Tag: FDA

Mehmet Oz, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Marty Makary, Jay Bhattacharya, Vinay Prasad

Marty Makary and Vinay Prasad embrace a “more fluid concept of evidence” at the FDA

Last Thursday during a roundtable on stem cell therapies, new FDA Commissioner Marty Makary referred to EBM levels of evidence as an artificial and dogmatic construct. Apparently Dr. David Katz's "more fluid concept of evidence" now reigns at the FDA—selectively.

/ June 9, 2025
Trofim Lysenko

“Make America Healthy Again”: The new Lysenkoism

Trofim Lysenko was a Soviet scientist whose dogmatic science denialism led to mass famine when his ideas were applied to agriculture. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is a lot like Lysenko in his science denial. Will his results be as disastrous?

/ March 31, 2025
Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (RFK Jr.)

How Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will undermine and ultimately destroy US vaccination programs

When Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was nominated to be Secretary of Health & Human Services, I called him an "extinction-level threat" to public health. Here's how he will attempt to make vaccines extinct in the US.

/ February 24, 2025
RFK Jr. and Donald Trump's health picks vs. vaccination

Antivaxxers, grifters, and quacks: RFK Jr.’s MAHA takes over federal health agencies

President-Elect Donald Trump has now announced most of picks to lead critical federal health agencies. These picks predictably prioritize grift, quackery, and antivax ideology.

/ November 25, 2024

FDA poised to reshape the cold remedy aisle

The FDA is proposing to order the removal of phenylephrine from oral cough and cold remedies.

/ November 21, 2024
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK Jr.) and Donald Trump. MAHA vs. FDA

RFK Jr. declares MAHA war against the FDA

In a post on X/Twitter, antivaxxer turned Trump supporter Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. declared MAHA war on the FDA, should Trump be elected. What would this actually mean in practice?

/ October 28, 2024
Donald Trump and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. (RFK Jr.)

RFK Jr.’s MAHA manifesto: How not to “make America healthy again”

Shortly after endorsing Donald Trump for President, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed he and Trump will "make America healthy again." His proposals to do that range from semi-reasonable to outright quackery.

/ September 9, 2024
Donald Trump

Donald Trump bragged that “right-to-try” has saved thousands of lives. It hasn’t.

Former President Donald Trump bragged in his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention that "right-to-try" had saved "thousands of lives"? What's the real story? (Hint: Nowhere near that.)

/ July 22, 2024
Alex Jones

The Truth vs. Alex Jones: How the DSHEA of 1994 gave conspiracy mongers the means to fund their empires

As the HBO documentary The Truth vs. Alex Jones shows, Alex Jones promoted the conspiracy theory that the Sandy Hook massacre was a hoax to sell his supplement line. It's a model that many Internet conspiracy theorists use, like Mike Adams. Did the DSHEA help create Alex Jones and the modern conspiracy industry?

/ April 1, 2024
Macular degeneration

Pegcetacoplan (Syfovre™) for macular degeneration: an update

SBM's guest contributor and ophthalmologist, Dr. David Weinberg, provides an update on the phase 3 trials of pegcetacoplan for macular degeneration. The results are still disappointing.

/ January 11, 2024