The US Food and Drug Administration has banned unauthorized flavored vaping cartridges, cracking down on e-cigarette products as it tries to cut use among children. The announcement - which affects "unauthorized flavored e-cigarette products that appeal to kids" the FDA warns - comes only days after the agency raised the tobacco sale age from 18 to 21.
On December 20, 2019, US President Donald Trump signed legislation to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Part of this amendment package included raising the federal minimum age of sale of tobacco product from 18 to 21 years in the United States. Some states have raised the tobacco purchase age minimum to 21 as far back as January 1st, 2016 (that was Hawaii), and the last state to raise the age in 2019 was New York (effective as of November 13, 2019).
Migraines, a particularly severe type of headache that can cause pain and visual disturbances, often last for hours or days, disrupting one's life. Pain killers and other acute treatments often fail to provide relief from these migraines; instead, most treatments are for preventing chronic migraines. That has changed with the FDA's approval of a new drug that offers immediate, rather than preventative, relief.
The FDA is warning that two popular medications commonly prescribed to treat nerve pain, epilepsy, and select other issues can cause 'serious' breathing problems in some of the patients who take them. This warning raised concerns among the many people taking these pills, but a careful look at the FDA's advisory shows that the issue only applies to certain patients.
The United States Food and Drug Administration has approved of an Ebola vaccine for the first time in history. This announcement was made just weeks after a similar approval by the World Health Organization. The vaccine goes by the name of Ervebo, and it's already been "assessed in approximately 15,000 individuals in Africa, Europe and North America." This vaccine's approval process, though rigorous, was done in relatively short order thanks to the efforts of the FDA and associated medical and scientific groups due to the urgent need for this vaccine as outbreaks continue to occur.
The FDA posted their latest updated guidance for "Influenza (Flu) Antiviral Drugs and Related Information" for public awareness, current for the tail end of the year 2019. The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) noted that there are "a number of drugs" of which they approve of for "the treatment and prevention of influenza" but that NONE of them are "a substitute for yearly vaccination." They might stop your cough, but the FDA still recommended (and continues to recommend) that all people get their yearly flu vaccine ASAP.
The Food and Drug Administration has granted the ‘Breakthrough Therapy’ designation to the treatment of major depression disorder (MDD) using psilocybin, the psychoactive compound found in many mushrooms collectively referred to as ‘magic mushrooms.’ The designation was granted to Usona Institute, enabling it to proceed with an investigation into psilocybin-based treatment for MDD.
Public health officials with the FDA and CDC have linked a hepatitis A outbreak to the consumption of blackberries purchased from a natural food marketplace with stores in the Midwest. Federal experts have been working with public health officials from three states on investigating a hepatitis A outbreak currently involving 11 cases and six hospitalizations.
In a statement published on Friday, the Food and Drug Administration warned the public to avoid all vaping products that are sold privately, including homemade offerings, which it collectively refers to as 'street' vapes. As well, officials are warning the public to avoid vaping products that contain THC, the compound in marijuana that causes one to become 'high.'
Public health officials in Georgia and Florida reported two vaping deaths this week, bringing the nationwide total to 11. Both cases involved individuals suffering from the severe lung condition that has appeared in hundreds of people who reported recent use of electronic cigarettes or other vaping products. In at least one of these newly disclosed fatal cases, the victim is said to have used nicotine products.
The FDA has advised consumers that Torrent Pharmaceuticals is voluntarily expanding its blood pressure medication recall over the presence of an impurity that may trigger the development of cancer in some patients. The expansion covers another two lots of Losartan Potassium / Hydrochlorothiazide tablets USP, as well as three lots of Losartan Potassium tablets USP.
As anticipated, the FDA has proposed a new rule detailing the steps tobacco companies will be required to take in order to sell electronic cigarettes and similar vaping products. The FDA will evaluate applications for marketing approval across a variety of categories, including the product's potential impact on public health. The agency aims to 'clear the market' of all unauthorized flavored electronic cigarettes.