FDA

An advisory panel to the FDA has voted against recommending a broad COVID-19 vaccine booster program for all American adults at this time. Instead, the panel unanimously recommended boosters for those in high-risk groups or over the age of 65.

A new article published in The Lancet is arguing against broadly administering COVID-19 vaccine booster shots. The article is co-authored by two of the FDA's top vaccine advisors, both of whom recently announced they were stepping down from their positions.

The FDA has now fully approved Pfizer’s mRNA vaccine, making it the first COVID-19 vaccine to be completely authorized and marked as safe for use in the United States. It is hoped the approval will instill confidence in those still hesitant to get vaccinated.

From late September all Americans will be offered a third COVID-19 vaccine booster shot, to be administered at least eight months after a second dose, but some are questioning the need for third shots when so many are still yet to receive even one dose.

The FDA has authorized a third COVID-19 vaccine dose for immunocompromised individuals. The authorization comes after weeks of speculation about booster plans and the FDA stresses other populations do not require extra doses at this point in time.

A new systematic review of over 300 clinical trials has found little to no evidence any of over-the-counter weight loss supplements actually work, and the researchers are calling on regulatory authorities to take action.

The FDA's approval of Alzheimer’s drug Aduhelm has been criticized by many in the scientific community. Amidst concerns surrounding the drug’s efficacy, advisors to the FDA have resigned in protest and calls for top officials to step down are growing.

A new Alzheimer’s treatment has been controversially approved for use in the US despite an independent FDA panel reporting last year the drug’s trial results were inconclusive. The approval marks the first new treatment for Alzheimer’s in almost 20 years.

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a new weight management drug called Wegovy (semaglutide). First approved as a type 2 diabetes treatment in 2017, the drug has been described as a “game-changer” for obese or overweight adults.

The first results from Phase 3 trials testing MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD have been announced. The promising data are the first Phase 3 results to be revealed for any psychedelic-based therapy paving the way for a landmark FDA approval in 2023.

A striking new study testing a number of over-the-counter weight loss and sports supplements has found they contain many combinations of stimulants that have either previously been prohibited by the FDA or never approved for human consumption.

A study is questioning the safety of a food preservative found in hundreds of products that is suspected of impairing immune system activity. The research calls for greater surveillance of the immunological effects of food additives.