Articles written by Matthew Perrone
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Mind-altering ketamine becomes latest pain treatment, despite little research or regulation
WASHINGTON (AP) — As U.S. doctors scale back their use of opioid painkillers, a new option for hard-to-treat pain is taking root: ketamine, the decades-old surgical drug that is now a trendy psychedelic therapy. Prescriptions for ketamine have...
First over-the-counter birth control pill gets FDA approval
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal regulators on Thursday approved the nation's first over-the-counter birth control pill in a landmark decision that will soon allow American women and girls to obtain contraceptive medication as easily as they buy aspirin...
FDA warns stores to stop selling Elf Bar, the top disposable e-cigarette in the US
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration on Thursday said it has sent warning letters to dozens of retailers selling fruit- and candy-flavored disposable e-cigarettes, including the current best-selling brand, Elf Bar. It's the latest...
Abortion clinics in 3 states sue to protect pill access
Abortion providers in three states filed a lawsuit Monday aimed at preserving access to the abortion pill mifepristone, even as the drug is threatened by a separate Texas lawsuit winding its way through U.S. court system. The lawsuit, filed in U.S....
What does 1870s Comstock Act have to do with abortion pills?
WASHINGTON (AP) — A 19th century "anti-vice" law is at the center of a new court ruling that threatens access to the leading abortion drug in the U.S. Dormant for a half-century, the Comstock Act has been revived by anti-abortion groups and...
Access to abortion pill in limbo after competing rulings
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Access to the most commonly used method of abortion in the U.S. plunged into uncertainty Friday following conflicting court rulings over the legality of the abortion medication mifepristone that has been widely available for...
Eyedrops maker couldn't ensure factory was sterile, FDA says
WASHINGTON (AP) — The manufacturer of eyedrops recently linked to deaths and injuries lacked measures to assure sterility at its factory in India, according to U.S. health inspectors. Food and Drug Administration officials uncovered about a dozen p...
Long-used US abortion pill under threat in Texas lawsuit
AMARILLO, Texas (AP) — A federal judge in Texas raised questions Wednesday about a Christian group's effort to overturn federal regulators' decades-old approval of a leading abortion drug, in a case that could threaten the country's most common...
Sleep apnea device recall drags on, stoking frustration
WASHINGTON (AP) — A massive recall of millions of sleep apnea machines has stoked anger and frustration among patients, and U.S. officials are weighing unprecedented legal action to speed a replacement effort that is set to drag into next year....
Over-the-counter hearing aids expected this fall in US
WASHINGTON (AP) — Millions of Americans will be able to buy hearing aids without a prescription later this fall, under a long-awaited rule finalized Tuesday. The Food and Drug Administration said the new regulation cuts red tape by creating a new...
US will stretch monkeypox vaccine supply with smaller doses
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health officials on Tuesday authorized a plan to stretch the nation's limited supply of monkeypox vaccine by giving people just one-fifth the usual dose, citing research suggesting that the reduced amount is about as...
Medication abortion is common; here's how it works.
Medication abortions became the preferred method for ending pregnancy in the U.S. even before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. These involve taking two prescription medicines days apart — at home or in a clinic. Abortion procedures are an... Full story
Parents hunting for baby formula as shortage spans US
WASHINGTON (AP) — Parents across the U.S. are scrambling to find baby formula because supply disruptions and a massive safety recall have swept many leading brands off store shelves. Months of spot shortages at pharmacies and supermarkets have...
FDA restricts J&J's COVID-19 vaccine due to blood clot risk
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. regulators on Thursday strictly limited who can receive Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine due to a rare but serious risk of blood clots. The Food and Drug Administration said the shot should only be given to adults who can...
US opens second COVID boosters to 50 and up, others at risk
Americans 50 and older can get a second COVID-19 booster if it's been at least four months since their last vaccination, a chance at extra protection for the most vulnerable in case the coronavirus rebounds. The Food and Drug Administration on...
FDA skeptical of benefits from experimental ALS drug
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal health regulators issued a negative review Monday of a closely watched experimental drug for the debilitating illness known as Lou Gehrig's disease, after months of lobbying by patient advocates urging approval. The drug...
Pfizer asks FDA to allow COVID-19 vaccine for kids under 5
WASHINGTON (AP) — Pfizer on Tuesday asked the U.S. to authorize extra-low doses of its COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5, potentially opening the way for the very youngest Americans to start receiving shots as early as March. In an...
FDA: Merck COVID pill effective, experts will review safety
Federal health regulators say an experimental COVID-19 pill from Merck is effective against the virus, but they will seek input from outside experts on risks of birth defects and other potential problems during pregnancy. The Food and Drug...
US opens COVID boosters to all adults, urges them for 50+
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. on Friday opened COVID-19 booster shots to all adults and took the extra step of urging people 50 and older to seek one, aiming to ward off a winter surge as coronavirus cases rise even before millions of Americans...
Pfizer asks US officials to OK promising COVID-19 pill
WASHINGTON (AP) — Pfizer asked U.S. regulators Tuesday to authorize its experimental pill for COVID-19, setting the stage for a likely launch this winter of a promising treatment that can be taken at home. The company's filing comes as new...
Pfizer says COVID-19 pill cut hospital, death risk by 90%
WASHINGTON (AP) — Pfizer Inc. said Friday that its experimental antiviral pill for COVID-19 cut rates of hospitalization and death by nearly 90% in high-risk adults, as the drugmaker joined the race for an easy-to-use medication to treat the...
FDA paves way for Pfizer COVID-19 vaccinations in young kids
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration on Friday paved the way for children ages 5 to 11 to get Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine. The FDA cleared kid-size doses — just a third of the amount given to teens and adults — for emergency use,...
FDA OKs mixing COVID vaccines; backs Moderna, J&J boosters
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. regulators on Wednesday signed off on extending COVID-19 boosters to Americans who got the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine and said anyone eligible for an extra dose can get a brand different from the one they received...
FDA panel endorses booster shot for J&J COVID-19 vaccine
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. health advisers endorsed a booster of Johnson & Johnson's COVID-19 vaccine Friday, citing concern that Americans who got the single-dose shot aren't as protected as those given two-dose brands. J&J told the Food and Drug...
Merck asks US FDA to authorize promising anti-COVID pill
WASHINGTON (AP) — Drugmaker Merck asked U.S. regulators Monday to authorize its pill for treating COVID-19 in what would add an entirely new and easy-to-use weapon to the world's arsenal against the pandemic. If cleared by the Food and Drug...
