another meant to help children who were born deaf.
November 2, 2025 at 11:53 PM
benecal.bsky.social
This article about Prasad's tenure at FDA is devastating.

But not sure why they quoted his longtime co-conspirator, John Mandrola, as if he were an objective observer of the FDA... "Everyone at the FDA is corrupt and my buddy is a beacon of light". Sure John.
“One of the struggles FDA and other government divisions have is recruiting strong, honest thinkers,” said John Mandrola, a cardiologist who has worked closely with Prasad on the newsletter Sensible Medicine. “A person in mid-late career would have to drop everything — usually a very high salary — to go work in Washington. Vinay has done that, and Americans should be grateful that he made this choice.”
November 2, 2025 at 12:58 PM
benecal.bsky.social
Lifestyle medicine?
As a randomized trial?
But in EHR networks?
Launch a coordinated national lifestyle-medicine initiative that embeds real-world randomized trials—covering integrated interventions in movement, diet, light exposure, and sleep timing—within existing cohorts and EHR networks.
October 28, 2025 at 12:50 PM