Vitamin A

The removal ACIP members marks the most significant upheaval to the current vaccine landscape under Trump’s administration. lev radin via Shutterstock. The US department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has culled the 17 Biden-appointed members on the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in a move observers warn is liable to further fuel the spread of vaccine-preventable illnesses. Under the leadership of health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr (RFK Jr), the former ACIP members will be replaced with new members who are currently under consideration. ACIP is the committee responsible for reviewing vaccine data and issuing official government recommendations on immunisations. According to a communique issued by the HHS , ‘reconstituting’ the ACIP will “restore public trust” in vaccines, with the new ACIP members intended to ensure that government scientific activities are informed by “the most credible, reliable, and impartial scientific evidence available”. RFK Jr said a clean sweep is “necessary” to reestablish public confidence in vaccine science, stating that the committee will no longer function as a “rubber stamp for industry profit-taking agendas”. Without removing the current members, the current Trump administration would not have been able to appoint a majority of new members until 2028, RFK Jr wrote. GlobalData Strategic Intelligence US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate? Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis. By GlobalData Learn more about Strategic Intelligence In a comment piece published in the Wall Street Journal on the same day as the HHS press release, RFK Jr pointed to persistent conflicts of interest in ACIP members, alleging that panellists vote on products for financial reasons. The health secretary pointed to historical evidence for this, including an investigation from over 20 years ago. He noted that these conflicts of interest continue to the current day, with ACIP members receiving substantial funding from pharmaceutical companies. The health secretary is known to have publicly questioned the necessity and safety of vaccines in the past, and has previously made baseless claims about the health agencies under the HHS. In a speech at the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in April, RFK Jr claimed that FDA employees were ‘sock puppets’ to the industry they regulate and made dubious claims about the existence of autism. Regarding vaccines, the health secretary denied being anti-vaccination during his senate confirmation hearing, yet has since adopted a laissez faire attitude towards the ongoing measles outbreak in West Texas and suggested that Vitamin A may prove a suitable alternative treatment to measles than a vaccine. Covid-19 vaccine recommendations flashpoint One of the consequences RFK Jr alluded to was the failure to scrutinise vaccine products given to babies and pregnant women. In late May, RFK Jr oversaw a major change to the Covid-19 vaccination schedule, by removing recommendations to children and pregnant women. The American Pharmacists Association (APhA) said it now withholding support for the CDC latest immunisation schedule, citing inconsistencies with scientific evidence. The APhA, which represents around 62,000 members and is considered the largest pharmacist advocacy body in the US, reviews and evaluates the ACIP Adult Immunisation Schedule annually. APhA said it had decided to “withhold endorsing the current ACIP Adult Immunization Schedule issued on May 28, 2025″. The major shake-up to the schedule came via a video announcement from RFK Jr. The changes included a stop to the recommendation of Covid-19 vaccines to healthy children and pregnant women. Up until May, the CDC said that jabs protecting against Covid-19 were safe and effective in these two population groups. It was unusual for the health secretary to first announce the updates themselves, though the CDC eventually updated its website afterwards. APhA said that studies show that people who are pregnant or were recently pregnant are more likely to become ill from Covid-19, more likely to require hospitalisation or intensive care, and have an increased risk of complications that can affect the baby. “APhA’s stance is that pregnancy is a high-risk condition; therefore, people who are pregnant should be recommended to receive the Covid-19 vaccine. The May 2025 updates to the Covid-19 vaccine recommendations do not appear to be based on the scientific evidence provided over the past few years,” the organisation said in a 9 June statement. APhA said it would reconsider its endorsement if future updates were based on scientific evidence. Industry reaction Observers have expressed fears that the removal of the 17 sitting members of ACIP “undermines trust” and upends the duties of the longstanding committee that has “saved countless lives”. President of the American Medical Association (AMA), Bruce A Scott said: “For generations, the ACIP has been a trusted national source of science-and data-driven advice and guidance on the use of vaccines to prevent and control disease. Physicians, parents, community leaders and public health officials rely on them for clinical guidance, public health information. “With an ongoing measles outbreak and routine child vaccination rates declining, this move will further fuel the spread of vaccine-preventable illnesses.” US non-profit, Vaccinate Your Family, highlighted that the ACIP’s recommendations serve as the foundation for determining which vaccines must be covered – without out-of-pocket costs – by public and private insurance programmes, including coverage under the Affordable Care Act and the Vaccines for Children (VFC) programme – both of which collectively protect millions of Americans. “Disrupting ACIP’s work introduces dangerous uncertainty about which vaccines will continue to be covered and whether families will have to pay out of pocket for routine immunisations,” the non-profit said. William Blair analyst Miles Minter said: “We expect that new ACIP members will be installed under the guidance of HHS leadership, including RFK Jr and the Trump administration.” “We view the complete line change at the ACIP as a potential hindrance to the vaccine development space, as we think the new committee members may have more restrictive recommendations on vaccine uptake and use,” Minter added. Health agency cuts Cuts to the ACIP continue Secretary Kennedy’s agenda to reshape the health agencies nested under the HHS. In April, thousands of employees at US health agencies including the CDC, FDA and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) received notices that their jobs were being eliminated as part of the Trump administration’s plans to ‘Make America Healthy Again’. Under the aegis of the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE), a government cost-cutting initiative that was helmed by billionaire Elon Musk, observers have warned that the cuts, over time, are likely to have a deleterious effect on the critical functioning of the agencies, affecting processes such as research funding at the NIH and drug and device review processes at the FDA. To account for the FDA staffing cuts, FDA head Martin Makary recently shepherded in the implementation of generative artificial intelligence (genAI) at the agency following a pilot of the technology’s application in scientific review tasks. Mooted for implementation by 30 June, genAI at the FDA has been rolled out ahead of schedule. Some early reports indicate that the technology is helping to expedite review times , while others note that it ‘struggles’ with basic tasks . Pharmaceutical Technology Excellence Awards - Have you nominated? Nominations are now open for the prestigious Pharmaceutical Technology Excellence Awards - one of the industry's most recognised programmes celebrating innovation, leadership, and impact . This is your chance to showcase your achievements, highlight industry advancements , and gain global recognition . Don't miss the opportunity to be honoured among the best - submit your nomination today! Nominate Now

2025年6月6日是第30个全国“爱眼日”，今年活动的主题是“关注普遍的眼健康”。据调查数据显示，干眼症是目前最常见的眼表疾病，我国干眼症发病率达21%-30%，约有3亿人患病1，需要引起高度重视。1.干眼症的发生及症状泪膜分为三层（脂质层、水液层和黏蛋白层），当泪膜的结构和质量发生变化时，就会发生干眼症干眼可能出现这些表现：眼睛干、视疲劳、眼睛痒、眼睛红、刺痛、烧灼感、怕光、分泌物增多、流泪、异物感等出现以上症状时不要大意，要及时去医院进行诊疗2.哪些人容易得干眼症？上班族：每天持续使用3小时以上的电脑、手机等电子产品的人群，患病率非常高喜欢戴隐形眼镜：隐形眼镜会影响角膜对氧气的摄入，佩戴时间比较长，缺水和缺氧的现象就会加重，从而引发干眼症中老年：随着年龄的增长，身体机能衰退，睑板腺功能降低，泪液分泌功能减弱，更容易得干眼症工作环境特殊的人：长期在空气不流通、粉尘多、烟雾多的场所工作，长时间吹空调或者气候干燥等也容易引发干眼症 3.如何预防干眼症？养成适度眨眼的习惯：规律的眨动眼睛有利于泪液分泌，从而预防干眼症注意用眼卫生：学习工作时，注意保持适当休息并调整姿势，最好让视线能向下约30度，同时避免直接用脏手去揉眼睛减少使用电子产品的时间：使用时间过长容易导致眼睛干涩等状况均衡饮食：多吃一些蔬菜、瓜果、豆类、鱼、动物肝脏、瘦肉、鸡蛋、牛奶等高蛋白而且富含维生素A的食物临床研究显示，69%-86%的干眼人群患有睑板腺功能障碍（MGD）2。目前MGD的基础治疗为物理治疗，药物治疗现有的五种类别尚无一款直接针对MGD治疗的药物。所幸近几年，MGD的药物治疗出现了明显的进步，很多补充脂质层的药物涌现，为MGD的治疗提供了更多的手段，填补了MGD治疗方面的不足和欠缺2。恒瑞医药全氟己基辛烷滴眼液和环孢菌素A滴眼液上市申请均已获得受理，有望为干眼病患者提供更多的治疗选择。此外，公司已有一款治疗干眼症的国内首仿药物上市。未来恒瑞医药将继续关注眼健康，坚持“以患者为中心”的理念，围绕干眼症等眼科疾病临床需求，力争研制出更多更好的新药，点亮“睛”彩未来。参考文献：1.《中国干眼临床诊疗指南（2023年）》2.《中国睑板腺功能障碍专家共识：诊断和治疗（2023年）》内容来源：综合中央市场部排版：程梦真责编：王玲往期精选|  研发创新  |恒瑞创新药、中国首恒瑞创新药瑞坦宁®获批，用于预防成人高度致吐性化疗引起的急性和迟发性恶心呕吐|  国际化  |恒瑞医药再次与德国默克集团达成合作，推进辅助生殖领域口服GnRH拮抗剂商业化落地恒瑞医药与默沙东就Lp(a)抑制剂HRS-5346签订独家许可协议|  重磅奖项  |喜报！恒瑞医药荣获2023年度国家科技进步奖恒瑞医药连续六年入选全球制药企业50强榜单！|  社会公益  |“健康中国行·重走长征路”项目启动仪式圆满举行！恒瑞提供公益支持，助力健康中国恒瑞医药集团向中国扶贫基金会捐赠3000万设立“健康帮扶基金”