The Trump administration is eliminating or freezing federal advisory committees, impacting agencies like NASA. Experts Kelly Holley-Bockelmann and Juan Meza express concern that this reduces independent scientific advice, potentially leading to less diverse viewpoints and politically motivated decisions.
A US congressional advisory panel, the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, is making its first trip to China in seven years to investigate the national security implications of the two countries' economic and trade relationship. Chairman Randall Schriver stated the trip aims to understand, not reset, the relationship.
Controversial Harvard cosmologist Avi Loeb, known for his theories on alien life, is heading a new, secret US scientific advisory panel on UFO security risks. The panel, which has requested Pentagon data, aims to analyze unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) from a national security perspective, though some critics question Loeb's unconventional approach and lack of security experience.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has appointed nine new members, many with financial ties or personal promotion of peptide drugs, to an FDA advisory panel. This move comes as the panel is set to review the accessibility of these unproven drugs, despite FDA scientists' concerns about safety and efficacy.
AstraZeneca's experimental breast cancer drug camizestrant faced a setback as a U.S. FDA advisory panel voted 6-3 against approval, citing concerns over the SERENA-6 trial design. The Phase 3 trial showed a 56% reduction in disease progression or death, but panel members weren't convinced early switching improved long-term survival. Shares fell 2% in morning trading, though analysts noted the drug's efficacy wasn't dismissed and the issue shouldn't impact AstraZeneca's $80 billion 2030 sales goal.
