HEALTH CARE WARS:
APRIL 2026 DASHBOARD
THE IDEOLOGICAL THEATER
HHS Influencers' focus on "Big Food" and "Big Pharma" (X data)
Notable new X followings
NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya
- Michael Gibson:
Cofounder of the Thiel Fellowship; founder of 1517 Fund, an early investor in Stark Therapeutics and cloud seeding company Rainmaker - Parmita Mishra:
Founder and CEO of Precigenetics, which creates "real-time chemical movies of living cells," instead of "static snapshots" - Steven W. Mosher:
President of the Population Research Institute and social scientist whose late 1970s experiences in China spurred pro-life, pro-natal activism - James W. Phillips:
Former special advisor to the UK prime minister for science and technology; director of the Bodymind program at the Consciousness Foundation, which aims to "catalyz[e] breakthroughs in consciousness science" - Katy Talento:
Naturopath and benefits advisor who served as lead health advisor on the first Trump Administration's Domestic Policy Council
HHS Senior Advisor Calley Means
- The Bossticks:
Health, wellness, and business podcast hosted by Michael and Lauryn Bosstick; recently interviewed Secretary Kennedy to discuss the U.S. food system
New Trump Administration hires and nominees
| Hire | Background | Pharma Perspectives | Food Perspectives |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elisabeth Armstrong, Chief of Staff, NIH | Previously served as director of FDA’s Office of the Executive Secretariat (2025); has a background in bioethics and journalism; and "worked in health care policy equity research for Raymond James"[1] | In 2016, "investigate[d] local doctors taking money from pharmaceutical companies" as a reporter for KATV in Little Rock, Arkansas[2] | N/A |
Health care op-eds published in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post
THE COMMERCIAL THEATER
Lobbying registrations by health care organizations
| Company↕ | Lobbying Firm↕ | Date↑ |
|---|---|---|
| SOUTHERN RESEARCH INSTITUTE | ROSS TAYLOR & ASSOCIATES, LLC | 03/02/2026 |
| KYOWA KIRIN, INC. | CORCORAN & ASSOCIATES, INC. DBA CORCORAN PARTNERS | 03/02/2026 |
| ROMAN HEALTH VENTURES INC. | ROMAN HEALTH VENTURES INC. | 03/03/2026 |
| PHYSICIAN-LED HEALTHCARE FOR AMERICA | THORN RUN PARTNERS | 03/03/2026 |
| AGILITI HEALTH INC. | THE CONAFAY GROUP, LLC | 03/03/2026 |
| RADNET | POTOMAC STRATEGIC CONSULTING LLC | 03/04/2026 |
| OREXO US, INC. | STEPTOE LLP | 03/04/2026 |
| VYTALIZE HEALTH | VYTALIZE HEALTH | 03/06/2026 |
| PROTON THERAPY CONSORTIUM | CROSSROADS STRATEGIES, LLC | 03/06/2026 |
| NEPHRON NITRILE LLC (DBA AMERICAN ARMOR GLOVES) | MILLER STRATEGIES, LLC | 03/09/2026 |
| GLAXOSMITHKLINE | MARSHALL & POPP, LLC | 03/09/2026 |
| VERTEX PHARMACEUTICALS | ALB SOLUTIONS | 03/10/2026 |
| SALT POINT STRATEGIES ON BEHALF OF THE RITEDOSE CORPORATION | ALB SOLUTIONS | 03/10/2026 |
| INDEPENDENCE BLUE CROSS | ALB SOLUTIONS | 03/10/2026 |
| AIS HEALTHCARE | ALB SOLUTIONS | 03/10/2026 |
| VISABILITY | BUCHANAN INGERSOLL & ROONEY PC | 03/12/2026 |
| PAYTIENT TECHNOLOGIES INC. | BOHL GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS | 03/12/2026 |
| GRIFOLS SHARED SERVICES NORTH AMERICA, INC. | THORN RUN PARTNERS | 03/12/2026 |
| ASSOCIATION FOR ACCESSIBLE MEDICINES | TWINLOGIC STRATEGIES, LLP | 03/12/2026 |
| BIOSTL | BOHL GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS | 03/12/2026 |
| AMERICAN UROLOGICAL ASSOCIATION | ARISTOTLE INTERNATIONAL, INC. | 03/12/2026 |
| AGRAGENE | BOHL GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS | 03/12/2026 |
| ENDOMETRIOSIS FOUNDATION OF AMERICA | THE WALTER GROUP | 03/15/2026 |
| SUMMIT PACIFIC MEDICAL CENTER | JOHNSTON GROUP, LLC | 03/16/2026 |
| MINTZ (ON BEHALF OF AMERICAN HEALTH COMPANIES, LLC) | ML STRATEGIES, LLC | 03/16/2026 |
| PROJECT 1 MEDICAL SUPPLIES | MS. TANISHA LEWIS | 03/17/2026 |
| PARKINSON'S FOUNDATION | PARKINSON'S FOUNDATION | 03/17/2026 |
| MEDTELLS | BLUE TUSK COMMUNICATIONS | 03/17/2026 |
| LUNAI BIOWORKS, INC. | AMERICAN DEFENSE INTERNATIONAL, INC. | 03/17/2026 |
| MEDLINE | CORNERSTONE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, INC. | 03/18/2026 |
| HR HEALTHCARE | ADAPTIVE GOVERNMENT RELATIONS | 03/18/2026 |
| DR. JOSE M. WILEY | LOGICAL DECORUM CAPITAL STRATEGIES, LLC | 03/18/2026 |
| PROFESSIONAL COMPOUNDING CENTERS OF AMERICA (PCCA) | KOUNTOUPES DENHAM CARR & REID, LLC | 03/19/2026 |
| PATRICK TOY, MD | CAPITOL RESOURCES, LLC | 03/19/2026 |
| HEARTFLOW, INC. | KOUNTOUPES DENHAM CARR & REID, LLC | 03/19/2026 |
| VERTEX PHARMACEUTICALS INCORPORATED | ALSTON & BIRD LLP | 03/20/2026 |
| VERIONYX, INC. | REGAN MCLANAHAN LLC | 03/20/2026 |
| EPIPHANY DERMATOLOGY | ARMORY HILL ADVOCATES (FORMERLY KNOWN AS RAWLSON POLICY GROUP) | 03/20/2026 |
| ABBVIE, INC. | WILLIAMS AND JENSEN, PLLC | 03/20/2026 |
| SUPERIOR AIR-GROUND AMBULANCE SERVICE, INC. | BALLARD PARTNERS | 03/23/2026 |
| SUMITOMO PHARMA AMERICA, INC. | ARNOLD & PORTER KAYE SCHOLER LLP | 03/23/2026 |
| QHLTH, INC. D/B/A QURATE HEALTH | TSG ADVOCATES DC, LLC | 03/23/2026 |
| PHYLOS BIOSCIENCE, INC. | OLSSON, FRANK, WEEDA, TERMAN & MATZ, PC | 03/23/2026 |
| NEW YORK BLOOD CENTER, INC. | ARNOLD & PORTER KAYE SCHOLER LLP | 03/23/2026 |
| ESTEVE PHARMACEUTICALS, S.A. | ARNOLD & PORTER KAYE SCHOLER LLP | 03/23/2026 |
| CHILDREN'S HEALTH DEFENSE | AXADVOCACY GOVERNMENT RELATIONS | 03/23/2026 |
| AMERIPRO HEALTH LLC | BALLARD PARTNERS | 03/23/2026 |
| RWJ BARNABAS HEALTH | CORNERSTONE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, INC. | 03/24/2026 |
| ROMAN HEALTH VENTURES INC. DBA RO | CORNERSTONE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, INC. | 03/24/2026 |
| ORANGE COUNTY HEALTH AUTHORITY DBA CALOPTIMA | VAN SCOYOC ASSOCIATES | 03/25/2026 |
| ASSOCIATION FOR ACCESSIBLE MEDICINES | FEROX STRATEGIES | 03/26/2026 |
| ATRIUM THERAPEUTICS | FEROX STRATEGIES | 03/26/2026 |
| AGE IN PLACE | FEROX STRATEGIES | 03/26/2026 |
| STANTON PARK GROUP LLC ON BEHALF OF KYOWA KIRIN | DGSR LLC | 03/27/2026 |
| NUTRAMAX LABORATORIES, INC. | ALSTON & BIRD LLP | 03/27/2026 |
| COMPASS HEALTH NETWORK | HB STRATEGIES | 03/27/2026 |
| ULTRAGENYX PHARMACEUTICAL INC. | MILLER STRATEGIES, LLC | 03/30/2026 |
| TRANSMEDICS GROUP, INC. | AKIN GUMP STRAUSS HAUER & FELD | 03/30/2026 |
| MEDICAL CONSULTANTS MANAGEMENT LLC | ADVANCE GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS LLC | 03/30/2026 |
| MAHZI THERAPEUTICS | THE KPM GROUP DC LLC | 03/30/2026 |
| HALOMD [AMERICANS FOR FAIR HEALTH CARE] | LIBERTY PARTNERS GROUP, LLC | 03/30/2026 |
| GOTTLIEB & GREENSPAN [AMERICANS FOR FAIR HEALTH CARE] | LIBERTY PARTNERS GROUP, LLC | 03/30/2026 |
| CVS HEALTH | MICHAEL BEST STRATEGIES LLC | 03/30/2026 |
| NATERA, INC. | ERVIN GRAVES STRATEGY GROUP, LLC | 03/31/2026 |
| IVIM SERVICES, LLC | PLATINUM ADVISORS DC, LLC | 03/31/2026 |
| CORVENT MEDICAL, INC. | DLA PIPER LLP (US) | 03/31/2026 |
| CLEVELAND CLINIC FOUNDATION | CENTER ROAD SOLUTIONS | 03/31/2026 |
| BLINK HEALTH, INC. | CHECKMATE GOVERNMENT RELATIONS | 03/31/2026 |
Top health care ad spenders on Meta Platforms
Corporate sponsors of health care conferences and "fly-ins"
2026 Kidney Patient Summit – National Kidney Foundation (March 16–17)[3]
Gold: argenx, CareDx, Pfizer, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Silver: Alexion, Ardelyx, Eledon Pharmaceuticals, GSK, and Sanofi
Bronze: Apellis, Amicus Therapeutics, Eisai, and U.S. Renal Care
SYNChronicity – The National Conference for HIV, HCV, STIs, Drug User Health, and LGBTQ Health (March 18–20)[4]
Synchronizer: Gilead Sciences
Collaborator: ViiV Healthcare and Merck
Harmonizer: Bavarian Nordic
Connector: AbbVie, Ribbon, and Thera Technologies
Supporter: Coordinated Care Network
Newsletter sponsors
Axios (Vitals)
Politico – Health Care
(Pulse and Prescription Pulse)
Politico – Food/Ag
(Weekly Agriculture)
STAT News
(D.C. Diagnosis and
Morning Rounds)
- Press release, “Dr. Elisabeth Armstrong named NIH Chief of Staff,” National Institutes of Health, March 30, 2026, https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/dr-elisabeth-armstrong-named-nih-chief-staff.
- “How She Got the Job: Elisabeth Armstrong, KATV,” J-Internships, November 21, 2016, https://jinternships.wordpress.com/2016/11/21/how-she-got-the-job-elisabeth-armstrong-katv; and Elisabeth Armstrong, "Pill Payments: AR doctors accept payments from pharmaceutical companies," KATV, October 5, 2016, https://katv.com/news/local/pill-payments-ar-doctors-accept-money-from-pharmaceutical-companies.
- "2026 Kidney Patient Summit: Raise Your Voice," National Kidney Foundation, https://www.kidney.org/take-action/advocate/kidney-patient-summit.
- "SYNC Sponsors and Supporters," SYNChronicity, https://syncconference.org/supporters.
About Baron
Baron has guided clients for nearly two decades through the most challenging political terrain. Applying a methodology focused on mastering the strategic competition of interests, Baron advises some of the nation's most prominent organizations, including members of the Fortune 10, several of America's largest privately held businesses, and the U.S. Department of Defense. Baron's health care sector clients have included insurers and pharmacy benefit managers, integrated health systems, and medical device firms.
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