September 11, 2023
Life Sciences | Tea Leaves
  • According to research published Wednesday, gender-affirming surgeries dipped in 2020 after nearly tripling in the years leading up to the pandemic. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, found that the number of gender-affirming procedures performed in the U.S. increased from 4,552 in 2016 to 13,011 in 2019, before falling to 12,818 in 2020. The decrease is likely due to many states restricting or banning transgender care for people under age 18, adding to waiting lists of patients seeking care in states that have declared themselves refuges for transgender people. (Articles here and here)
  • On Wednesday, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the first leader of a new program dedicated to human foods, part of an agency-wide reorganization effort launched in the wake of a contaminated baby formula crisis last year. James Jones, a former Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) official, will serve as the new deputy commissioner for Human Foods beginning September 24, the FDA said in a statement. At the EPA, Jones was a pesticide regulator who focused on lessening the impact of chemicals and pollution on the U.S. food supply. (Articles here and here)