Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Herbal Supplement Recalled After Tests Find Erectile Dysfunction Drug In It
The Hill: Viagra Drug Found In ‘Wellness’ Supplement Prompts Nationwide Recall
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 LLC’s product “Volume,” the FDA says. (Tanner, 3/12)
On weight loss drugs —
FiercePharma: Lilly Warns Of 'Impurity' In Some Compounded Tirzepatide Drugs
Eli Lilly warned it has “uncovered significant levels of an impurity” in certain compounded tirzepatide products that include vitamin B12. (Kansteiner, 3/12)
The New York Times: When Weight-Loss Drugs Don’t Work
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 —
Stat: Cancer Researchers Identify Potential New Target For Solid Tumors
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 wasn’t supposed to be there. This protein, called Src, should only be tucked inside cells. (Chen, 3/12)
NBC News: David Protein Bar Founder Pushes Back After Lawsuit Alleges Company Undercounted Calories
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 film’s 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 everyone’s obsessed with is — spoiler alert — full of fat. (Bennett, 3/12)
Stat: Women's Health Has Federal Offices. Should Men Have One, Too?
The early 1990s were a watershed moment for female health. In 1990, the Office of Research on Women’s Health was founded within the National Institutes of Health to ensure women were included in medical research. A year later, an Office on Women’s Health was established within the Department of Health and Human Services to coordinate research, education, and resources. (Merelli, 3/12)
