Latest U.S. Food and Drug Administration News

It's the first drug shown to slow Alzheimer's. Why is is it off to a slow start?

Apr. 13, 2024 08:12 AM EDT

The first drug shown to slow Alzheimer’s disease hit the U.S. market over a year ago, but sales have lagged, major hospital systems have taken months to start using it and some insurers have rejected coverage. Doctors also expect some patients will hesitate to take Leqembi due to...

Company that made millions of defective sleep apnea machines ordered to overhaul manufacturing

Apr. 09, 2024 19:10 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The company responsible for a global recall of sleep apnea machines will be barred from resuming production at U.S. facilities until it meets a number of safety requirements, under a long-awaited settlement announced Tuesday by federal officials. Philips will be...

Many cancer drugs remain unproven 5 years after accelerated approval, a study finds

Apr. 07, 2024 14:10 PM EDT

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s accelerated approval program is meant to give patients early access to promising drugs. But how often do these drugs actually improve or extend patients’ lives? In a new study, researchers found that most cancer drugs granted accelerated...

ALS drug will be pulled from US market after study showed patients didn't benefit

Apr. 04, 2024 16:07 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The maker of a drug for Lou Gehrig’s disease that recently failed in a large study said Thursday it will pull the medicine from the market, acknowledging it didn't help patients with the deadly neurological condition. Amylyx Pharmaceuticals announced it will...

Lawsuit seeks to force ban on menthol cigarettes after months of delays by Biden administration

Apr. 02, 2024 16:58 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — Anti-smoking groups sued the U.S. government Tuesday over a long-awaited ban on menthol cigarettes, which has been idling at the White House for months. The lawsuit is the latest effort to force the government to ban menthols, which are disproportionately used by...

Supreme Court again confronts the issue of abortion, this time over access to widely used medication

Mar. 25, 2024 06:47 AM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court will again wade into the fractious issue of abortion this week when it hears arguments over a medication used in the most common way to end a pregnancy, a case with profound implications for millions of women no matter where they live in America and, perhaps,...

Mifepristone access is coming before the US Supreme Court. How safe is this abortion pill?

Mar. 24, 2024 09:05 AM EDT

The U.S. Supreme Court will take up a case Tuesday that could impact how women get access to mifepristone, one of the two pills used in the most common type of abortion in the nation. The central dispute in the case is whether the Food and Drug Administration overlooked serious...

A blood test for colon cancer performed well in a study, expanding options for screening

Mar. 13, 2024 17:12 PM EDT

A blood test for colon cancer performed well in a study published Wednesday, offering a new kind of screening for a leading cause of cancer deaths. The test looks for DNA fragments shed by tumor cells and precancerous growths. It's already for sale in the U.S. for $895, but has not...

Kentucky House passes bill meant to crack down on electronic cigarette sales to minors

Mar. 11, 2024 21:20 PM EDT

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Legislation aimed at cracking down on the illegal sale of electronic cigarettes to young people and keeping unauthorized vaping products out of stores won passage in the Kentucky House on Monday. Republican state Rep. Rebecca Raymer, the bill's lead sponsor,...

Lead-tainted cinnamon has been recalled. Here's what you should know

Mar. 08, 2024 18:39 PM EST

Several U.S. discount retailers recalled packages of ground cinnamon after federal health officials warned that they were contaminated with high levels of lead. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a safety alert for six brands of cinnamon, including those sold at Dollar Tree...