PHOENIX – Attorney General Kris Mayes and a coalition of 21 other attorneys general have secured a nationwide preliminary injunction in Massachusetts v. NIH, preventing the Trump Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from cutting billions in medical and public health research funds. The ruling ensures that universities and research institutions across the country will continue receiving NIH funding, even if their states are not part of the lawsuit.
Victory for Medical Innovation and Public Health
“This ruling is a victory for life-saving medical research and the millions of people who have benefited from it,”said Attorney General Mayes. “The Trump Administration’s reckless attempt to gut critical NIH funding would have derailed groundbreaking innovations and put lives at risk. I will continue to fight to ensure that Arizonans have access to the best medical advancements possible.”
The preliminary injunction protects essential research funding that supports biomedical innovation, faculty salaries, lab operations, infrastructure, and utility costs. Without this funding, critical medical breakthroughs and life-saving treatments could be jeopardized.
Court Ruling and Next Steps
On February 10, just six hours after the coalition filed the lawsuit, the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) blocking the NIH’s attempt to cut research funds.
Today’s preliminary injunction replaces that TRO and bars the Trump Administration from moving forward with NIH funding cuts as the case continues. The injunction will remain in effect until a final ruling is made.
The Importance of NIH Funding
The NIH is the largest source of federal medical research funding in the U.S. and has played a key role in:
- Advancing cancer treatments
- Developing groundbreaking vaccines
- Mapping the human genome
- Supporting Nobel Prize-winning scientific discoveries
States Leading the Legal Fight
Attorney General Mayes joined this lawsuit co-led by Massachusetts, Illinois, and Michigan. Other states participating include California, Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.
“Arizona’s research institutions are global leaders in medical and public health innovation,” Mayes added. “We will continue fighting to ensure that science, not politics, determines the future of health care and medical advancements.”
