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Half of Kennedy's Appointees to Panel Can Keep Drug Stocks
Newser • • world
Key Points:
- Four of the eight members appointed in September to the US Preventive Services Task Force by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. were allowed to retain stock in major pharmaceutical and health companies, according to conflict-of-interest waivers.
- These holdings include shares in prominent firms such as Eli Lilly, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Pfizer, Novo Nordisk, CVS Health, and Cigna, raising concerns about potential biases in the panel's recommendations.
- The task force's recommendations influence medical services coverage by insurers, doctors' decisions, and the market success of drugs and medical devices, making impartiality critical.
- Former task force members and officials warn that allowing stock ownership could undermine the rigor and public trust in the task force's guidance.
- The previous standard required candidates to divest such holdings or decline appointment, a policy that changed under the administrations of President Trump and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
