THE TANGLE OVER NIH NOMINEE — The confirmation of Monica Bertagnolli, President Joe Biden’s nominee to lead the National Institutes of Health, is running into roadblocks from Bernie Sanders as the Vermont Independent senator clashes with the administration over Biden’s drug pricing agenda, POLITICO’s Adam Cancryn reports. Sanders, who chairs the Senate committee responsible for vetting Bertagnolli’s candidacy, said in a recent interview that he began warning the administration in January that he wanted more unilateral actions to slash drug prices. He has since said he would oppose all health nominees until the White House met his demands. The role has been open for a year and a half, frustrating medical research groups that believe it’s critical to have a confirmed leader to provide stability for the agency — particularly ahead of looming budget negotiations on Capitol Hill. Sanders insists he feels no pressure to move on Bertagnolli’s nomination as long his requests remain unmet, telling POLITICO, “The public is probably more on my side.” Bertagnolli, a renowned cancer surgeon, had already done a stint atop the government’s National Cancer Institute, where she was well liked by staff scientists and clinicians. And throughout the broader medical research community, support for her was instant and full-throated. Yet two months after her nomination, what many viewed as a slam-dunk selection has become the latest personnel headache for a White House that’s struggled to get its nominees through the narrowly divided Senate. A second senator, Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), has made her own demands, pressuring Bertagnolli to sign expanded ethics agreements that include swearing off working for or on behalf of major drug companies for four years after leaving NIH. Bertagnolli has so far resisted over concerns about the scope of those commitments, two people familiar with the matter told Adam. Bertagnolli met with Warren on Tuesday to discuss the senator’s ethics demands, but the session broke without an agreement. In response to questions about Sanders’ demands, the White House declined to comment on the record. But a White House official pointed to the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, a top Biden administration priority that allowed Medicare to negotiate the price of some high-cost drugs and said the administration remains committed to getting Bertagnolli confirmed. WELCOME TO WEDNESDAY PULSE. I’m Megan Wilson, your friendly health care lobbying reporter, filling in today. Don’t forget to tip Daniel and me at mwilson@politico.com and dpayne@politico.com. TODAY ON OUR PULSE CHECK PODCAST, host Megan Messerly talks with Carmen Paun, who explains what’s behind the Biden administration’s plan to combat the growing threat of so-called Tranq Dope — a lethal combination of fentanyl and the horse tranquilizer xylazine — which has led to a surge in deaths in the U.S.
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