U.S. Government is Funding Gain-of-Function Research in China to Make Bird Flu More Infectious
The U.S government is again funding gain-of-function (GoF) research with Chinese scientists to make a dangerous virus even more potent. This time it is with birds not bats. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) gave $1 million to fund risky research on bird flu viruses to the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, China; the […]
FDA Adds Boxed Warning to Merck’s Asthma Drug Singulair About Suicide, Neuropsychiatric Side Effects
In 2008, the FDA issued a warning advising that it would investigate a possible risk of suicide associated with Merck & Co.’s asthma and allergy drug Singulair after there were many reports of increases in agitation, aggression, anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts. Hallucinations also were documented for children and adolescents taking Singulair. When the drug’s […]
Pfizer Stock Posts Big Drop as Demand for COVID Shots and Paxlovid Dries Up
The value of shares in Pfizer, Inc. stock has dropped by over eight percent in recent weeks, bringing it to the lowest it has been in more than 10 years. The drop follows a recent announcement by the pharmaceutical company that it will post a decrease in revenue this year that will come in well […]
U.S. Taxpayer Funded Initiative Trains Dentists to Push HPV Vaccine
In recent years, government health agencies, cancer societies, as well as the American Dental Association (ADA), have attempted to recruit dentists to advocate for patients to get the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to prevent oral cancers. An HPV Vaccine Roundtable initiative, funded largely by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), advises dentists […]
Blood Pressure Drug Recalled After Oxycodone Found on Production Line
Drug manufacturer KVK-Tech, Inc. has issued a voluntary recall of blood pressure drug betaxolol after oxycodone was discovered on the production line. The recall notice, published Sept. 29, 2023 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), says the precautionary measure is being taken following the discovery of a single 5 mg Oxycodone Hydrogen Chloride […]
FDA Panel Statements Prompt Pharmacies to Pull Popular Nasal Decongestants from Pharmacy Shelves
Conventional over-the-counter cold meds promise cold symptom relief right on the front of their packaging, but U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisors have stated that an active ingredient in many popular cold medicines is not effective in relieving congestion when taken orally. An advisory panel for the FDA unanimously concluded recently that phenylephrine, a […]