G2G Bio Bulletin – October 26, 2026
Updates from Washington
Congress: Both chambers are out of session until after the election, and activity is limited.
- Senate Finance Committee Democrats have released a report that highlights operational shortcomings by firms operating Medicaid eligibility systems who stand to gain from increased administrative requirements under OBBBA.
Administration & Agencies:
- CDC: The Ebola outbreak now includes cases in four African countries, and although the agency has advised that the overall risk to the American public remains low, travel from some parts of the affected region to the U.S. has been temporarily restricted.
- CMS: The agency announced a rule aligned with a requirement under OBBBA, that would bar ACA enrollees from accessing premium tax credits until they have cleared all eligibility verifications. Comments are due thirty days from publication.
- FDA: The agency announced the Neuroscience Advancement and Innovation Nexus (NAIN) to support the development of medical products for conditions affecting the brain and nervous system. NAIN’s first initiative is the Alzheimer's Prevention Accelerator, to advance medical products that help delay or prevent Alzheimer's disease. This is concurrent with the HHS announcement on updates to the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias.
- White House, Other HHS Agencies & Departments:
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MAHA: Calley Means, a senior HHS advisor and MAHA movement leader, has resigned from his post.
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Kidney Care: HHS announced the Kidney Care National Plan, that in addition to advancing and improving care delivery, seeks to reduce regulatory burdens with the intended aim of reducing anti-competitive practices in the dialysis market.
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Defense Health: The Pentagon announced an $80 million conditional loan to Antheia, to scale the company's domestic production of KSMs and APIs for generic pharmaceuticals.
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Women’s Health: The Trump Administration has announced a women’s health initiative that:
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Directs the establishment of a Division of Women’s Health at NIH within 90 days, that would complement the existing Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH)
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Stands up the White House Women’s Health Task Force to ensure a comprehensive approach to women’s health research, patient-centered care and advancement of evidence-based innovation, among other priorities.
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Will be supported by existing funding
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Biotechnology: The Treasury has issued a proposed rule that would significantly restrict U.S. investment in biotechnology from countries of concern, including China. The proposed rule:
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Adds biotechnology to the list of sectors subject to the Outbound Investment Security Program (OISP), as permitted by the Comprehensive Outbound Investment National Security (COINS) Act
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Defines biotechnology broadly to include: bio-derived compounds or materials; brain computer interfaces; biomanufacturing equipment and facilities; biotechnology or equipment involved in biological design, sequencing, and other activities; bioinformatics tools; and hardware or software for automated scientific discovery or experimentation:
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Permits licensing deals with companies that have ties to countries of concern
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Follows the Chinese government’s announcement that it would add strategic biotechnologies to export-control lists, while still permitting licensing
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Aligns with National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) recommendation 3.3a
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Accepts comments until December 7, 2026
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