President-elect Donald J. Trump plans to nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the Health and Human Services Department, where his authority over pharmaceuticals would be restricted. Ozempic? Robert F. Kennedy Jr. expresses discontent. He stated to Greg Gutfeld on Fox News prior to the election, “If we provided healthy food, three meals a day, to every individual in our country, we could instantly resolve the issues of obesity and diabetes.” He mentioned that the drug’s manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, is “relying on selling it to Americans due to our ignorance and addiction to drugs.” His views could merely be opinions. Now that President-elect Donald J. Trump has announced his intention to nominate Mr. Kennedy to head the federal Department of Health and Human Services, Mr. Kennedy may acquire the authority to translate some of his views into federal policies. He has not indicated that he will restrict access to Ozempic or any other medications. He did not respond to inquiries regarding his potential actions as secretary of health and human services. Here’s an overview of the authority he would possess in that position. Can a health secretary overturn a drug’s approval? The brief response is no. The Food and Drug Administration is a component of the Health and Human Services Department, but the secretary does not directly authorize drugs. The F.D.A. would need to initiate any effort to revoke the approval of the obesity drugs. Holly Fernandez Lynch, a law professor at the University of Pennsylvania with expertise in F.D.A. drug approval standards, clarified what is required for this process. She stated that reasons for withdrawal include strong evidence that a drug is unsafe or ineffective.
