Plus: Why Mike Pence is opposing RFK Jr.'s nomination{beacon} Health Care Health Care   The Big Story Kennedy’s HHS nod gets bearish response from drug marketShares in several pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies dropped sharply after President-elect Trump announced Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as his pick to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).  © AP The SPDR S&P Biotech ETF, which tracks the biotech sector, dropped 5.29 percent on the day. Shares in major pharmaceutical companies were down as well: Pfizer fell nearly 4.7 percent, Eli Lilly 4.9 percent, Amgen 4.1 percent and AstraZeneca 1.8 percent.   A spokesperson for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), a trade association representing the U.S. pharmaceutical industries, declined to comment on member companies’ stock prices.   PhRMA president and CEO Stephen Ubl said in a statement Thursday said the group wants to “work with the Trump administration to further strengthen our innovation ecosystem and improve health care for patients.” It did not mention Kennedy.   In a note to clients, Raymond James analyst Chris Meekins said Kennedy “likely will lead to significantly more volatility in health markets, making navigating policy risks far more challenging.”   Meekins, who served in HHS during the Trump administration as a senior official for preparedness and response, said Kennedy’s views are so outside the traditional GOP orthodoxy it makes it much more difficult for investors to gauge risks.   “Investors may need to forget everything they thought they knew about Republicans and healthcare,” Meekins wrote. He added that if confirmed, Kennedy’s appointment “may make it less likely traditional qualified experienced GOP staff will agree to join HHS, creating more uncertainty.”   It’s unclear the level of support Kennedy has in the Senate, where Republicans will hold 53 seats next year. The vaccine skeptic and environmental lawyer raised eyebrows among members of both parties during his scuttled Democratic-turned-independent presidential bid.  But at least one prominent Republican is calling on senators to reject the nomination. Former Vice President Mike Pence on Friday said Kennedy’s views on abortion are too liberal and disqualify him.    Welcome to The Hill’s Health Care newsletter, we’re Nathaniel Weixel, Joseph Choi and Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health.   Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.  Essential Reads How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond:  Pence calls on Senate to reject RFK Jr. nomination over abortion viewsFormer Vice President Mike Pence is urging GOP senators to reject President-elect Trump’s nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) because of his views on abortion.   In a statement from his conservative nonprofit Advancing American Freedom on Friday, Pence said Kennedy’s nomination “is an abrupt departure from the pro-life record of our administration and should …  Full Story  Miss America makes push for pancreatic cancer research on Capitol HillMiss America 2024 winner Madison Marsh took her efforts to advocate for pancreatic cancer awareness and research to Capitol Hill on Thursday.   In association with the Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Network (PanCAN), Marsh met with eight representatives on the Hill to push for increased funding for pancreatic cancer research within the National Institute of Health (NIH), the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and research programs …  Full Story  Colorado’s Polis takes heat over initial RFK Jr. excitement Colorado Gov. Jared Polis (D) is facing backlash following a comment he made about being “excited” by President-elect Trump tapping Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to serve as secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). “I’m excited by the news that the President-Elect will appoint @RobertKennedyJr to @HHSGov. He helped us defeat vaccine mandates in Colorado in 2019 and will help make America healthy again by shaking up …  Full Story   In Other News Branch out with a different read: Ex-HHS chief: Trump RFK Jr. selection ‘terrifying’ Kathleen Sebelius, a former Democratic governor who served as Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary during the Obama administration, said having anti-vaccine activist and environmental lawyer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. leading the department is “very frightening” for Americans. “To have someone coming into a scientific agency that is a vaccine skeptic and may well undo decades of public health work, … Full Story   Around the Nation Local and state headlines on health care: Alabama’s infant mortality rate rises to seven-year high (Alabama Reflector)  Texas medical school ordered to stop liquifying bodies after using them for training (NBC)  Florida healthcare companies’ owner pleads guilty to tax crimes (Bloomberg)  What We're Reading Health news we've flagged from other outlets: What’s going on with the ‘magic’ drug for malaria (NPR)  Why Kennedy sees an ‘epidemic’ of chronic disease among children (New York Times)  Pay first, deliver later: some women are being asked to prepay for their baby (Kaiser Health News)  What Others are Reading  Most read stories on The Hill right now: GOP senators: Gaetz nomination to head Justice in serious trouble Republican senators are warning that former Rep. Matt Gaetz’s (R-Fla.) nomination to serve as President-elect Trump’s attorney general … Read more Five of RFK Jr.’s most controversial views President-elect Trump’s decision to nominate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary will put some of the former … Read more What People Think Opinions related to health submitted to The Hill: Is the FDA contributing to the homelessness crisis?Should America rethink the use of Fluoride in drinking water?   You're all caught up. See you Monday!  Close Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Health Care newsletter Subscribe