Kennedy Jr. to be US Health Secretary, major changes for US food and pharma sectors

Intellidex learned that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will be sworn in as the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services later this week, and one of his top priorities in his new job will be to implement some of the ideas he outlined in his "Healthy America" campaign. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters that President Trump will sign an executive order establishing an executive branch commission later this week. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will focus on reducing chronic disease, promoting healthy eating, and improving food safety.

Shortly after Trump won the election in November, a post appeared on the MAHA website saying that Kennedy Jr. would end the corruption at health agencies and bring back real science. The post said: "For too long, large pharmaceutical companies and food industry giants have controlled what should be protecting us. We need to cut these corrupt ties and bring these agencies back to the people." Another MAHA website, "MAHA Action," said it had two initiatives: "A Clean, Safe and Transparent Food Industry" and "Increasing Transparency and Accountability in Pharmaceutical Companies."

Pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and food companies have expressed concerns about Kennedy Jr.'s impact on their industries. At his confirmation hearing, he said he believed in the use of vaccines, easing some pharmaceutical and biotechnology concerns, though past statements indicated otherwise. Vaccine makers will be affected by his stance, including GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Sanofi (SNY), Pfizer (PFE)/BioNTech (BNTX), Moderna (MRNA) and Novavax (NVAX).

Moreover, after initially publicly opposing the use of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, such as Novo Nordisk's Wegovy (semaglutide) and Eli Lilly's Zepbound (liraglutide), he called them "miracle drugs" at a Senate hearing in late January. Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly may hope Kennedy Jr. will pressure the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to ban the combination versions of GLP-1 drugs, such as semaglutide offered by Hims&Hers Health (HIMS), which are eating into their revenues.

General Mills (GIS) said in November it would be actively consulting with regulators regarding the use of food colorings. A Wells Fargo analyst said the push on health by the Department of Health and Human Services could benefit a number of supermarket chains, including Kroger (KR), Albertsons (ACI) and Whole Foods (AMZN).