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The Food and Drug Administration’s chief scientist will replace retiring Janet Woodcock as principal deputy commissioner of the agency next year, the FDA commissioner announced Wednesday. Namandjé N. Bumpus was named chief scientist in June of last year. The chief scientist works closely with the FDA’s product centers, and Bumpus played a big role in the expansion of the agency’s regulation of cosmetics. (Wilkerson, 11/29)

Among the key decisions she was involved in was the withdrawal of Makena, Covis Pharma’s controversial drug meant to reduce the risk of preterm birth. (Gardner, 11/29)

The Biden administration is proposing new restrictions that would require the removal of virtually all lead water pipes across the country in an effort to prevent another public health catastrophe like the one that came to define Flint, Mich. The proposal on Thursday from the Environmental Protection Agency would impose the strictest limits on lead in drinking water since federal standards were first set 30 years ago. It would affect about nine million pipes that snake throughout communities across the country. (Davenport, 11/30)

A little-known group of Black law enforcement officers is getting significant access to the White House to talk about the FDA’s proposal to ban menthol cigarettes — and it’s bringing the tobacco industry along. (Florko, 11/29)

51ÊÓƵ Health News: FTC Chief Gears Up For A Showdown With Private Equity

A recent Federal Trade Commission civil lawsuit accusing one of the nation’s largest anesthesiology groups of monopolistic practices that sharply drove up prices is a warning to private equity investors that could temper their big push to snap up physician groups. Over the past three years, FTC and Department of Justice officials have signaled they would apply more scrutiny to private equity acquisitions in health care, including roll-up deals in which larger provider groups buy smaller groups in a local market. (Meyer, 11/30)

Lawmakers expressed concern about the implications of artificial intelligence for the healthcare system—and made clear that they aren't sure what to do about them—during a congressional hearing Wednesday. A House Energy and Commerce Committee subcommittee heard testimony from business, healthcare and academic experts at the session, which focused on issues such as safety, insurance coverage, legal matters, racial and ethic biases, and privacy. The hearing took place amid growing calls for federal regulation from organizations such as the American Medical Association and controversy about how insurers such as Cigna and UnitedHealth Group use AI. (McAuliff and Turner, 11/29)

It's passed medical licensing exams. It's advanced how researchers develop new medicines and cut down on doctors' hefty paperwork. And it's nudged health care closer to a world where AI can offer diagnoses. One year after OpenAI's ChatGPT exploded onto the scene, the generative AI model is already upending health care — an industry not exactly known for its speedy adoption of tech — while accelerating questions about AI's promises and limitations. (Reed, 11/29)