Trump taps RFK Jr. for HHS: Scientists, pharma, biotechs react

Leaders throughout the biopharma world and scientific community struggled to process news on Thursday that President-elect Donald Trump has tapped Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, a move that could have profound implications for drug development, public health policy, and basic research.

If confirmed by the Senate, the environmental lawyer and outspoken vaccine skeptic would be in position to shape policy across the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institutes of Health, among other agencies under HHS jurisdiction. During his campaign, Trump promised to let Kennedy “go wild” on health and medicine policy; the recent news suggests he intends to keep that promise. 

That prospect provoked wide-ranging reactions among leaders in a life sciences community that is still absorbing the ramifications of Trump’s election victory last week.