Whooping Cough Cases Far Outpacing Last Year’s as Measles Illnesses Continue to Spread
April 30, 2025 Pertussis Cases Increase During Worst Measles Outbreak in Decades Amid the worst measles outbreak Texas has seen in over 30 years; pertussis cases are spiking as well. While over 650 cases of measles have been reported in the state (nearly 900 cases nationwide), Texas’ cases of pertussis – or whooping cough – are outpacing […]
Telehealth Sites Promise Cure for ‘Male Menopause’ Despite FDA Ban on Off-Label Ads
Online stores sprang up during the COVID-19 pandemic’s telehealth boom touting testosterone as a cure-all for men’s age-related illnesses — despite FDA rules issued years ago restricting such “low testosterone” advertising. In ads on Google, Facebook, and elsewhere, testosterone telemedicine websites may promise a quick fix for sluggishness and low libido in men. But evidence […]
Metformin during pregnancy affects the brain development in offspring mice, study finds
With the rise in gestational diabetes and metabolic disorders during pregnancy, metformin is also being prescribed more frequently. Although it is known that the oral antidiabetic agent can cross the placental barrier, the impacts on the brain development of the child are largely unknown. An interdisciplinary research team from the German Institute of Human Nutrition […]
FDA Panel Gives Thumbs Up to Earlier Use of CAR T-Cell Therapy in Multiple Myeloma
Two CAR T-cell therapies for multiple myeloma won favorable recommendations for earlier use in the disease during a day-long meeting of the FDA Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC). By an 11-0 vote, ODAC recommended that FDA approve ciltacabtagene autoleucel (cilta-cel, Carvykti) for use as second-line therapy in certain patients with myeloma. Later in the day, […]
Breastfeeding While Taking MS Monoclonal Antibody Drugs Appears Safe
Exposure to multiple sclerosis (MS) monoclonal antibody treatment during breastfeeding appeared to have no negative effect on the early development or health of infants, registry data in Germany showed. Over the first 3 years of follow-up, no links emerged between exposure to monoclonal antibody drugs and annual hospitalization (rate ratio [RR] 1.23, P=0.473), annual systemic […]
Smoking during pregnancy may increase the risk of behavioral disorders in newborns, predicts AI
Although several studies have linked smoking during pregnancy with neurodevelopmental disorders, the results of behavioral experiments in mice prenatally exposed to nicotine have been inconsistent. In a recent study, scientists from Japan developed a deep learning-based framework to automatically observe and classify mice behavior in such experiments, producing more accurate and unbiased results. They show […]
Animals’ ability to adapt their habitats key to survival amid climate change
Birds build nests to keep eggs and baby nestlings warm during cool weather, but also make adjustments in nest insulation in such a way the little ones can keep cool in very hot conditions. Mammals, such as rabbits or groundhogs, sleep or hibernate in underground burrows that provide stable, moderate temperatures and avoid above-ground conditions […]
Oral Drug Gains Steam as On-Demand Option for Hereditary Angioedema Attacks
WASHINGTON — The investigational oral drug sebetralstat provided on-demand relief during tissue swelling attacks from hereditary angioedema (HAE), a phase III study showed. Following self-administration, time to the beginning of symptom relief was reduced from a median 6.7 hours with placebo to 1.6 hours with a 300-mg dose of the plasma kallikrein inhibitor (P<0.0001) and […]
Another COVID Toll: Over 134,000 Undiagnosed Cancers During Height of Pandemic
More than 134,000 cancers might have gone undiagnosed during the first 10 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study of national trends in cancer incidence. Annual cancer incidence fell almost 30% short of the expected rate from March through December 2020. The difference represented potentially 134,395 undiagnosed cancers during that period. Diagnosis of […]
FDA Panel Mulls Which Devices Are Critical in a Public Health Emergency
What bare minimum equipment would you need to practice your specialty during a public health emergency? It depends on what the emergency is, members of an FDA advisory panel said Tuesday. “If we have a thermonuclear war, all I need is a scalpel,” said Stavropoula Tjoumakaris, MD, a professor of neurosurgery at Thomas Jefferson University […]