Tobacco firms' fake comments helped sink FDA menthol ban, study finds
A new study in JAMA Network Open finds that 97% of public comments opposing the FDA's proposed menthol cigarette ban were form letters, many generated by the tobacco industry.
Medicine & Biotech
Clinical AI, drug discovery, devices, and regulatory approvals.
FDA nominee Overton faces scrutiny over mifepristone stance
An opinion essay argues that Heidi Overton, if confirmed as FDA commissioner, would use the agency to restrict mifepristone despite its safety record.
Nursing AI Expands Beyond Ambient Charting
AI tools for nurses are moving from ambient charting into broader support, though fragmentation remains a key concern.
Rakuten Medical Promotes Hassan Danesi to Chief Medical Officer
The appointment brings clinical development experience from Coherus to Rakuten Medical's oncology pipeline.
Phelan-McDermid syndrome may be far more common than thought
A new analysis estimates the autism-linked genetic disorder affects about 1 in 7,300 people, suggesting thousands of cases in the U.S. go undiagnosed.
Food packages with 'healthy' claims often aren't, study finds
A Nature Food analysis of 10 years of U.S. product launches finds most items with health claims fail nutritional benchmarks.
Measles Cases Top 800 in Pennsylvania; FDA Upgrades Thyroid Recall
A health news roundup covers a worsening measles outbreak, a Class I drug recall, and other unrelated developments.
Radiofrequency Ablation and Myomectomy Show Similar Fibroid Relief at 2 Years
A prospective study finds both uterine-sparing procedures produce durable, comparable improvements in symptoms and quality of life.
Physicians Carry Hidden Workload From High Drug Costs, Survey Finds
A new RazorMetrics survey shows that high prescription prices push extra work onto physicians, not just patients.
Sigma Nursing Ousts CEO After Racial Slur Allegations
The nursing honor society's removal of its CEO underscores unresolved questions about racism within the profession.
Lionel Richie's Afib Ablation Spotlights New Heart Rhythm Tools
The singer's procedure highlights how catheter ablation, especially with newer pulsed field technology, is evolving as a first-line treatment for atrial fibrillation.
Maternal Tdap Blunts Child Vaccine Response, Booster Restores Immunity
A Finnish observational study finds that maternal Tdap vaccination during pregnancy lowers preschoolers' antibody levels after primary DTaP, but the age-4 booster brings them back to normal.
CRISPR-Edited Donor Stem Cells Shield Healthy Cells in Blood Cancer Trial
A small trial shows that removing CD33 from donor stem cells lets CD33-targeting drugs attack cancer without wiping out the transplanted blood system.
CDC, CSTE Work on Measles Death Definition After Reporting Change
A new workgroup aims to standardize measles death counts, but its launch follows a controversial change to CDC reporting.
U.S. Cancer Mortality Down 35% Since 1991, AACR Report Says
A new AACR report credits smoking reductions and treatment advances for averting nearly 5 million cancer deaths, while warning that funding cuts threaten further progress.
ADARx Raises $446M IPO, a Rare RNAi Biotech Listing
ADARx becomes the first RNAi-focused biotech to price a U.S. IPO in over a decade, signaling renewed investor appetite for RNA medicines.
Veteran and Sesame Street alum leads new federal autism initiative
The new head of the government's autism project brings a background in military tech and children's media to improving diagnosis and care.
Generic Xofluza licensing deals aim to boost pandemic flu preparedness
A U.N.-backed program has licensed 11 manufacturers to produce generic versions of Roche's flu drug Xofluza for 129 low- and middle-income countries.