American trust in health agencies is falling

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Good morning. After several days filled with out-of-town colleagues and friends, I’m experiencing a touch of the post-Summit blues today. Fortunately, I have today off to fully indulge in that feeling. Continue reading for the latest updates, and I’ll catch up with you next week.

Trump Reaches Agreement on IVF

Officials at the White House announced a new agreement between the Trump administration and fertility therapeutics company EMD Serono aimed at enhancing coverage and affordability of IVF and related services. As part of this initiative, the company has committed to providing direct-to-consumer sales for its IVF therapies and will engage with the TrumpRx purchasing platform in 2026.

Fertility treatments have had a particular focus from the administration, as Trump campaigned on expanding IVF access, seeking universal coverage even when some Republican-led states pushed for laws affecting embryo creation by declaring life as starting at conception. This announcement marks the third agreement made with a drug manufacturer under Trump’s leadership, following deals with Pfizer and AstraZeneca. Read more from STAT’s Daniel Payne and Lizzy Lawrence about the details of the agreement and its implications.

Highlights from Day Two of the STAT Summit

Here are some key points from yesterday’s engaging sessions:

• In a discussion with STAT’s Chelsea Cirruzzo, American Medical Association President Bobby Mukkamala justified the AMA’s tempered advocacy approach towards the Trump administration while emphasizing alignment on matters like prior authorization. Read more about his insightful comments.
• Following the recruitment of former top FDA official Peter Marks, Eli Lilly’s Chief Scientific Officer Dan Skovronsky explained to STAT’s Matt Herper that while he acknowledges the “revolving door” criticisms, preventing public officials from transitioning to private industry would hinder medical advancements. Read more by STAT’s Ed Silverman.
• A significant takeaway from a discussion featuring former NIH leaders? Despite the upheaval of the previous year, the most challenging times might still be ahead. “It’s like living inside a washing machine,” stated Jeremy Berg in a conversation with STAT’s Anil Oza. Read more from STAT’s O. Rose Broderick.
• Joe Kennedy III expressed his “great memories” from growing up with his uncle, health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., but voiced “grave concerns about the safety and integrity of our health system,” which motivated him to critique his uncle’s role as health secretary. Read more from STAT’s Sarah Todd regarding Kennedy’s dialogue with STAT’s executive editor Rick Berke.
• Although many components of the new Medicaid work requirements remain vague, states are beginning to feel the weight of approaching deadlines, stated three current and former state Medicaid directors to STAT’s Tara Bannow. Work requirements are planned to commence by January 1, 2027 — “The next 14 months are going to fly by,” noted MassHealth Undersecretary Mike Levine. STAT’s Isabella Cueto will provide further details later today.

Study Reveals Deteriorating Mental Health Among LGBTQ+ Youth

According to an interim report from a longitudinal study conducted by the Trevor Project, young LGBTQ+ individuals are facing increased mental health challenges, higher exposure to conversion therapy, and diminished access to mental health services. The report compiled data from over 1,600 LGBTQ+ youth ages 13 to 24, surveyed biannually between late 2023 and early 2025. Key findings include:

• The percentage of respondents reporting anxiety symptoms climbed from 57% to 68% from the study’s onset to March 2025. Those indicating depressive symptoms increased from 48% to 54%, while suicidal ideation rose from 41% to 47%.
• Throughout the study duration, physical harassment and threats related to sexual orientation or gender identity remained frequent. Approximately one-third of respondents faced harassment due to their sexual orientation, and two-fifths of trans and nonbinary individuals experienced targeting based on their gender identity.
• The percentage of youth desiring mental health care who could obtain it decreased from 80% to 60%. Barriers cited included costs and fears of not being taken seriously or being involuntarily committed.
• The exposure to conversion therapy efforts rose from 9% at the start of the study to 15% by March 2025.

Visionaries in Virology: Two Emerging Scientists

I recommend exploring these profiles of two new Wunderkind honorees:

Sydney Ramirez, a clinical and research fellow with a freshly minted Ph.D. in coronavirus virology, quickly realized her expertise could address urgent questions about SARS-CoV-2 at the onset of the Covid pandemic. Consequently, she gathered data, often personally retrieving blood samples from patients across San Diego while her daughter stayed with her parents for safety. This initial rush of effort resulted in one of the first studies on Covid, demonstrating an immune response was triggered by the disease. Read more from STAT contributor Allessandra DiCorato about how Ramirez manages her critical scientific work alongside her responsibilities as a single mother. As she expressed to DiCorato: “There are definitely days when I feel like I’m excelling in one ‘job’ over the other.”

Rafael Michita is breaking new ground in another area of infectious disease: the maternal-fetal transmission of viruses. His research, initiated during his postdoctoral work in 2021, is among the first to indicate that thin filaments connecting infected cells to neighboring cells may allow viruses to penetrate the placenta. At the time, Michita’s lab leader hadn’t even encountered the concept of tunneling nanotubes, but recognized Michita’s commitment and potential. Read more from STAT contributor Justin Chen about Michita’s journey from the Brazilian countryside to one of the foremost laboratories studying Zika virus infections as he prepares to establish his own lab soon.

Declining Trust in U.S. Health Agencies

New poll findings from the Axios/Ipsos American Health Index indicate that Americans have less faith in the CDC and the FDA compared to the end of last year, primarily driven by dwindling confidence among Democrats. Among over 1,000 participants, trust in the CDC decreased from 66% last December to 60% in June, and further down to 54% this month. A similar trend was observed for the FDA, where trust diminished from 60% last December to 52% now.

Confidence in federal leaders shows a mixed picture as well. Just 19% of respondents believe that the policies implemented by President Trump and health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have improved the nation’s health, while 41% argue they have worsened it, and 36% see no substantial impact. These findings resonate with earlier polling revealing nearly 60% of the population disapproves of Robert Kennedy’s overall performance.

What We’re Reading

• Device Claims to Safeguard Athletes’ Brains, Yet FDA Records Show Doubts, Washington Post

• FDA Announces Initial Nine Recipients of Priority Drug Review Vouchers, STAT

• Chronicle of America’s Addiction to Ultra-Processed Food, New York Times

• Biotech Leaders Assert FDA’s Uncertainty Hinders Drug Development, STAT
• Anti-Trans Policies Fail to Halt Genital Mutilation — They Impede Efforts to Combat It, The 19th
• First Opinion: The Radical Democratization of Academic Medicine, STAT