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mbarber.bsky.social
Health economics, law, global health, and access to medicines. https://melissajbarber.github.io. Views my own.
236 posts 2,066 followers 390 following
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Posts 24 Comments 26

As @agencyiq.bsky.social points out, the reduction-in-force at @fda.gov has led to the various centers regulating drugs, biologics, and other medical products to stop communicating to the public including patients and clinicians about its regulatory activities including new drug approvals. #MedSky

submitted 23 hours ago • 1 comment

⚠️ South Africa: Lifesaving scientific research on prevention, testing, treatment and care for people living with #HIV and #tuberculosis is under serious threat due to funding suspensions and grant terminations U.S. government. msfaccess.org/us-funding-c...

submitted 22 hours ago • 1 comment

HELP hearing - RFK says NIH funding increased under Biden and they didn't cure cancer, so Senators should stop saying that funding cuts will be harmful. Wild stuff.

submitted 1 day ago • 0 comments

HELP hearing fact check: contrary to RFK's claim, Eli Lilly is not building a mega-factory that will restore 'US dominance' to the API markets. Also highly unlikely that it is the 'biggest facility in the world.'

submitted 1 day ago • 0 comments

@reshmagar.bsky.social is the real deal and just getting started. Big congratulations on the Bernard Lown Award for Social Responsibility - richly deserved, and such a joy to see her work recognized. (The timeline is wonderful; highly recommend clicking thru). lowninstitute.org/dr-reshma-ra...

submitted 2 days ago • 0 comments

This subsection of the MFN EO should be getting more attention in the press - how will FDA make this decision? Who is reviewing the evidence? This is a very broad set of conditions ... @sarahkarlin-smith.bsky.social @alecgaffney.bsky.social @adamfeuerstein.bsky.social @lizzylawrence.bsky.social

submitted 3 days ago • 1 comment

The headlines today are the China tariffs are paused. To my knowledge - pharma tariffs are still very much on the table. MSF-USA responded to the Dept of Commerce's request for public comment with concerns abt their effects on manufacturing, supply chains, and access. 🧵 1/ bit.ly/MSFpharmatar...

submitted 3 days ago • 1 comment

Incredibly sad news that the only Mycetoma research center in the world was destroyed in Khartoum. Scientists lost 40+ years of samples, a significant setback in the fight against an already neglected disease. www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

submitted 3 days ago • 1 comment

V tired 'AI analysis' of pharma supply chains when we don't collect the basics you need for that. You know the adage garbage in-> garbage out for modeling? This is more like zombie garbage in-> nonsense out. Falsely promising 'AI solves this' disincentivizes investment in desperately needed data.

submitted 11 days ago • 1 comment

📣📣 We are looking for an Assistant Professor (tenure track) in the Department of Global and Public Health @mcgillspgh.bsky.social @healthsciences.mcgill.ca! mcgill.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/mcgill...

submitted 17 days ago • 3 comments

#Special301 (list of US trade grievances against the world) is out today. Will write more later, but 2 highlights: 1) Explicit affirmation that the US still apparently respects Doha 2) The inconsistency on tariffs wd be darkly hilarious if it weren't at risk of collapsing some drug markets.

submitted 17 days ago • 1 comment

The MSF Access Campaign, which after a prolonged difficult period of restructuring has emerged with new branding as *checks notes* "MSF Access," is hiring a regional advisor for Europe and MENA. Application due 8 May. 1/3 msf.recruitee.com/o/regional-a...

submitted 17 days ago • 1 comment

DOGE’s cleaving of @fda.gov has left critical drug databases in disrepair, say current staff. As @reshmagar.bsky.social notes, these systems deliver real-time updates on drug safety & manufacturing—vital for clinicians, patients, payers, & research groups like ours. 📉

submitted 20 days ago • 0 comments

Wild that Sanofi can host a whole health equity conference and skip the health equity area where they have responsibility and complete control - their drug prices. healthequitysummit25.splashthat.com/ps?utm_id=67... 💊🌐

submitted 20 days ago • 0 comments

Why are 20 years of advocating for sustainable, integrated systems being cast aside in favor of old-school vertical "do one thing" programs? Reform, fine—but not at the cost of everything we’ve learned. The “good old days” of vertical programs weren’t actually good. www.cgdev.org/blog/radical...

submitted 21 days ago • 0 comments

Today in PLOS Global Public Health, MSF has published the costs of its landmark TB-PRACTECAL clinical trial. This is the first time the detailed costs of an individual clinical trial have ever been shared, challenging the lack of transparency in drug R&D costs 🧵 journals.plos.org/globalpublic...

submitted 22 days ago • 1 comment

It's hard to overstate how much of a seismic impact PLOS led by @madhupai.bsky.social and BMJ led by @seyeabimbola.bsky.social had on the hellscape that is any academic publishing but esp global health publishing these last few years. Hoping you get some well-deserved rest- thank you for the fight.

submitted 21 days ago • 0 comments

What did it cost for @msf.org to run a large TB clinical trial? €33.9 million Well done MSF for this transparent analysis! journals.plos.org/globalpublic...

submitted 22 days ago • 0 comments

We're told clinical trials are super expensive. MSF's landmark clinical trial helped identify a shorter, oral treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis & cost €33.9 million. Time for transparency on R&D costs from Big Pharma. @mbarber.bsky.social @dgotham.bsky.social msfaccess.org/call-transpa...

submitted 21 days ago • 0 comments

Novo's exit from insulin markets continues apace. timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/novo-n... Context: Here's what happened when they left SA: www.nytimes.com/2024/06/19/h... + I wrote on why trusting manufacturers to be nice is dumb discontinuations policy. www.healthaffairs.org/content/fore...

submitted 23 days ago • 0 comments

I think most people have a hard time believing that the USAID/PEPFAR cuts are as bad as they are bc it's impossible to stomach that policymakers would knowingly kill millions. But this is what is happening. PEPFAR supported antiretroviral therapy for 20.6 million people. www.npr.org/sections/goa...

submitted 24 days ago • 2 comments

A necessary and incisive take from @mbarber.bsky.social, cutting through a cacophony of simplistic "us against them" rhetoric we are seeing - and will continue to see - around meds.

submitted 24 days ago • 1 comment

Californians can now buy a twin-pack of generic Narcan for $24 a pop via the CalRx website: www.sacbee.com/news/politic...

submitted 24 days ago • 0 comments

I get why Palantir is doing this kind of frenzied fearmongering - it's a grift. But serious people - please stop falling for this. A few thoughts on the current rhetoric around US/China relations on medical innovation and supply chains. 🧵 1/ www.wsj.com/opinion/the-...

submitted 24 days ago • 1 comment