Episode #47 Deep Dive – The Drug Price Reform Big Pharma Fears
A deep dive into this week's episode of Paging America
››› Casey Means promoted companies that sold unsafe products
Trump’s pick for Surgeon General – often called “The Nation’s Doctor” – has long had a newsletter that, as Rolling Stone describes it, “pitches products from the wellness brands that paid to sponsor the newsletter: health powders, teas, skincare, snacks, cleaning products — and even luggage.” But Rolling Stone’s analysis shows that not all the brands that help her earn thousands of dollars in promotional compensation are “the epitome of health and safety that she has claimed them to be”:
At least five of her sponsors sold products allegedly either containing hazardous ingredients, unsafe levels of lead and cadmium, or even traces of the forever chemical PFOA, a review by Rolling Stone has found. [...]
[I]n 2022, Daily Harvest’s French Lentil & Leek Crumbles sent more than 130 people to the hospital, some for acute liver failure, and 39 had their gall bladders removed, due to the use of tara flour, an ingredient not recognized as safe by the Food and Drug Administration.
People interviewed by Rolling Stone questioned how Means, who is NOT a practicing physician and lacks the license to be one, could be Surgeon General. Dr. Vin Gupta said, “Her promoters say that her biggest qualification is that she almost became a doctor and decided she didn’t want to be. If that’s her qualification, she shouldn’t be the nation’s doctor.”
››› RFK Jr. is coming for your coffee and donuts
At a rally in Austin, Texas last week, RFK Jr. said, “We’re going to ask Dunkin’ Donuts and Starbucks, ‘Show us the safety data that show that it’s OK for a teenage girl to drink an iced coffee with 115 grams of sugar in it. I don’t think they’re going to be able to do it.'”
The response to Kennedy’s comments was swift and immediate, inspiring memes like one of a snake wrapped around a Dunkin’ Donut iced coffee drink, with the caption: “Donut Tread On Me.” Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey tweeted a picture of a flag appearing to be the 1835 “Come and Take It” flag first used at the start of the Texas Revolution, with the usual cannon replaced by a Dunkin’ cup.
Kennedy later backtracked a bit saying, “No one is taking away your Dunkin’. But isn’t it reasonable to ask whether a drink loaded with 180 grams of sugar is safe?”
The entire scenario is another example of how hard it is to fight back against Kennedy. Along with truly extreme and sometimes crackpot things he does, he sprinkles in some commonsense things, as well. In addition to creating widespread vaccine skepticism, for example, he is also encouraging people to eat less ultra-processed foods.
However, it may also be, as Newsweek reporter Jasmine Laws put it, “RFK Jr.’s most difficult battle yet”:
[T]he backlash to his Dunkin’ and Starbucks comments highlights a broader political reality: MAHA’s easiest victories come when reform can be framed as protecting consumers from hidden dangers. Its hardest battles emerge when reform feels like a judgment on consumer behavior itself.
››› Thanks to RFK Jr., an independent autism advisory panel has been created
Spurred by Kennedy’s conjecture-based beliefs about the causes of autism, a group of prominent scientists have launched an independent autism advisory panel to counter the one he has filled with his own appointees:
The shadow committee will focus on developing a coordinated scientific agenda for autism research and will function as a counterweight to the advisory board Kennedy reshaped in January by appointing new members. Many of those members have echoed his controversial views, including promoting debunked claims linking vaccines to autism and advocating for unproven treatments.
The new independent group will do more than speak out against misinformation, Alison Singer, president of the Autism Science Foundation and member of the group, said in a statement Tuesday. The group will create a research agenda that reflects the progress and promise of autism science and report annually on key research advances, including basic research on genes and cells, environmental causes, early detection, therapeutics and services.
In related news about autism, The Washington Post reports that, despite vowing to “go bold” on autism and touting leucovorin as something akin to a wonder cure, the FDA has pulled back on suggesting it as a treatment. It is expanding approval for leucovorin, but only for a separate condition that some people with autism also have — not for autism itself.
To show the impact Kennedy’s misinformation can have, here’s more from the Post:
Pediatricians and specialists reported being inundated with calls from parents seeking prescriptions [for leucovorin]. On social media, anecdotes quickly filled the vacuum left by limited data: Some parents described striking improvements; others said the drug had made little difference at all.
Last week, researchers reported in the journal The Lancet that outpatient prescriptions for leucovorin rose 71 percent among children ages 5-17 from roughly three months before Trump’s September announcement to three months afterward — suggesting the administration’s comments may have changed medical decision-making. The authors expressed concern that the jump in the use of leucovorin “might confer false expectations and unnecessary side effects.”
››› A new poll shows that Americans do NOT trust RFK Jr.
The poll was conducted by the University of Pennsylvania:
From reporting by The Washington Post:
Americans express greater confidence in federal career scientists and independent medical groups than in the political leaders running U.S. health agencies, and they are more likely to accept vaccine recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics than from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to a University of Pennsylvania survey. [...]
Americans express greater confidence in federal career scientists and independent medical groups than in the political leaders running U.S. health agencies, and they are more likely to accept vaccine recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics than from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to a University of Pennsylvania survey.
Confidence in the CDC, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health hovered around 75% during the Biden administration. Since Trump’s second term began, trust in the agencies has dropped to just over 60%.
But 67% of adults said they have confidence in career scientists at agencies such as the CDC, NIH and FDA to provide trustworthy information about public health.
››› New Navigator polling shows that Republicans are in deep trouble heading into the Midterms
Here are some of the key takeaways from the poll (titled “Perceptions of Health Care in the Congressional Battleground”) which was conducted February 3-9:
Battleground constituents overwhelmingly say that health care costs have gone up over the last year.
Battleground constituents think Congress can make an impact on lowering the cost of health care, as three quarters say that they think Congress can do a great deal to lower costs.
Democrats in Congress have an 8-point trust advantage over Republicans on making health care more affordable.
Both the cuts to Medicaid and ending the Affordable Care Act tax credits are unpopular
A majority think those Republican actions will raise costs.
Links for a deeper dive on Episode #47
Rolling Stone: RFK Jr’s Pick For Surgeon General Cashed In Promoting Companies With a History of Unsafe Products
Sign the Committee’s letter to stop Casey Means from becoming Surgeon General: ProtectMed.org/caseymeans
The Hill: RFK Jr. puts Dunkin’ on notice; Massachusetts governor says ‘come and take it’
Newsweek: RFK Jr.’s Dunkin’ Plan Sparks Avalanche of Jokes, Memes
“Donut Tread on Me” meme on X
Newsweek: RFK Jr. Responds to Backlash Over Dunkin’ Comments
Newsweek: Dunkin’ Might Be RFK Jr.’s Most Difficult Battle Yet
The Washington Post: Scientists create autism panel, citing RFK Jr.’s politicization of research
The Washington Post: FDA scales back vision for drug it touted as possible treatment for autism
Annenberg Public Policy Center: Stark Divide: Americans More Confident in Career Scientists at U.S. Health Agencies Than Leaders
The Washington Post: A new poll shows who Americans trust over the CDC
NBC News: RFK Jr. vowed to restore public trust in health. It’s not working, a new survey suggests.
Navigator: Perceptions of Health Care in the Congressional Battleground
Delegate Karrie Delaney’s website is HERE
STAT: Virginia lawmakers push a new approach to a prescription drug affordability board
The Virginia Independent: Virginia prescription drug affordability bill would lower costs of medicines
Ballotpedia: Virginia Right to Reproductive Freedom Amendment (2026)
Virginia Mercury: Bedford County supervisor files suit challenging reproductive rights constitutional amendment
Dr. Chris Ford’s podcast Pulse Check: Wisconsin