Sarah specializes in the policy and politics that affect the pharmaceutical industry. She covers the US Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service and Congress and other parts of federal and state government. Her work explores how government policies influence how drugs are developed and approved, what diseases are prioritized by scientists, and who gets access to medicines and at what cost. Sarah has covered health care since 2011. Prior to returning to the Pink Sheet in March 2020, she covered health policy at Politico for five years. She is a regular panelist on the Kaiser Health News 'What the Health' podcast. Sarah was selected for and attended a 2018 International Women’s Media Foundation reporting fellowship in Rwanda. In 2016, she attended Harvard Medical School’s media fellowship on bioethics and, in 2014, was an Association of Health Care Journalists-National Library of Medicine Fellow.
Latest from Sarah Karlin-Smith
Pink Sheet reporter and editors discuss the new clinical trial requirements that the FDA announced for COVID-19 vaccines, the updated label for Novavax’s newly approved COVID-19 vaccine, and other vaccine-related events that were part of a busy week for policy in the sector.
The FDA’s advisors split on whether to update COVID-19 vaccines for the fall. The agency refused to discuss the impact of the new vaccine framework on availability.
The FDA may have violated laws and regulations along with many norms in how it released its planned changes for COVID-19 vaccine approvals.
The label that Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine was slated to receive before political officials held up the approval was broader than was granted 16 May.
Deputy FDA Commissioner Grace Graham acknowledged the importance of user fees, while also calling for restructuring. She also said part of MAHA's mission is to reexamine uses of drugs not supported by data.
New CBER Director Prasad will "unleash a massive" framework on vaccines, FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said 15 May, raising questions about the impact on products nearing approval.