Advocacy in Action

Deadline for NIH Funding January 30 – Your Advocacy Needed

Congressional leaders have just over three weeks to pass the nine remaining spending bills needed to fully fund the government ahead of the January 30 deadline to avoid a shutdown.  Rather than pass all 12 funding bills at once, Congress has instead passed bills in small groups known on Capitol Hill as “minibuses.”  The spending bill that funds the Department of Health and Human Services, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other health programs is expected to be considered along with the Defense funding bill last, bucking up to the deadline at the end of the month. The Endocrine Society continues to be a vocal advocate for increasing funding for NIH and for Congress to complete the appropriations process rather than support another short-term funding bill that would further disrupt research. It is critical that all Members of Congress hear from constituents about the importance of funding NIH. Consequently, we are encouraging all of our US-based members to take action through our online NIH campaign and tell your senators and representative to pass a full-year funding bill that supports funding for NIH. This will only take one minute of your time, but it will have significant impact on research.  

Courts Intervene on NIH Indirect Rate Cap and Review of Previously Frozen NIH Grants

During 2025, there was significant tumult at the NIH over indirect costs and the cancelling of research grants.  Last February, the NIH announced a 15% cap on facilities and administrative (F&) rates. The research community, including the Endocrine Society, expressed concerns about this plan and several universities sued.  This week, a federal appeals court upheld a ruling from a lower court that prevents the NIH from implementing the agency’s plan to cap indirect cost payments.

In addition, at the end of December, a court ruled that some NIH grant applications that had been previously frozen, denied, or withdrawn will have another opportunity to go through the formal review process. A lawsuit filed against the NIH from state attorneys general and organizations representing scientists resulted in an agreement where NIH will review these grant applications and plaintiffs have agreed to drop their remaining claims. The agreement sets deadlines for the review of these applications and expressed that the close of FY25 shall not prevent the NIH from reviewing or awarding these grants. The Endocrine Society continues to advocate that grants be awarded expeditiously following peer review, and that grants not be withheld or delayed for reasons that have nothing to do with scientific merit or feasibility.

Access to Obesity Medications Makes Headlines in the New Year; Society to Host Congressional Briefing on Obesity and Liver Disease Later this Month

As we kick off the New Year, access to obesity medications continues to be a major issue. There have been some significant announcements that will help improve patient access of obesity medications. On January 5, Novo Nordisk began rolling out the first oral GLP-1 medication approved for weight loss in the United States. The new oral medication, which is significantly cheaper than the injectable version, was approved by the FDA in late December and is currently the only oral version on the market in the United States. Meanwhile, the federal government will soon take steps to improve access of obesity medications for Medicare beneficiaries. In late December, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released details of a new demonstration project that will allow some Medicare beneficiaries to access GLP-1s for weight loss. The Better Approaches to Lifestyle and Nutrition for Comprehensive Health (BALANCE) model is expected to launch in January 2027. Under the model, eligible beneficiaries who meet specific clinical criteria would be able to access obesity medications for $50 a month. CMS is expected to release more details about the model in the coming months. More information about the model can be found here on CMS’s website. The Endocrine Society continues to monitor these efforts and get clarification on details.

The Society is also continuing to educate Members of Congress and congressional staff about obesity. Later this month, we will be hosting a congressional briefing on Capitol Hill to discuss obesity and its impact on liver disease. This briefing, which are hosting with the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), will educate congressional staff on the research showing how GLP-1 medications are effective at treating both obesity and liver diseases.