CMS Drug Payment Experiment Heads Toward Showdown on Capitol Hill

Premarin’s 84-year hold on the market ends as FDA approves a generic version
Trade secret protections helped the hormone drug resist generic entry and outlast safety controversies—including link to cancer

A story is told that after first obtaining approval for marketing Premarin in 1942, Wyeth Laboratories didn’t lock up the secret recipe for making the hormonal drug in a company safe, to be guarded by patent lawyers.

January 23, 2026

Vol.52 No.03

By Claire Marie Porter

Capitol Hill

Spending bill passed by the House gives NIH $415M raise, NCI gets $128M
Legislation caps proportion of NIH grants to receive multiyear funding; indirect costs remain untouched

The U.S. House of Representatives Jan. 22 passed a three-bill minibus package that is expected to be the grand finale of the drama of the fiscal year 2026 appropriations process. The package, which funds the HHS as well as the departments of Defense, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Labor, and Education, gives NIH and NCI modest raises over FY25, and nullifies several aggressive cuts the White House had proposed for NIH.

Fifth time’s a charm? Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act is included in FY26 spending bill

Sometime next week, the Senate is expected to vote on a legislative package that would determine the fiscal year 2026 spending levels for much of the federal government. xxx:moreReaders of The Cancer Letter may be breathing a sigh of relief that NIH seems like

Blood Cancer United: A new name at the right moment

This past summer, the organization I lead, formerly known as The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, announced our new name: Blood Cancer United. It reflects our ongoing commitment to the entire blood cancer community—patients, families, caregivers, researchers, healthcare professionals, and partners—and our work to advance progress for those impacted by all types of blood cancer.

January 23, 2026

Vol.52 No.03

By E. Anders Kolb

Opening doors to immunotherapy in prostate cancer: A roadmap from clinic to community

Prostate cancer remains a formidable challenge, particularly in its advanced stages, where bone metastases and treatment resistance dominate outcomes. At City of Hope, our focus is on leveraging immunotherapy to transform this landscape.

January 23, 2026

Vol.52 No.03

By Tanya Dorff

In the Archives

Bernie Lewinsky’s collection of artifacts captures “the learning curve” of radiation oncology

Over his five decades as a radiation oncologist, Bernie Lewinsky has been collecting the relics of radiotherapy.

January 23, 2026

Vol.52 No.03

By Sara Willa Ernst

CMS Drug Payment Experiment Heads Toward Showdown on Capitol Hill

YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN

Premarin’s 84-year hold on the market ends as FDA approves a generic version
Trade secret protections helped the hormone drug resist generic entry and outlast safety controversies—including link to cancer

Spending bill passed by the House gives NIH $415M raise, NCI gets $128M
Legislation caps proportion of NIH grants to receive multiyear funding; indirect costs remain untouched

Fifth time’s a charm? Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act is included in FY26 spending bill

Blood Cancer United: A new name at the right moment

Opening doors to immunotherapy in prostate cancer: A roadmap from clinic to community

Bernie Lewinsky’s collection of artifacts captures “the learning curve” of radiation oncology

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CMS Drug Payment Experiment Heads Toward Showdown on Capitol Hill

YOU MAY BE INTERESTED IN

Premarin’s 84-year hold on the market ends as FDA approves a generic versionTrade secret protections helped the hormone drug resist generic entry and outlast safety controversies—including link to cancer

Spending bill passed by the House gives NIH $415M raise, NCI gets $128MLegislation caps proportion of NIH grants to receive multiyear funding; indirect costs remain untouched

Fifth time’s a charm? Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act is included in FY26 spending bill

Blood Cancer United: A new name at the right moment

Opening doors to immunotherapy in prostate cancer: A roadmap from clinic to community

Bernie Lewinsky’s collection of artifacts captures “the learning curve” of radiation oncology

Never miss an issue!

Login

Premarin’s 84-year hold on the market ends as FDA approves a generic version
Trade secret protections helped the hormone drug resist generic entry and outlast safety controversies—including link to cancer

Spending bill passed by the House gives NIH $415M raise, NCI gets $128M
Legislation caps proportion of NIH grants to receive multiyear funding; indirect costs remain untouched