For a federal agency tasked and trusted with deciding whether the latest medical goods and procedures should be on the market, the FDA seems hopelessly behind the times. But a recent reversal of a forty-year ban is a step in the right direction.
Recent Attacks on Recreational Marijuana Legalization Are All Smoke
In 2012 Colorado and Washington became the first states to legalize marijuana for recreational use. Minnesota recently became the 23rd. Maryland, New Jersey, and Minnesota are expected to follow soon. When they do, 25 states and Washington DC will allow adults to use a Schedule 1 substance recreationally.
Are Insulin Prices About to Drop? The Devil is in the Details
On March 1st, 2023, Eli Lilly announced in a news release it plans to cap out-of-pocket insulin costs for patients using many of its insulins to $35. These dramatic price cuts aim to make a vital medication for people with diabetes needing it to manage their blood glucose and prolong their lives more affordable. As Eli Lilly Chair and CEO David Rick stated,
FDA’s Rare Positive Move
The Food and Drug Administration is often said to save patients’ lives by only allowing safe and effective products into the US healthcare system. Numerous research articles written over dozens of years strongly indicate it doesn’t—quite the opposite.
Insulin Price-Caps: A Solution or a Recipe for Rationing?
Nearly three years ago, I asked in a blog post for The Beacon whether the new Biden Administration would accomplish the seemingly impossible task of lowering insulin prices. At the time, President Biden was more so focused on re-instating components of the Affordable Care Act undone during the Trump Administration.
When is a Drug Safe and Effective Enough?
Friedreich’s Ataxia (sometimes shortened to FA) is a disease that slowly damages the nervous system over time. Often, FA results in difficulty controlling muscle movements, impaired sensory function, spinal curvature, and a host of other serious health concerns. Symptoms of FA usually begin during early or late childhood and last the duration of the victim’s lifetime (which is often shortened). While FA is rare (about 5,000 Americans currently have it), those with it can only receive treatment for symptoms.
The FDA is Too Little Too Late in Tinkering with Covid-19 Booster Schedules
An article written in Yale Medicine notes that medical professionals across the globe are monitoring over 300 different subvariants of the omicron Covid-19 variant. The first known omicron variant infection in the United States was reported in late November 2021.
Deregulation Remains Our Best Hope to Combat Alzheimer’s Disease
This January, the Food and Drug Administration approved the drug Leqembi to treat Alzheimer’s disease. Leqembi is pathbreaking in two ways. First, while the vast majority of Alzheimer’s drugs can only help slow the progress of the disease, Leqembi can stop and reverse cognitive decline. As an FDA news release states, “This treatment option is the latest therapy to target and affect the underlying disease process of Alzheimer’s, instead of only treating the symptoms of the disease.”
Here Is How the FDA Made the RSV Wave More Dangerous
Forget Covid-19 and Monkeypox. Respiratory syncytial virus (often shortened to RSV) may be the biggest public health threat this season. RSV is a virus that often results in mild cold-like symptoms for many infected adults. However, it can be deadly for children. RSV is estimated to be responsible for 1 out of 50 children’s deaths globally and 1 out of 56 deaths for children in developed countries.
Why Does Dr. Fauci’s Replacement Matter So Much?
Cases of Covid-19, RSV, and the Flu are all rising across the country. While some predicted Covid would become seasonal, RSV and Flu cases are rising quicker and earlier than many expected. Hospitalizations from both RSV and the Flu are also the highest they’ve been in a decade. Together, this wave of illness has been named the “tridemic.”