Synthetic opioids, infant formula, vaccine records: Morning Rounds

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Good morning. We have a wealth of insightful reports to share today, so make sure to read through the entire newsletter. Please note, we will not publish a newsletter tomorrow in observance of Juneteenth. We’ll reconnect on Monday.

New announcement, old funds

The Trump administration has declared it will allocate $700 million for mental health and addiction initiatives, which Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. described as new investments. However, behavioral health specialists informed STAT’s Lev Facher that these are, in fact, pre-existing grants previously authorized by Congress and already planned for spending by the federal government.

“We face a significant drug issue in our nation,” Kennedy stated. “While $700 million won’t resolve it, there’s positive news: approximately $50 billion has been earmarked from state litigation against opioid companies, now accessible to states over the next 20 years.” Read more from Lev.

Senate Dems demand federal vaccine records

In other news related to Kennedy: Senate Democrats are initiating an investigation into changes made by the Trump administration to federal vaccine policy, requesting officials to present records by next week. STAT’s Daniel Payne has seen a letter sent by senators to Kennedy, criticizing his modifications to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

Congressional Democrats have consistently voiced concerns about HHS leaders not complying with information requests, and it’s uncertain how this inquiry will differ. Nonetheless, the letter hints at potential directions for future Democratic oversight, especially if they secure a majority post-midterms. Read more on potential developments.

FTC and state AGs sue trans health group

The Federal Trade Commission, along with four state attorneys general, has filed a lawsuit against the leading professional body for gender-affirming care clinicians, accusing it of making false claims to market medical services to children.

The lawsuit targets the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and was submitted in the Northern District of Texas, a federal court known for its conservative stance, where the Trump administration has recently focused its legal actions regarding gender-affirming care. Read more from Bob Herman and me.

Fancy baby formulas under scrutiny

In the United States, infant formula generally maintains a strong safety record. However, the consequences are severe if issues arise. Last year saw two significant incidents where babies fell ill with botulism after consuming contaminated formula from ByHeart, and recently, Nara Organics was associated with three new cases.

“You purchase a product believing it’s safe, only for it to result in hospitalization,” said Katie Connolly, whose daughter became ill. Many parents might believe spending more ensures a superior product, but in the case of baby formula, this isn’t necessarily true. STAT’s Sarah Todd consulted with food safety and regulatory experts on the current state of infant formula supply and potential remedial actions. Read more.

How super-potent synthetic opioids spread

The class of drugs known as nitazenes may be unfamiliar to you, but they’re critical to know about: Nitazenes are potentially 40 times more potent than fentanyl and 500 times stronger than heroin. CDC data reveal a significant rise in overdose deaths involving these drugs, often mixed with other substances to enhance potency, in recent years.

In an extensive open-source investigation, independent reporter Jonathan Moens explored criminal court records, filed freedom of information requests at various government levels, and acquired numerous medical examiner reports to offer a comprehensive account of how these drugs are entering the U.S. and affecting lives. Read more about this lethal and lucrative supply chain and how synthetic opioid manufacturers are adjusting to new regulations.

These terminated diversity programs were working

A recent study revealed that two diversity-focused programs funded by the National Institutes of Health doubled the likelihood of undergraduates earning a Ph.D. But over the last year, both programs, as well as the study funding them, were terminated by the Trump administration.

“Heartbreaking” is how Anna Woodcock, one of the study’s authors, described the abrupt end to the research. It’s “utterly devastating to see two decades of work cut short so suddenly.” Read more from STAT’s Anil Oza on additional insights from existing data on diversity in academia.

What we’re reading

• Luigi Mangione will assert psychiatric defense in murder case in UnitedHealthcare CEO’s killing, AP

• The billion-dollar peptides gold rush, Bloomberg

• DOJ’s swift win in OhioHealth case should have hospitals studying their contracts, experts say, STAT
• AI is taking over hospitals, Atlantic
• Opinion: AI’s growing appetite for power is a public health issue. Here’s a fix, STAT