HEALTH CARE WARS:
AUGUST 2025 DASHBOARD
THE IDEOLOGICAL THEATER
HHS Influencers' focus on "Big Food" and "Big Pharma" (X data)
Notable new X followings
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
- UNITED for GOOD:
Pro-Thomas Massie group seeking to "replace captured officials and protect our health, freedom, and future"
FDA Commissioner Marty Makary
- Chief Nerd:
MAGA news aggregator identified by Baron as a top HHS Influencer
NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya
- Cooper Davis:
Executive director of the Inner Compass Initiative, which aims to minimize psychiatric drug use - Stuart Buck:
Executive director of the Good Science Project, which calls for transparency and less bureaucracy at NIH and NSF
Deputy HHS Secretary Jim O'Neill
- Lada Nuzhna:
Anti-aging researcher, grant maker, and Thiel Fellow (2021–2023) - Lifespan Research Institute:
"Develop[s], promote[s], and ensure[s] widespread access to rejuvenation biotechnologies"
Calley Means
- Dr. Leland Stillman:
Anti-aging doctor focused on the clinical benefits of light - Zippy Duvall:
President of the American Farm Bureau Federation
New Trump Administration hires and nominees
| Hire | Background | Pharma Perspectives | Food Perspectives |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dr. Brian Christine, Nominee for Assistant Secretary for Health, HHS | Alabama urologist specializing in men’s sexual health described by the Alabama Republican Party as a "longtime conservative grassroots activist"[1] | Remarked on an October 2022 podcast that “if someone wanted to take the vaccine, that’s fine, but forcing people to take a vaccination is absolutely wrong”[2] | N/A |
| Dr. George Tidmarsh, Director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), FDA | Adjunct professor of pediatrics and neonatology at Stanford University and founder/CEO of several pharmaceutical manufacturers[3] | Founder or CEO of six pharmaceutical startups, including Horizon Therapeutics, which was purchased in October 2023 by Amgen for $28 billion;[4] directed the successful clinical development of seven FDA-approved drugs but has criticized the approval of “ineffective and dangerous therapies” as “cater[ing] to industry and hurt[ing] patients”[5] | Expressed frustration that “none of [his] training over decades really focused on toxic additives to nutrition, to food supply, to infant formulas…;” specifically supports the banning of talc, an additive that has drawn scrutiny from FDA, the World Health Organization, and the European Union[6] |
THE COMMERCIAL THEATER
Meta Platforms ad spending by key health care trade and professional organizations
Corporate sponsors of health care conferences and "fly-ins"
Your Weight Matters National Convention – Obesity Action Coalition (July 24–26)[7]
Platinum Sponsors: Lilly and Novo Nordisk
Gold Sponsors: Boehringer Ingelheim
Silver Sponsors: Amgen and Rhythm Pharmaceuticals
Bronze Sponsors: Boston Scientific, Currax Pharmaceuticals LLC, Genentech, Seca, and Wave Life Sciences
Patron Sponsors: Bariatric Advantage and Zealand Pharma
Huntington's Disease Society of America Annual Convention (July 26–28)[8]
Presenting Sponsor: Teva
Gold Sponsors: Neurocrine Biosciences, Skyhawk Therapeutics, and uniQure
Silver Sponsors: Genentech and Novartis
Bronze Sponsors: Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, MassMutual SpecialCare, Spark Therapeutics, Vico Therapeutics, and Wave Life Sciences
Friend Sponsors: Aperion Care, Atalanta Therapeutics, HD Genetics, Latus, Prilenia, Stewart Disability Law Firm, LLC, and Worldwide Clinical Trials
Alzheimer's Association International Conference (July 27–31)[9]
Platinum Sponsors: Biogen, Eisai, Lilly, and Novo Nordisk
Gold Sponsors: Alzheon, Axsome Therapeutics, Beckman Coulter, Bristol Myers Squibb, and Lundbeck
Silver Sponsors: Acumen, Alzheimer's Disease Data Initiative, Anavex Life Sciences, Edward Jones, Johnson & Johnson, Prothena, Roche, and UCB
Newsletter sponsors
Axios (Vitals)
Politico – Health Care
(Pulse and Prescription Pulse)
Politico – Food/Ag
(Weekly Agriculture)
STAT News
(D.C. Diagnosis and
Morning Rounds)
- "Dr. Brian Christine," Urology Centers of Alabama, https://www.urologycentersalabama.com/provider/dr-brian-christine; and ALGOP [@ALGOP], "Congratulations to Dr. Brian Christine...," X, March 25, 2025, https://x.com/ALGOP/status/1904634088226435448.
- Brian Christine For Alabama, “Common Sense Podcast with Brian Christine - When Healthcare is Used Against You,” YouTube, October 25, 2022, 3:03, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7Tdw73II3M&t=615s.
- Press release, “Stanford faculty member George Tidmarsh, M.D., Ph.D. named Director of Center for Drug Evaluation and Research,” U.S. Food and Drug Administration, July 21, 2025, https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/stanford-faculty-member-george-tidmarsh-md-phd-named-director-center-drug-evaluation-and-research.
- Press release, “Amgen completes acquisition of Horizon Therapeutics PLC,” PR Newswire, October 6, 2023, https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/amgen-completes-acquisition-of-horizon-therapeutics-plc-301949517.html.
- Ibid; and George F. Tidmarsh, “Why Peter Marks Was Asked to Leave the FDA,” RealClearPolicy, April 1, 2025, https://www.realclearpolicy.com/2025/04/01/why_peter_marks_was_asked_to_leave_the_fda_1101330.html.
- “WEEKEND INTERVIEW: George Tidmarsh and the Fight to Remove Hidden Toxins from America’s Food and Drug Supply,” Federal Newswire, June 26, 2025, https://thefederalnewswire.com/stories/673625131-weekend-interview-george-tidmarsh-and-the-fight-to-remove-hidden-toxins-from-america-s-food-and-drug-supply; and Monique Richards, “Independent Panel Evaluates Safety of Talc in Everyday Products to Protect Public Health,” U.S. Food and Drug Administration, June 25, 2025, https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/regulatory-news-stories-and-features/independent-panel-evaluates-safety-talc-everyday-products-protect-public-health.
- "Thank You to Our 2025 Convention Sponsors," 2025 Your Weight Matters National Convention, Obesity Action Coalition, https://www.ywmconvention.com/sponsors.
- "Join us for the 40th Annual HDSA Convention," Huntington's Disease Society of America, https://hdsa.org/about-hdsa/annual-convention.
- "Sponsors at AAIC," 2025 Alzheimer's Association International Conference, Alzheimer's Association, https://aaic.alz.org/role/sponsor.asp.
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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