Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
FDA Clears Way For Lab-Grown Meat
The Washington Post: Lab-Grown Meat Is Safe To Eat, Says FDA
The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday declared a lab-grown meat product developed by a California start-up to be safe for human consumption, paving the way for products derived from real animal cells — but that don’t require an animal to be slaughtered — to someday be available in U.S. grocery stores and restaurants. Dozens of major food companies are jostling to debut cultivated meat to the American public. As of now, Singapore is the only country in which these products are legally sold to consumers. (Reiley, 11/16)
Bloomberg: Lab-Grown Chicken Meat Clears FDA Hurdle In Step To Entering US Market
The regulator indicated Wednesday that the cultivated chicken product by Californian startup Upside Foods is safe to eat. ... While Upside Foods’ chicken is cleared for human consumption, it’s not approved to be sold. The product still needs to meet other requirements from the FDA and the US Department of Agriculture before it can enter the market. (Ng, 11/17)
In other news from the FDA —
Reuters: U.S. FDA Advisers Back Ardelyx's Kidney Disease Drug
A panel of advisers to the U.S. health regulator on Wednesday recommended the approval of Ardelyx Inc's drug for chronic kidney disease patients on dialysis, more than a year after it was initially rejected. (Leo and Mandowara, 11/16)
The Hill: FDA Warns E-Cig Companies Over Products That Look Like Toys And Target Children
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued warning letters to several e-cigarette companies on Wednesday for packaging their products to look like toys and appeal to children. The FDA criticized the five relatively unknown companies — Wizman Limited, Shenzhen Fumot Technology, Shenzhen Quawins Technology, Ruthless Vapor and Moti Global — for selling e-cigarettes designed to look like items such as glow sticks, Nintendo Game Boys and walkie-talkies, or to imitate foods such as popsicles. (Shapero, 11/16)
Stat: Tobacco Companies Turn To Gas Station Ads To Fight FDA Menthol Ban
At the Gateway mini mart here, you can buy menthol-flavored hemp cigarettes, an impressive 1-pound bag of pipe tobacco, or a Dragon Ball Z-themed bong — or, you can submit a formal comment to regulators at the Food and Drug Administration. (Florko, 11/17)
