Global health update: May 27, 2026

• The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has launched a coordinated, department-wide initiative to restore American leadership in clinical research. • The ONC is working to integrate clinical trial notifications into electronic health records to connect eligible patients with research opportunities during routine care.

• The SODa-BIC Investigators and the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Clinical Trials Group have published new research in The New England Journal of Medicine. • The study, identified by DOI:10.1056/NEJMoa2600526, focuses on clinical trials conducted within intensive care settings.

• Former leaders from the FDA, CDC, and NIH convened at the BIO International Convention to discuss the dismantling of the Department of Health and Human Services under the Trump administration. • The panel focused on the collapse of existing US public health structures and the urgent need to rebuild a more effective system.

• The author challenges the public health establishment's claim that universal vaccination is the essential tool for preventing epidemics like Covid-19, polio, and measles. • The piece argues that while medical science is effective at a micro level, a macro-level analysis of epidemic curves is necessary to understand disease trajectories.

• The author identifies four early-stage medical breakthroughs currently in clinical trials that could potentially treat major killers like cancer, heart disease, and neurodegenerative diseases. • While acknowledging that many promising medical ideas fail during development, these specific advances are being monitored with cautious optimism by leading research institutions.

• The FDA has launched a new initiative aimed at resetting the drug review process to accelerate the development of new medications. • A primary goal of the program is to boost the number of domestic clinical trials, reducing reliance on overseas data and speeding up patient access to therapies.

• PwC reports that health services M&A activity remains active in 2026, with overall deal value increasing compared to the first half of 2025. • Despite higher values, deal volume is slowing as buyers become more selective due to reimbursement pressures and policy uncertainty.

• The US Administration is restructuring the systems supporting PEPFAR and global health security, shifting its engagement strategy toward regulatory influence over long-term public health partnerships. • Concerns are rising that increased political oversight and the deconstruction of international collaborations may undermine the NIH's scientific infrastructure and its history of HIV research and vaccine development.

• The article alleges a cover-up regarding the origins of SARS-CoV-2, specifically highlighting the role of the DEFUSE project. • This project involved scientists from the U.S., foreign entities, and the Wuhan Institute of Virology who proposed modifying spike proteins of coronaviruses to model disease spread among U.S. Pacific forces.

• The FDA has accepted Roche's application to use the combination of Lunsumio and Polivy for patient treatment. • This regulatory milestone is part of Roche's effort to expand the indications and clinical utility of these existing in-market products.

• The ICH has introduced a new standardized framework for clinical trial protocols consisting of a harmonized guideline, a protocol template, and a technical specification for electronic exchange. • These documents apply to all phases and therapeutic areas of interventional clinical trials, including pharmaceuticals, biologics, vaccines, and cell or gene therapy products.

• U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced over $700 million in new funding opportunities on Wednesday to address mental illness, addiction, and homelessness. • The financial package includes $238.6 million for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and $223.1 million for Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics.