What We're Reading: Gottlieb Has "Right-to-Try" Concerns; Trump and Abortion Restrictions; NIH Halts Alcohol Study

Gottlieb Says Latest Version of "Right-To-Try" Bill Does Not Contain Much FDA Input

FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, expressed concerns about a version of a “right-to-try” bill the House of Representatives might pass next week, STAT reported. The bill, from Senator Ron Johnson, R-Wisconsin, didn’t include as much of the FDA’s input as an earlier version, which passed the House in March before stalling in the Senate. Gottlieb later said that the FDA’s concerns could be addressed through the administrative process if the bill becomes law.

Trump Administration Takes Abortion Fight to Health Clinics

The Trump administration is set to reinstate rules prohibiting clinics that receive federal funding from providing abortions or referring patients to places that do, in a move targeted at Planned Parenthood, The New York Times reported. The rule change is a top priority of social conservatives. Officials from the American College of Physicians and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have said the policy would harm women’s health.

NIH Halts Controversial Moderate Drinking Study Funded by Industry

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has frozen a highly criticized $100 million, 10-year study of moderate drinking backed by the alcoholic beverage industry, The Washington Post reported. The research was to be funded via a private foundation that supports the NIH. While some studies have suggested 1 drink a day may provide a health benefit, the conclusion remains controversial, and the guidelines recommend that people who don’t drink alcohol shouldn’t start.