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How lobbyist strategies are changing under Trump

February 23, 2026
February 23, 2026
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Morning Rounds Writer and Reporter

Good morning. The Olympics are officially over, and while I didn't watch much, I can't stop thinking about Alysa Liu's free skate. Specifically the last minute or so, after all the big jumps are done, and she's dancing and sliding on her knees across the ice. It's exuberant. 

lobbying

How drugmakers are navigating Trump's FDA

GettyImages-2239812291

Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

Historically, decisions made by the FDA about the drugs that Americans take have been largely shielded from political influence. "It was always the case: if it's FDA, leave it alone," one lobbyist recently told STAT's Daniel Payne and Lizzy Lawrence. But under the Trump administration, the strategy is morphing, with an emphasis on "currying favor" with top administration officials, as another lobbyist put it.

The shift is occurring against a backdrop of monumental turbulence at the agency: Longtime experts have been pushed out and overruled. Officials have been dismissed, then brought back. Career scientists have time and again expressed horror at what they describe as long-term damage being done to a cornerstone of American health. And in response, FDA leaders have tried to soothe concerns about political influence.

Read more from Daniel and Lizzy. They spoke with lobbyists, advisers, FDA officials, and more about how the pharmaceutical industry is working to capitalize on the current moment. And afterward, read their accompanying write-up of the top lobbyists helping drugmakers try to influence the agency.

reproductive health

ACOG's first guidance to diagnose endometriosis

While a pelvic laparoscopy has long been considered the gold standard for diagnosing endometriosis, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said in clinical guidance released Friday that only an assessment of symptoms or a physical examination are needed to initiate treatment. Endometriosis involves the growth of lesions made of cells similar to internal uterine lining outside of the uterus. Chronic pelvic pain, severe menstrual cramps, painful urination, difficulty pooping, and infertility are all, individually, symptoms that should lead clinicians to suspect the condition, according to ACOG.

It's the first time the professional group has released guidance on diagnosing endometriosis. A transvaginal ultrasound should be the first imaging tool used for diagnosis, per the recommendations. If it's not possible or the results are unclear, ACOG recommends turning to a pelvic MRI, and after that, a laparoscopy.

Notably, ACOG recommended against the use of biomarker tests that analyze blood, urine, or other samples. As I reported last month, more and more startups are attempting to develop such tools. But the guidelines note that there's been no evidence to show the tools are better than either a laparoscopy or an analysis of a patient's medical history in combination with a physical exam and pelvic ultrasound.

cardiovascular health

Less plaque + smaller arteries =

Some context for this equation: Medicine is still learning about the ways cisgender women's bodies differ from cisgender men's. When it comes to heart health, women tend to have lower volumes of plaque than men. But they also have smaller coronary arteries, meaning the math comes out to a similar risk profile.

STAT's Elizabeth Cooney wrote about a study published this morning in Circulation: Cardiovascular Imaging that breaks this all down. "Traditional risk models — largely developed in male populations — may not fully capture the biology of atherosclerosis in women," lead author Jan Brendel told Liz over email. Read more on how to calculate women's risk for heart attacks.

video

'We are going to replace most doctors with AI … that's the future'

STAT/Alex Hogan 

That's a bold prediction made by biotech investor Robert Nelsen at a STAT event last month in San Francisco. STAT's Alex Hogan posted a clip of Nelsen on the STATus Report Instagram account and, as Alex put it, the comments section has been popping off ever since.

In a new video, Alex spoke with health tech reporter Mario Aguilar about what he thinks of Nelsen's comment, the kinds of tasks that might be delegated to AI, and how some companies have already deployed algorithms to do the work. And watch all the way to the end to see how Nelsen responded to online criticism of his comment.

mental health

People with intellectual and development disabilities have higher rates of anxiety, depression

Adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities already face significant hurdles navigating the American health care system to receive proper care. A new JAMA Open Network study found that they also experience significantly higher rates of mental illness compared to their non-disabled peers.

Researchers analyzed data from nearly 800 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in a pool of 44,000 adults and found that they were more than five times as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety or depression. It is the first national estimate of mental health symptom prevalence in this population, which includes people with autism and Down syndrome. 

"When accessing mental health care, I haven't had a whole lot of places to go because they all turn me away because of a disability ... they tend to see the disability first and not the person," said Kayte Barton, who lives in Minnesota and has autism and an intellectual disability. — O. Rose Broderick

first opinion

What does it mean to be a 'provider,' anyway?

Call a spade a spade, and a doctor a doctor. "Provider" is just another term introduced by business folks that turns patients into economic abstractions, argues Lois Snyder Sulmasy, a medical ethicist and attorney, in a new First Opinion essay. See also: "covered lives," "heads in beds," and patient "leakage."

"Language affects how patients view their care and physicians view their responsibilities," Snyder Sulmasy writes. Read more about why the word "provider" has been criticized over the years and why it matters.

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What we're reading

  • 'They better take away duct tape': Trans men say they'll keep binding despite FDA crackdown, The 19th

  • Health care reform might be a focus in midterms. For Congress, pursuing it will be an uphill climb, STAT
  • New documents reveal a controversial vaccine study's unusual path to CDC approval, Rolling Stone
  • Nature Medicine to investigate study that found cancer treatment is better in morning, STAT

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