New wave of health and STEM candidates could reshape US science policy A massive cancer drug deal, a new license for gut-targeted drugs, and both regulatory and company-led halts on clinical trials led the news this week. Brought to you byDDN editorial team

New wave of health and STEM candidates could reshape US science policy A massive cancer drug deal, a new license for gut-targeted drugs, and both regulatory and company-led halts on clinical trials led the news this week. Brought to you byDDN editorial team https://www.drugdiscoverynews.com/new-wave-of-health-and-stem-candidates-could-reshape-us-science-policy-17640 The election of a new wave of candidates with backgrounds in medicine, science, and engineering could have implications for US health and science policy as the country grapples with healthcare costs, research funding, and disputes over vaccines and public health. The victories included Dr Amy Acton, Ohio’s former health director who was elected governor of Ohio, Dr Abdul El-Sayed, a public health administrator who won a US Senate seat in Michigan, and Dr Jasmine Clark, a microbiologist and molecular geneticist who was elected as Congress woman of the state of Georgia. STEM professionals remain relatively rare in elected office — fewer than 10 percent of members of Congress have backgrounds in medicine, public health, or engineering — potentially giving the incoming lawmakers greater influence and expertise over debates on healthcare access, federal research funding, and public health policy at a time of major changes to the US scientific and public health infrastructure. – Bree Foster