Over 74,000 participants in clinical trials have been affected by funding cuts from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), according to a new report in JAMA Internal Medicine, reports AP.
Between late February and mid-August, 383 studies — testing treatments for conditions including cancer, heart disease, and neurological disorders — lost funding. The cuts hit infectious disease trials, such as those for flu, pneumonia, and COVID-19, particularly hard.
The disruptions affected patients in multiple ways: some trials never started, others were delayed as institutions sought alternative funding, while some participants lost access to medication or unmonitored medical devices. Many trials may now never publish results.
“The disruption to the research enterprise was profound and substantial,” said Heather Pierce, who tracks NIH grant cuts for the Association of American Medical Colleges. Co-author Anupam B. Jena of Harvard Medical School added, “The whole purpose of these clinical trials is to generate evidence on what works and doesn’t work in medicine.”
Of 11,008 NIH-funded studies during the period, roughly 1 in 30 lost funding. Experts warn these cuts could erode public trust in medical research, discouraging future trial participation. Jeremy Berg, former NIH institute director, said, “Anybody approached about a clinical trial could easily think, ‘Why should I be involved in this?’”
Andrew Nixon, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, defended the cuts, saying NIH is “realigning its priorities” and targeting trials that “prioritized ideological agendas over scientific rigor and meaningful outcomes.”
The cuts follow billions in research reductions under the Trump administration and a Supreme Court decision in August that allowed NIH to scale back funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Legal challenges over cuts to indirect research costs are ongoing.
Hundreds of NIH scientists have criticized the new policies, arguing they “undermine the NIH mission, waste public resources, and harm the health of Americans and people across the globe.”
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
