Amid shutdown, NIH forced to turn away new trial patients

Thanks to the government shutdown, about 73% of NIH staff have seen their jobs put on hold--and no staff means no new studies. As The Washington Post reports, the halt has forced researchers to turn away patients, as the NIH usually enrolls about 200 patients per week in clinical trials of experimental drugs. "Everyone feels absolutely awful," NIH spokesman John Burklow told the newspaper. "It's antithetical to our mission and why we're all here. … If you have a child who needs help, even if you're told, 'Well, we can't help you today,' it just creates anxiety and frustration, I'm sure." More