STAT+: Pharmalittle: We're reading about RFK Jr. looking to shrink the FDA, an AstraZeneca exec held in China, and more

Rise and shine, everyone, another busy day is on the way. We can tell by the number of motor vehicles passing outside our window and the furious panting of the official mascots as they forage for breakfast on the campus grounds. As for us, we are engaged in the usual ritual of brewing cups of stimulation. Our choice today is hazelnut mocha. As always, you are invited to join us. The neurons could use all the help they can get. Meanwhile, here is the latest menu of tidbits for you to digest as you embark on your own journey today, which we hope is satisfying and rewarding. On that note, time to hustle. Best of luck, and do keep in touch. …

Former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is slated to hold a potentially big role in a new Trump administration, said there are “entire departments” within the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that “have to go,” The Hill informs us. “In some categories … there are entire departments, like the nutrition department at the FDA … that have to go, that are not doing their job, they’re not protecting our kids,” Kennedy said during an interview on MSNBC. Last week, Kennedy said Trump assured him he would get a role in The White House if he won the presidential election. “We don’t know what I’m going to do. I talked to the president about it yesterday, and he asked me what I wanted, and I said, we’re developing a proposal now,” Kennedy said during a separate interview on Fox News, where he was asked if he would be U.S. Health and Human Services secretary. That job would require Senate confirmation. Republicans appear likely to have a majority in the Senate of at least 52 seats, but it is unclear how easy it would be to get Kennedy confirmed. There has been plenty of speculation that Kennedy would serve in a role that does not require Senate confirmation.

The executive in charge of AstraZeneca operations in China is under detention by Chinese authorities who are investigating employees there, STAT writes. The disclosure, made by company officials, comes after AstraZeneca acknowledged last week that Leon Wang, an executive vice president who also oversees international operations for the drugmaker, was being investigated along with a “small number” of employees. By then, police in China had arrested five current and former AstraZeneca employees for questioning about potential illegal activities. The individuals, who were detained last summer, are all Chinese citizens who marketed drugs in the oncology division. The company confirmed one former executive is Eva Yin, who is now chief commercial officer at BeiGene in China. Before joining Beigene in January 2022, Yin had worked for AstraZeneca for more than 15 years and was general manager of its oncology business in China.

Continue to STAT+ to read the full story…