Latest news with #EricFeigl-Ding
Gulf Today
11-05-2025
- Business
- Gulf Today
Tariffs on meds will make America sick
Eric Feigl-Ding, Tribune News Service During the past few weeks, President Donald Trump's on-again, off-again tariff wars have rattled the stock market, decimated many Americans' retirement funds and promised to send grocery prices soaring — and his administration hasn't even gotten to critical pharmaceutical tariffs yet. But that will likely be the next shoe to drop. Trump exempted pharmaceuticals from his first round of tariffs in early April, but recently declared that he intends to impose 'a major tariff' on imported medicines 'very shortly.' These tariffs, he claims, will prompt pharmaceutical companies to leave countries including China and India and begin 'opening up their plants all over the place.' Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in a television interview in mid-April that these tariffs are coming in the 'next month or two.' What will this mean for Americans? The majority of brand name drugs used in the United States are imported. Even generic drugs often rely on ingredients and direct imports from China, including pain relievers and cardiovascular drugs used by millions. The United States was already facing a drug shortage crisis before Trump's tariff announcement — now, his policies will drive up not only the cost of medicines, but also other health care items such as X-ray machines and medical instruments. Already, Americans already pay two to three times more for prescription drugs than other developed countries. More than half of US adults say they're worried about being able to afford their medications. Now compound that by skyrocketing costs of basic drug ingredients and increased costs of finished pills. Trump cannot just stomp his feet and make domestic pharmaceutical manufacturers suddenly open dozens of new manufacturing plants. Opening a single new manufacturing facility and making sure it is able to meet high quality standards for pharmaceutical production can cost up to $2 billion and take five to 10 years. And pharma companies won't make that investment unless it is cost-effective and furthers their own profits — which will definitely pass on even higher drug costs to consumers. Trump's proposed drug tariffs also threaten the nation's pandemic preparedness. Key active pharmaceutical ingredients for COVID-19 treatments such as remdesivir, key influenza drugs such as oseltamivir and other respiratory virus therapies depend heavily on Chinese and Indian production. Tariffs will force pharmaceutical companies to slash inventories or seek costly alternatives. With only 53% of US generic drug ingredients produced domestically, we will face imminent shortages if we tariff drug ingredients. With shortages in supply will come higher costs, and higher costs will lead to people skipping doses or forgoing critical medicines altogether — which will ultimately lead to more emergency care costs from heart attacks and strokes that would otherwise have been prevented. While we face this pointless standoff between Trump and other countries, entire industries and people's lives are on the line. Think about the patients who will die if their medicine costs go up by 50% or even 100%. How many of us can absorb that expense, especially for seniors living on a fixed income? What if you have a chronic condition and face these added taxes monthly? Weekly? Daily? What if your retirement savings already took a hit in the Trump market chaos, and you're bracing for the costs of groceries and daily living expenses to rise as well? China currently manufactures Stanley tumblers for $1 a piece and Nike shoes for $10 — they sell for $50 and $150, respectively. Now translate these margins to raw ingredients and finished pill manufacturing costs if the US were to domestically produce all Chinese-made medicines. Plus, not forget the added toxic pollution from drug factories that the US consumer avoids as well from manufacturing abroad. Altogether, American patients benefit from global trade. Trump's tariffs punish US patients, revealing a cold calculus where corporate profit trumps human lives. Prior to Trump's return to office, the United States was well on its way to lowering prescription drug costs. The Inflation Reduction Act allowed Medicare to finally negotiate for lower drug prices. But Trump's tariffs will send prices soaring, and cause critical shortages of life saving medicines that treat diabetes, heart disease, cancers and more. The people who can least afford it will suffer, and some will not survive.
Int'l Business Times
07-05-2025
- Health
- Int'l Business Times
Trump Shuts Down CDC Infection Control Committee: Report
Members revealed that the termination already took effect late in March The HICPAC's page on the CDC website has also been archived Industry experts expressed disappointment over the committee's 'ghastly' termination The Trump government has shut down an advisory committee under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that provided guidance to healthcare facilities to prevent the spread of infections. The Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) issued national standards for hand-washing, mask-wearing and isolating sick patients that most U.S. hospitals follow. Four committee members said the CDC delivered the news about Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee's termination to members on Friday. NBC News reported Tuesday, citing four committee members and the CDC's letter notifying the committee about the news. The HICPAC issued national standards for handwashing, mask-wearing and isolating sick patients that most U.S. hospitals follow. Trump Axes Critical Health Care Committee According to the letter reviewed by the outlet, the termination aligns with President Donald Trump's government downsizing strategy. He signed an executive order that directed federal agencies to trim down their workforces. Committee members said they received the termination letter after a virtual meeting Friday, but in reality, the termination already took effect on March 31. Dr. Anurag Malani, who joined HICPAC in January, said the committee was nearing the completion of new guidelines for airborne pathogens before the team was terminated. The official page of the Committee has since been archived as of late Sunday. "This page is archived for historical purposes and is no longer being updated," a pop-up states upon clicking the HICPAC link. Experts Blast 'Death' of HICPAC As news of the committee's termination spread, field experts weighed in on the Trump administration's decision to axe a crucial advisory panel. Epidemiology expert and health economist Dr. Eric Feigl-Ding, called the move "ghastly." He pointed out how important the HICPAC has been for American public health. "The committee is now dead; long live hospital infections," he wrote Sunday. GHASTLY—Trump administration has shut down CDC's infection control committee HICPAC, which issued guidance about preventing the spread of infections in health care facilities. The Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC) crafted national standards for… — Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) May 7, 2025 Days before news broke of the termination notice, MedPage Today reported that "several members" of the committee already received termination letters. At the time, industry experts expressed concern over the move, including Carol McLay, president of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology. She said dismantling HICPAC would result in "more patients having healthcare-associated infections." Former HICPAC chair Hilary Babcock said the committee's role "is just really crucial" and losing it would have a significant impact on American healthcare. Trump has yet to address concerns around his administration's cuts on healthcare panels and workforces. The Trump administration is faced with a lawsuit from Democratic attorneys general across 19 states and Washington, D.C. over culling of federal health-related divisions. Trump's administration also facing several lawsuits over federal funding cuts, including one from elite Harvard University.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
American Airlines passengers scramble onto wing to flee burning engine as plane lands at Denver airport
Passengers on an American Airlines flight that landed at Denver airport Thursday evening were forced to evacuate onto the wing of the plane when an aircraft engine caught fire. Dozens of passengers could be seen crammed onto the wing as clouds of white, then thick black smoke began enveloping the plane. Some passengers evacuated from the aircraft via emergency slides. The fire was extinguished and all passengers were evacuated, an airport spokesperson told CNN. Twelve passengers were taken to a local hospital with minor injuries, according to the Denver Fire Department. There were 172 passengers and six crew members aboard, The engine caught fire as the American Airlines Flight 1006 was taxiing down the runway in Denver. The Boeing 737-800 aircraft had been headed from Colorado Springs to Dallas-Fort Worth, but was diverted to Denver at 5:15 p.m. when the crew reported 'engine vibrations,' according to a statement from the Federal Aviation Administration. 'After landing and while taxiing to the gate an engine caught fire,' the statement said. An FAA investigation is ongoing. People evaluating an American Airlines plane that's on fire at Denver Airport….what is happening — Wu Tang is for the Children (@WUTangKids) March 14, 2025 The pilot notified air traffic controllers in Denver that the plane was experiencing engine issues, but that it was not an emergency, according to air traffic control audio. 'American 10,006, uh, 1006 just to verify not an emergency still, correct?' the controller asked in audio captured on 'Nah, we just have a high engine vibration so we are cruising slower than normal,' the pilot said. But several minutes later after the plane landed, someone on the radio yelled 'Mayday, Mayday, Mayday! Mayday! Engine fire!' America is on fire… the airline too (Denver airport tonight) — Eric Feigl-Ding (@DrEricDing) March 14, 2025 One of the plane's passengers, Gabrielle Hibbitts, told CBS News Colorado: "As soon as the plane landed, we smelled this weird burning plastic smell and then everybody started screaming and saying there was a fire." She said once she and her sister were a safe distance away, "We saw the plane ... and there was smoke everywhere." Their mother, Ingrid Hibbitts, told CBS: "It was surreal. I was like, 'Is this gonna blow up. ... What's happening here? Are they gonna be able to put out the fire?'' She added: ' I'm really grateful that this happened on the ground because if this happened in the air, I don't think I'd be standing here telling you the story." American Airlines issued a statement thanking 'our crew members, DEN [Denver] team and first responders for their quick and decisive action with the safety of everyone on board and on the ground as the priority.' BREAKING: An American Airlines plane carrying 178 people appeared to catch fire on the tarmac after making an emergency landing at Denver International Airport Thursday evening, forcing passengers to evacuate by climbing out onto the wing of the plane. — CBS News (@CBSNews) March 14, 2025 The fire was just the latest in a troubling series of serious plane accidents. An Army helicopter collision with a commercial jet at Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C., killed 67 people on January 29. Just two days later six people onboard and another person on the ground were killed when medical transportation jet crashed in Philadelphia. In early February a commuter plane crashed in western Alaska on its way to Nome, killing all 10 people on board. On February 18 at least 18 people were injured when a Delta Airlines plane carrying 80 passengers flipped over as it was landing at the Toronto airport. All survived. The troubling accidents have occurred amid upheaval during the Trump administration as Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency has fired FAA personnel.
