Just days after President Trump imposed broad restrictions on communications, meetings, travel and public appearances at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is clarifying the extent of the freeze’s effect.
"Procurement, contracting, traveling and hiring at NIH are continuing for anything directly related to human safety, human or animal healthcare, security, biosafety, biosecurity and IT security," the NIH wrote in an emailed statement to Fierce Biotech.
"At this time, no new studies are being launched," the agency added. Purchasing and hiring for studies that began before Jan. 20, however, will continue.
The continuation of ongoing clinical trials and "mission-critical" studies was originally reported by STAT News and based on an internal memo written by acting NIH director Matthew Memoli, M.D., that STAT obtained.
The HHS pause does not apply to mass communications and public appearances that are directly related to emergencies or critical to preserving health, the NIH said.
"This is a short pause to allow the new team to set up a process for review and prioritization," the agency wrote. "There are exceptions for announcements that HHS divisions believe are mission critical, but they will be made on a case-by-case basis."
Trump's pick to lead the NIH, Stanford economist Jay Bhattacharya, M.D., Ph.D., has not yet been confirmed. His nomination has been referred to committee, but not scheduled, according to the committee’s website.
Meanwhile, HHS head nominee Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is scheduled for two nomination hearings this week with the Senate Committee on Finance and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
The new administration is also aiming to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion programs throughout the government, according to a White House release. As a result, the FDA’s guidance detailing diversity action plans for clinical trials has been taken down from the agency’s website and similar pages have also been removed from the websites of the NIH, the National Cancer Institute, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Oncology Center of Excellence.