Scott Alexander discusses potential Trump administration health-related appointments, focusing on FDA commissioner candidates Jim O'Neill and Balaji Srinivasan, and their potential to implement beneficial reforms. Longer summary

Scott Alexander discusses potential Trump administration picks for key health-related positions, particularly the FDA commissioner and NIH chief. He expresses excitement about the possibility of Jim O'Neill or Balaji Srinivasan being chosen for FDA commissioner, viewing them as principled libertarians who could implement beneficial reforms. Alexander outlines several policies these candidates might pursue, such as medical reciprocity with other countries and streamlining generic drug approvals. He also mentions John Ioannidis as a surprising potential pick for NIH chief, praising his work in improving medical research standards. The post concludes by noting that pharmaceutical industry stocks haven't moved much in response to these potential appointments. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander argues that the EpiPen price hike is due to over-regulation and cronyism in the pharmaceutical industry, not lack of regulation as suggested by Vox. Longer summary

This post criticizes Vox's article on EpiPen price hikes, arguing that the problem isn't lack of regulation but over-regulation and cronyism. Scott Alexander contrasts the pharmaceutical industry with the unregulated chair industry, pointing out that chair prices don't suddenly spike 400%. He then details how FDA regulations and patent laws prevent competitors from entering the EpiPen market, despite the drug being off-patent and inexpensive to produce. The post highlights several failed attempts by companies to create generic versions of EpiPens, and how lobbying by the manufacturer Mylan has helped maintain their monopoly. Scott uses an extended analogy comparing the situation to a hypothetical government-controlled chair market to illustrate the absurdity of the current system. Shorter summary