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David Lim

@davidlim.bsky.social

Health reporter @POLITICO covering Covid-19 and the FDA. Prescription Pulse co-author.

7,056 Followers  |  289 Following  |  10 Posts  |  Joined: 06.07.2023  |  1.5977

Latest posts by davidlim.bsky.social on Bluesky

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There’s one vice RFK Jr. isn’t talking about The health secretary, who wants Americans to make healthier choices, rarely mentions smoking.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he wants to tackle the underlying causes of chronic disease in America.

But he rarely mentions the nation's leading cause of preventable deaths: smoking.

w/ Danny Nguyen: www.politico.com/news/2025/06...

11.06.2025 14:28 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

The goal, some say, is to target advisers with perceived conflicts interest.

Comes as CDC's ACIP meeting next week is postponed.

Will be interesting to watch Sen. Bill Cassidy's reaction, who said he was assured ACIP will be maintained without changes before voting to confirm Kennedy.

20.02.2025 19:23 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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RFK Jr. prepares shake-up of vaccine advisers The health secretary is planning to remove members of a panel that recommends vaccines if he sees conflicts of interest.

NEW: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is preparing to remove members of key outside committees that advise the government on vaccine approvals and recommendations.

w/ @adamcancryn.bsky.social + @gardnerlm19.bsky.social: www.politico.com/news/2025/02...

20.02.2025 19:23 β€” πŸ‘ 37    πŸ” 30    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 6
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If you're impacted by the firings at HHS and would like to talk to a reporter, my Signal information is below.

Can talk on the record, off the record or on background - and I can explain what each of those mean.

17.02.2025 17:44 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee weighs in on HHS firings:

17.02.2025 17:39 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Trump administration firings hit key office handling bird flu response The layoffs in USDA's National Animal Health Laboratory Network program office come as egg prices reach record high amid worsening outbreak.

The Trump administration fired several employees in a key office handling the nation’s response to bird flu. Their loss will make testing and tracking of the virus slower, I’m told.

My latest:
www.politico.com/news/2025/02...

16.02.2025 18:45 β€” πŸ‘ 16    πŸ” 14    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 1
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Mass firings continue across nation’s health agencies The cuts have raised questions about the extent of the impact on public health.

Firings at FDA include cuts to inspectors and medical product reviewers.

Deep concern about impacts to the medical device center. Overall, nearly 700 probationary employees appear impacted at the agency.

w/ @adamcancryn.bsky.social + @meganmesserly.bsky.social + more:

16.02.2025 22:48 β€” πŸ‘ 35    πŸ” 32    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 7
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CDC Posts, Then Deletes, Data on Bird Flu Transmission Between Cats and People (Gift Article) The data, which appeared fleetingly online on Wednesday, confirmed transmission in two households. Scientists called on the agency to release the full report.

SCOOP: Cats that became infected with bird flu might have spread the virus to humans in the same household and vice versa, according to data that briefly appeared online in a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention but then abruptly vanished.

www.nytimes.com/2025/02/06/h...

06.02.2025 23:15 β€” πŸ‘ 4480    πŸ” 2499    πŸ’¬ 163    πŸ“Œ 406
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In a first, scientists find microplastics are building up deep in our brains A new study shows that microplastics are making their way into our brains, and that their numbers are rising.

Amid everything, a new study finds that microplastics are accumulating in human brains.

β€œEvery time we scratch the surface, it uncovers a whole host of, β€˜Oh, is this worse than we thought?’” lead author Matthew Campen told me last fall.

A short thread: 1/

www.washingtonpost.com/climate-envi...

03.02.2025 16:13 β€” πŸ‘ 400    πŸ” 193    πŸ’¬ 16    πŸ“Œ 52
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POLITICO Pro: Trump’s FDA team taking shape: Brenner expected to be tapped as acting commissioner The decision follows the tradition of elevating career agency staff during presidential transitions to temporarily lead the agency.

From @davidlim.bsky.social and @adamfeuerstein.bsky.social at Politico Pro: Career official Sara Brenner expected to be tapped as acting FDA commissioner
subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2025...

21.01.2025 19:09 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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POLITICO Pro: Trump taps Brooks to lead HHS landing team The pick lends policy heft to a Trump health team that has faced scrutiny over its top nominees' lack of government experience.

SCOOP: John Brooks is leading President-elect Donald Trump's HHS landing team.

w/ @adamcancryn.bsky.social
subscriber.politicopro.com/article/2024...

17.12.2024 17:31 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Reprising this from my AEI colleague Ben Ippolito on the cost of Medicare coverage for GLP-1s. CMS appears to see writing on wall here: As additional indications are approved, most Medicare recipients will get coverage for other co-morbidities. Also, Semaglutide subject to IRA price controls in 2027

26.11.2024 15:24 β€” πŸ‘ 30    πŸ” 14    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1
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Trump weighing O’Neill for HHS deputy secretary A close adviser to Peter Thiel with ties across Silicon Valley, O'Neill reentered the mix in recent days for the No. 2 HHS job.

News: Jim O'Neill is being weighed by Trump for HHS deputy secretary per 3 people familiar with the talks.

He has advocated for people to be able to take drugs once safety, but not effectiveness, is reviewed by the FDA.

w/ @adamcancryn.bsky.social + Lauren Gardner:
www.politico.com/news/2024/11...

25.11.2024 20:39 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 6    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1
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Project 2025 author rejected for top health position Anti-abortion groups had been pushing former Trump administration official Roger Severino for Health and Human Services deputy secretary.

News: Senior Trump officials rejected an effort to install Project 2025 author ROGER SEVERINO as RFK Jr’s deputy health secretary.

The push failed over concerns Severino’s strident anti-abortion views would prove too controversial. www.politico.com/news/2024/11...

21.11.2024 19:33 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 5    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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Trump considering bringing Vought back to lead OMB Trump's first-term OMB director was also a prominent contributor to the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 blueprint.

President-elect Donald Trump is considering giving Russell Vought, his previous Office of Management and Budget director, his old job back.

www.politico.com/live-updates...

19.11.2024 20:03 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Trump transition closes in on picks for top health posts Many of the candidates are allies of RFK Jr. and have maligned the agencies they would oversee.

The Trump transition is closing in on a number of names for top health posts across HHS.

w/ @adamcancryn.bsky.social
www.politico.com/news/2024/11...

19.11.2024 18:23 β€” πŸ‘ 7    πŸ” 8    πŸ’¬ 3    πŸ“Œ 7

when you look at the net cost GLP1s won’t be my most expensive drug by far, Kinsley said, most expensive will be Dupixent, don't see that drug on the front page he said.

13.11.2024 14:58 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

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