Last week, Tibsovo (ivosidenib), a new targeted therapy for the treatment of certain adult patients with relapsed or refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with a specific genetic mutation, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.  Richard Pazdur, MD, director of the FDA’s...

Pharmaceutical manufacturer Bayer will stop selling and distributing the Essure permanent contraceptive device in the United States after December 31st, 2018, the company announced last week.  The product is the only permanent non-surgical form of birth control available in the US and is...

Detection of an impurity has prompted the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to announce a voluntary recall of several medications containing the active ingredient valsartan. Among the products recalled are valsartan-containing medications manufactured by Major Pharmaceuticals, Solco Healthcare...

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is examining ways to empower consumers by improving access to a range of non-prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medication and drug products. OTC drugs, such as Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Claritin (loratadine), are considered the first line treatment...

“Change is coming to prescription drug pricing,” is the message from Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary Alex Azar, who made the comments at the annual meeting of 340B Health, a trade group for 340B hospitals.  At the meeting, he suggested the existing 340B system is in need...

Over one-third (34.2 percent) of adults living in America’s rural counties are obese, according to the latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  Obesity prevalence was significantly higher among adults in the nation’s...

New safety labeling changes for fluoroquinolone antibiotics, require these medications to carry stronger warnings about potential mental health side effects and the risk of serious blood sugar disturbances. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced measures to improve labeling consistency...

Epidiolex (cannabidiol) is the first medication based on a purified drug substance, cannabidiol (CBD), derived from marijuana to gain approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The drug is indicated for patients aged two years and older with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome or Dravet...

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has raised the price of more than 40 of its medications, including cholesterol-lowering medicine Lipitor (atorvastatin) and erectile dysfunction drug Viagra (sildenafil). It is the second time the company has announced price increases this year, having raised the price...

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) has issued guidelines to help older adults reduce the risk of hyperthermia, or heat-related health conditions, during the hot summer months.  Seniors are particularly vulnerable to heat-related ailments, such as heat stroke, heat edema, heat cramps, heat...

Using a combination of statins and alirocumab to treat patients with diabetes and a history of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) may significantly reduce their risk of further cardiac events, according to the analysis of a recent clinical trial.  People with a history of ACS, which includes heart...

Less than one-quarter of Americans get the government-recommended amount of exercise, according to an annual health survey published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  The National Health Statistics Report examined responses to an annual survey and found only 23 percent...

Management of type 1 diabetes in pediatric patients could become easier following the approval of an automated insulin delivery and monitoring system for use in children between the ages of seven and 13. Medtronic’s MiniMed 670G hybrid closed loop system monitors glucose levels and...

Americans suffering from severe emphysema now have a new treatment option available following the decision by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve the Zephyr Endobronchial Valve, or Zephyr Valve. The device, marketed by Pulmonx Inc, is placed into diseased areas of the lungs by a...

Patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes now have a new option for monitoring their glucose levels following the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) decision to approve the first continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system with a fully implantable sensor.  The Eversense CGM can be...

Patients struggling to break dependence on opioids will soon have a cheaper treatment option available following the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) decision to approve the first generic sublingual version of Suboxone (buprenorphine and naloxone).  In April 2017, the US...

Americans have been urged to take precautions to protect against ultraviolet (UV) radiation and skin cancer during the hotter months of the year. In a statement issued by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, highlighted the dangers and prevalence of skin...

Fulphila (pegfilgrastim-jmdb) is the first biosimilar to Neulasta (pegfilgrastim) to gain approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Mylan GmbH medicine was approved as a treatment to reduce the risk of infection as suggested by febrile neutropenia (fever caused by a lack of...

Among white and Hispanic people born after 1965, rates of lung cancer are now higher in women than men, according to researchers from the American Cancer Society and National Cancer Institute.  The study, published last month in the New England Journal of Medicine, revealed an overall decline...

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning to parents over the dangers of over-the-counter (OTC) teething products containing benzocaine when these oral health medications are administered to children. The agency announced benzocaine-containing teething products will no longer...