Backlog of work grows at NIH as staff members are being hounded to quit

The Directors: Directors of two Midwestern cancer centers tell us about the challenging healthcare economics in rural areas
“Institutions are feeling crunched in so many different directions”

How’s this for a paradox: The better cancer centers become at keeping patients alive, the more expensive cancer care becomes. This brutal tradeoff hits harder in rural areas, where the cancer burden is higher and the investigator and clinical trial representation is lower.

June 26, 2026

Vol.52 No.25

By Paul Goldberg and Claire Marie Porter

Regulatory News

To keep the early clinical trial enterprise in the U.S., HHS pledges to simplify regulatory requirements

HHS earlier this week rolled out a cluster of initiatives related to simplifying clinical trials, presenting these measures as a government-wide effort to maintain America’s leadership in early-stage drug development.

OMB draft rule politicizing research should be rescinded, House Dems urge in a letter to Bhattacharya

Democratic leaders of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce are urging NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya to voice objections to a proposed rule from the Office of Management and Budget that would give the administration unprecendented political control over government-funded science.

FDA approves Tecelra for pediatric synovial sarcoma

FDA granted full approval of Tecelra (afamitresgene autoleucel) and expanded its indication to include pediatric patients 12 years of age and older with unresectable or metastatic synovial sarcoma who have received prior chemotherapy, are HLA-A*02:01P, -A*02:02P, -A*02:03P, or -A*02:06P positive and whose tumor expresses the MAGE-A4 antigen as determined by FDA-approved or cleared companion diagnostic devices.

June 26, 2026

Vol.52 No.25

News Analysis

FDA clears a way for dramatic reduction in animal toxicology studies in cancer

FDA has issued a draft guidance to reduce unnecessary animal testing in nonclinical safety assessments for some cancer pharmaceuticals.

June 18, 2026

Vol.52 No.24

By Claire Marie Porter

In Brief

NCI renews the UC San Diego Moores CCSG, committing $25M

University of California San Diego Moores Cancer Center has received a five-year, $25 million Cancer Center Support Grant from NCI.

June 18, 2026

Vol.52 No.24

Backlog of work grows at NIH as staff members are being hounded to quit

YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN

The Directors: Directors of two Midwestern cancer centers tell us about the challenging healthcare economics in rural areas
“Institutions are feeling crunched in so many different directions”

To keep the early clinical trial enterprise in the U.S., HHS pledges to simplify regulatory requirements

OMB draft rule politicizing research should be rescinded, House Dems urge in a letter to Bhattacharya

FDA approves Tecelra for pediatric synovial sarcoma

FDA clears a way for dramatic reduction in animal toxicology studies in cancer

NCI renews the UC San Diego Moores CCSG, committing $25M

Renew today!

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Backlog of work grows at NIH as staff members are being hounded to quit

YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN

The Directors: Directors of two Midwestern cancer centers tell us about the challenging healthcare economics in rural areas“Institutions are feeling crunched in so many different directions”

To keep the early clinical trial enterprise in the U.S., HHS pledges to simplify regulatory requirements

OMB draft rule politicizing research should be rescinded, House Dems urge in a letter to Bhattacharya

FDA approves Tecelra for pediatric synovial sarcoma

FDA clears a way for dramatic reduction in animal toxicology studies in cancer

NCI renews the UC San Diego Moores CCSG, committing $25M

Never miss an issue!

Login

The Directors: Directors of two Midwestern cancer centers tell us about the challenging healthcare economics in rural areas
“Institutions are feeling crunched in so many different directions”