FDA again bypasses advisers to remove black-box warnings from menopause treatments

30 October 2026 at 19:15

Some experts express concern about ‘lack of transparency’ as agency removes warnings on three estrogen patches

Three more patches for treating menopause will no longer carry black-box warnings about cardiovascular disease, breast cancer and dementia, officials at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Friday.

The FDA did not convene an advisory committee and offered few details on the scientific basis for the decision in the press briefing. The news follows the removal of black-box warnings from six menopause treatments in February, as patients across the US struggle with shortages of the patches.

Everyone is thin and we’re not allowed to say so: the toxic legacy of body positivity

The Guardian

By: Hannah Marriott

30 October 2026 at 14:30

In the late 2010s, a movement argued that no one body type is superior than another. Now in the GLP-1 age, people are still pursuing thinness - and just not talking about it

Vogue World Milano was held beneath the vaulted glass domes of Italy’s oldest shopping arcade, featuring Gigi Hadid in archival Valentino couture and robots dancing on the catwalk while Miuccia Prada scowled at them. A splashy event staged in the midst of a month of fashion shows in New York, London, Milan and Paris, in which 97.5% of models were a US size four or under, what ticked people off most was the presence of trillion-dollar pharma company Eli Lilly on the list of sponsors.

Eating disorder advocates spoke out against the association between an aspirational fashion show and the manufacturer of the weight-loss drugs Zepbound and Mounjaro.

Coroner calls for TGA to review unapproved peptides after death of Australian actor

World news | The Guardian

By: Australian Associated Press

29 October 2026 at 10:22

Richard Norton, 75, went into cardiac arrest in March 2025 after injecting prescribed but unapproved CJC1295 and ipamorelin

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The death of an Australian actor after injecting unapproved peptides could result in tougher restrictions on the substances.

Richard Norton, 75, an experienced film industry fight choreographer, stuntman and martial artist, went into cardiac arrest in March 2025 after injecting a prescribed but unapproved peptide.

FDA scientists opposed Trump administration’s move to ease peptide access

World news | The Guardian

By: Associated Press

28 October 2026 at 21:35

Effort to loosen rules on unproven peptide drugs, favored by RFK Jr, faced fierce pushback from agency scientists

A plan to give people in the United States easier access to unproven peptide drugs favored by the US health secretary, Robert F Kennedy Jr, was opposed by most Food and Drug Administration scientific staff members, who had limited input in drafting the policy, according to six people familiar with its development.

The document posted online on Wednesday by Kennedy’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) covers a handful of injectable peptides promoted within the wellness industry for building muscle, healing injuries and boosting energy.

Trump Administration Backs Down on an Opioid Ban After Kratom Industry Lobbying

NYT > Top Stories

By: Christina Jewett

28 October 2026 at 12:03

Health officials will now allow some levels of a powerful substance to remain in products marketed as natural. The change could help a G.O.P. donor facing wrongful death lawsuits.

Banners promoting the sale of kratom products outside a smoke shop in Tulsa, Okla., earlier this year.

‘I was so sick’: is running a marathon while on a GLP-1 a bad idea?

The Guardian

By: Lauren Gould

27 October 2026 at 19:00

As the weight-loss drugs become more common, some runners find the side-effects challenging. Here’s what experts say

Women: was your autoimmune condition misdiagnosed?

Keri M, a marathoner in her 50s, knew the race would be terrible.

This feeling couldn’t be chalked up to inexperience. Keri, who asked us to omit her full name due to the sensitive subject matter, has completed dozens of half marathons and four full marathons.