Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Herbal Supplement Recalled After Tests Find Erectile Dysfunction Drug In It
A New Mexico-based company is recalling one of its supplements after a lab found it to contain the erectile dysfunction drug sildenafil, according to a Wednesday news release from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Sildenafil is the active ingredient in Viagra, which is FDA approved and used by millions of patients but was not listed on the label of Primal Supplements Group LLCs product Volume, the FDA says. (Tanner, 3/12)
On weight loss drugs
Eli Lilly warned it has uncovered significant levels of an impurity in certain compounded tirzepatide products that include vitamin B12. (Kansteiner, 3/12)
Drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound have been hailed as miracle treatments. But one in 10 people are what scientists call non-responders. (Bajaj and Blum, 3/12)
More health and wellness news
Jim Wells, a biologist at the University of California San Francisco, was studying proteins on the surface of cancer cells when he noticed one that wasnt supposed to be there. This protein, called Src, should only be tucked inside cells. (Chen, 3/12)
A lawsuit alleging that David protein bars misrepresent their calorie and fat content is drawing comparisons to the movie Mean Girls. A class action lawsuit filed in January alleges that the popular bars have more than 400% more fat and 80% more calories than advertised. It has prompted a flurry of recent social media posts referring to the films queen-bee character Regina George, who finds out that the healthy diet bars she was given are actually making her gain weight, not lose it. Others likened the situation to the Seinfeld episode in which the nonfat yogurt that everyones obsessed with is spoiler alert full of fat. (Bennett, 3/12)
The early 1990s were a watershed moment for female health. In 1990, the Office of Research on Womens Health was founded within the National Institutes of Health to ensure women were included in medical research. A year later, an Office on Womens Health was established within the Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate research, education, and resources. (Merelli, 3/12)
