HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced new initiatives on Monday aimed at improving diagnosis, treatment, and research for tick-borne diseases including Lyme disease and alpha-gal syndrome. The program targets a 25 percent reduction in Lyme cases by 2035 through faster diagnoses, better treatments, and advanced research.
Actor Dennis Quaid joined the announcement as a patient advocate, sharing his personal story of misdiagnosis. Kennedy emphasized that nearly 500,000 Americans are diagnosed with Lyme disease annually, but many more suffer from untreated conditions due to incorrect diagnoses.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is investing in AI-powered diagnostic tools and has partnered with LymeX to bring FDA-cleared diagnostics to market. The initiative builds on earlier Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tick-control pilots and innovation challenges.
Kennedy noted that alpha-gal syndrome—a condition causing sufferers to develop a severe allergy to red meat—is also under focus. In his statement, he said: “At HHS, we are taking bold new actions against Lyme disease, alpha-gal syndrome, and other tick-borne diseases—accelerating research, improving care, and driving new treatments. Millions of Americans need faster diagnoses, better care, and real answers.”
The program aims to improve outcomes for the 10-20 percent of patients who remain symptomatic despite treatment. Kennedy also mentioned that in May, he had launched additional Lyme disease initiatives as part of his broader Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda.
