With ‘functional’ beverages, brands rush to quench a thirst for drinks that do more than taste good

Supermarket beverage aisles are starting to look a lot more like a pharmacy. There are sodas made with mushrooms that supposedly improve mental clarity and juices packed with bacteria that claim to enhance digestive health. Water infused with collagen carries the promise of better skin, and energy drinks offer to help burn body fat. Welcome … Read more

Many cancer drugs remain unproven 5 years after accelerated approval, a study finds

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s accelerated approval program is meant to give patients early access to promising drugs. But how often do these drugs actually improve or extend patients’ lives? In a new study, researchers found that most cancer drugs granted accelerated approval do not demonstrate such benefits within five years. “Five years after … Read more

ALS drug will be pulled from US market after study showed patients didn’t benefit

WASHINGTON — The maker of a drug for Lou Gehrig’s disease that recently failed in a large study said Thursday it will pull the medicine from the market, acknowledging it didn’t help patients with the deadly neurological condition. Amylyx Pharmaceuticals announced it will voluntarily halt sales and marketing of the drug in the U.S. and … Read more

Rowers in England’s university Boat Race warned over E.coli levels in the Thames

Jumping into London’s River Thames has been the customary celebration for members of the winning crew in the Boat Race, the nearly 200-year-old rowing contest between storied English universities Oxford and Cambridge. Now it comes with a health warning. Testing by the River Action campaign group found high levels of E.coli along a stretch of … Read more

Rowers in England’s university Boat Race given health warning over E.coli levels in the Thames

Jumping into London’s River Thames has been the customary celebration for members of the winning crew in the Boat Race, the nearly 200-year-old rowing contest between storied English universities Oxford and Cambridge. Now it comes with a health warning. Testing by the River Action campaign group found high levels of E.coli along a stretch of … Read more

A blood test for colon cancer performed well in a study, expanding options for screening

A blood test for colon cancer performed well in a study published Wednesday, offering a new kind of screening for a leading cause of cancer deaths. The test looks for DNA fragments shed by tumor cells and precancerous growths. It’s already for sale in the U.S. for $895, but has not been approved by the … Read more

Maker of much-debated ALS drug says it may stop selling it after study showed it didn’t work

WASHINGTON — The maker of a much-debated drug for Lou Gehrig’s disease said Friday its therapy failed to help patients in a large follow-up study, but stopped short of committing to follow through on a prior pledge to pull the drug from the U.S. market. The Food and Drug Administration approved Amylyx Pharmaceuticals’ Relyvrio in … Read more

Jill Biden is announcing $100 million in funding for research and development into women’s health

WASHINGTON — WASHINGTON (AP) — Jill Biden on Wednesday was announcing $100 million in federal funding for research and development into women’s health as part of a new White House initiative that she is heading up. The funding is the first major deliverable of the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research, which was announced … Read more

FDA expands use of asthma drug Xolair to treat severe food allergies

A medication used to treat asthma can now be used to help people with food allergies avoid severe reactions, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday. Xolair, the brand name for the drug omalizumab, became the first medication approved to reduce allergic reactions caused by accidental exposure to food triggers. Patients as young as … Read more

By disclosing his cancer, Charles breaks centuries of royal tradition. But he shares only so much

LONDON — In British history, the secrecy of the monarch’s health has always reigned supreme. Buckingham Palace’s disclosure that King Charles III has been diagnosed with cancer shattered that longstanding tradition. On the heels of the shock and well-wishing that followed the official statement Monday came the surprise that the palace had announced anything at … Read more