Sarah Karlin-Smith

Sarah Karlin-Smith

Senior Writer

Washington, DC

Sarah specializes in the policy and politics that affect the pharmaceutical industry. She covers the US Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service and Congress and other parts of federal and state government. Her work explores how government policies influence how drugs are developed and approved, what diseases are prioritized by scientists, and who gets access to medicines and at what cost. Sarah has covered health care since 2011. Prior to returning to the Pink Sheet in March 2020, she covered health policy at Politico for five years. She is a regular panelist on the Kaiser Health News 'What the Health' podcast. Sarah was selected for and attended a 2018 International Women’s Media Foundation reporting fellowship in Rwanda. In 2016, she attended Harvard Medical School’s media fellowship on bioethics and, in 2014, was an Association of Health Care Journalists-National Library of Medicine Fellow.

Latest from Sarah Karlin-Smith

Woodcock: Do Not Do The Wrong Study, Even If Against US FDA Advice

The former CDER director said she tells sponsors not to conduct an FDA-recommended study design or randomized trial if it will not work.

BIO Notebook: Woodcock Calls For Doing The Right Thing, Dealmaking Remains Constrained

Highlights from Day Four of the BIO International Convention include Woodcock offering practical advice on rare disease trials, the sorry state of dealmaking mid-year, Novartis discussing its approach to partnering, and Generate looking for funding to move into Phase III.

US FDA’s Top Cell and Gene Therapy Regulators Forced Out

Office of Therapeutic Products Director Nicole Verdun and her deputy Rachael Anatol were escorted out of FDA headquarters on June 18. Disagreements over CAR-T regulation and Capricor’s DMD treatment may be to blame.

BIO Notebook: MFN Pricing, Obesity R&D, US FDA’s Rare Disease Hub And Reaction To Review Program

Highlights from Day Three of the BIO International Convention include the realities of MFN pricing, AstraZeneca's R&D plans for obesity, the need for resources for the FDA's rare disease hub and reactions to the Commissioner's National Priority Review Voucher program.

BIO Notebook: MFN Pricing, Next-Gen Obesity R&D, FDA’s Rare Disease Hub & Reaction To Review Program

Highlights from Day 3 of the BIO International Convention include the realities of MFN pricing, AstraZeneca's R&D plans for obesity, the need for resources for FDA's rare disease hub and reactions to the Commissioner's National Priority Review Voucher program.

BIO Notebook: Policy Problems, ACIP’s Future, BI Is Popular, Makary On FDA-Industry Ties

Highlights from Day Two of the BIO International Convention include BIO officials raising concerns about Trump Administration policies, the future of ACIP, an interview with BI's head of global business development, and FDA Commissioner Martin Makary's view of the FDA-industry relationship.