National Center for Health Research

NCHR presentation at GDUFA IV July 2025 generics user fee meeting focuses on including patients and consumers in negotiations with FDA and industry and a Commitment Letter that includes metrics to show improved safety and equivalence for generic drugs.

GDUFA IV Statement of Dr. Diana Zuckerman, President of NCHR Zuckerman NCHR talk at GDUFA July 2025 generics meeting focuses on including patients and consumers and metrics showing improved safety and equivalence

Nearly 368,000 pounds of Oscar Mayer fully cooked turkey bacon are being recalled due to possible listeria contamination. No illnesses have been reported yet, but listeria can cause serious health risks, especially during pregnancy and for older adults and those with weakened immune systems. Check for products with use-by dates July 18-Sept 4 and lot codes RS19, RS40, or RS42.

Nearly 368,000 Pounds of Oscar Mayer Turkey Bacon Recalled Over Possible Listeria Contamination (AP) — Nearly 368,000 pounds of Oscar Mayer turkey bacon products are being recalled over possible contamination with listeria bacteria that can cause food poisoning, federal health officials said Wednesday. No illnesses have been confirmed to date, U.S. agriculture department officials said. Kraf...

RFK Jr. and the movement have made a strong case about the need for reducing chemicals from foods and our environment, so why has the EPA ignored how PFAS is harming our health? After PFAS was discovered in a North Carolina river, the first Trump Administration implemented a PFAS action plan. However, under EPA Secretary Lee Zeldin, the second Trump Administration has cut staff, revoked grants, and delayed plans to reduce PFAS exposure. We strongly urge HHS to convince EPA to Read more here:

Trump’s First EPA Promised to Crack Down on Forever Chemicals. His Second EPA Is Pulling Back. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin claims to prioritize combatting long-lasting chemicals called PFAS. Despite this, the agency has delayed enforcement of standards and terminated over $15 million in funding for “forever chemicals” research.

At the same time HHS is cutting research on cancer and other serious diseases, Deputy Jim O'Neill wants unproven medical treatments to be made widely available and HHS to focus funding on research rather than for current diseases. NCHR and other experts explain that makes patients guinea pigs and fails to help the patients who need treatments that work now.

MIT Technology Review MIT Tech says HHS Deputy Jim O'Neill wants unproven medical treatments widely available and HHS to focus funding on longevity research to live much longer

We recommend this excellent article by new nonpartisan media outlet NOTUS, which gives numerous examples from us and other experts who agree with and 's criticisms of influence on health, but say 's plans to reduce are ineffective and FDA remains overly influenced by . Read more here:

RFK Jr.’s Planned Assault on Corporate Influence Is Clashing With Reality “I haven’t noticed anything different at all,” one lobbyist said. “I don’t know anybody who’s had a problem getting a meeting.”

Will do a better job of protecting patients? FDA is now investigating patient deaths after they got 's gene therapy , which costs $3.2 million per patient. It was studied on children but approved for adults too. Because of the cost, is usually footing the bill. Read more here:

FDA investigates patient deaths after treatment with Sarepta's Duchenne gene therapy Elevidys In one of the first major tests of the new FDA leadership’s regulatory philosophy toward gene therapies for rare diseases, the agency is investigating two Duchenne muscular dystrophy patient deaths | In one of the first major tests of the new FDA leadership’s regulatory philosophy toward gene th...

Living near , since the air is filled with from the water, can increase your chances of developing disease, , and . A study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association shines a light on the health impact of often invisible microplastics in nature.

Living near an ocean polluted by microplastics may increase cardiometabolic disease risk Research Highlights: A study of microplastics in U.S. coastal waters found that residents of counties adjacent to the most heavily microplastic-polluted waters had significantly higher rates of Type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease (plaque-clogged ...

Does my Jell-o need to be so red? Some artificial food dyes can cause cancer and other health problems. NCHR thanks Kraft Heinz and General Mills decision to remove all artificial food dyes from their products by 2027. Sooner would be even better! These changes may affect the color of some products, but is good for children and adults. https://abcnews.go.com/Health/kraft-heinz-remove-artificial-dyes-food-products-2/story?id=122922585 You can see NCHR’s testimony from 2023 on the dangers of Red Dye 3. https://www.center4research.org/nchr-comment-red-dye-petition-fda/

Kraft Heinz, General Mills to remove artificial dyes from food products over next 2 years Kraft Heinz and General Mills announced on Tuesday that they would be removing artificial food dyes from their products within the next two years.

restricts gene therapy for non-ambulatory muscular dystrophy patients after second death. We point out that FDA flexibility “does no favor” to patients who may die from using a questionable treatment. costs $3.2 million per patient and Sarepta has made millions selling questionable treatments for Duchenne muscular dystrophy and has paid the price.

Biotech pauses trial after second patient death linked to gene therapy Sarepta Therapeutics said a second patient had died after receiving its $3.2 million gene therapy to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

We are proud to join many members of the Patient, Consumer, and Public Health Coalition and other nonprofit groups in endorsing a Senate bill that would end direct-to-consumer advertising for prescription drugs. These DTC ads often mislead patients by exaggerating the benefits of medications through music, visuals, celebrity endorsements, and vague promises such as "A chance to live longer" without telling you if it is a big chance or very small chance or if patients lived a few days longer but suffered horribly from nausea, vomiting, and other debilitating side effects. https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/government/sens-sanders-king-introduce-bill-to-end-prescription-drug-advertising/ar-AA1GByGA

Sens. Sanders, King introduce bill to end prescription drug advertising Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Angus King (I-Maine) have introduced legislation that would ban direct-to-consumer drug ads. The End Prescription Drug Ads Now Act would ban prescription drug advertising on television, radio, print, digital platforms, and social media. A news release noted that in 2...

13 years ago SCOTUS limited state gun law restrictions. What's happened since? Fi****ms are the leading cause of death of US children and adolescents. New research published JAMA Pediatrics shows that states with fewer restrictions on guns saw an increase in gun-related homicides and suicides of children and adolescents. See The New York Times article about the study: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/09/health/gun-deaths-children.html?unlocked_article_code=1.N08.qTfE.O795otevjWr2&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare and explore NCHR’s article on gun control: https://www.center4research.org/does-gun-control-really-work/

Does Gun Control Really Work? More research needed to conclude which policies most important at preventing firearm-related deaths, but results suggest stricter gun-control laws may help.

Do we need Mozart in the NICU? There is medical evidence that there are risks as well as benefits of music therapy for preterm infants. Introducing music to preterm infants is not as simple as putting on your favorite song. If used incorrectly, sounds introduced to preterm infants can harm their hearing, heart, and lung function. See this summary in JAMA explaining how we need to protect preterm infants from sounds that can hurt their development https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/article-abstract/2831400