Reports of liver injuries to US poison centers have risen nearly 400% since 2000, and acetaminophen is a top driver, according to a new analysis. Researchers reviewed more than two decades of data from poison control centers across the country. The sharp increase points to wider use of the common painkiller, which appears in hundreds of over-the-counter and prescription products. Experts say many people accidentally take too much because they combine medicines without checking labels. The study's authors call for clearer dosing instructions and better public education about the risks.
The US Food and Drug Administration has approved the first mRNA-based vaccine for influenza. The shot uses the same messenger RNA technology that proved itself during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unlike traditional flu vaccines, which are grown in eggs, mRNA vaccines are made quickly in the lab, which could allow manufacturers to match the vaccine more closely to the strains circulating each season. Experts say the approval marks a turning point for mRNA technology, which is also being tested against other viruses and even cancer. Clinical trials showed the vaccine produced a strong immune response against multiple flu strains. The approval comes as public health officials prepare for the fall flu season. Researchers say the new vaccine could make annual flu shots more effective and faster to produce in a pandemic.
Scientists have completed the first trial of a fecal transplant to treat food allergies in people, and early results are promising. The treatment, known as a fecal microbiota transplant, moves gut bacteria from a healthy donor into a patient's digestive system to change how the immune system reacts to food. In the small trial, some patients with severe allergies to foods like peanuts, eggs, or milk were able to tolerate small amounts of their trigger foods afterward. The findings, published in Nature, varied from patient to patient. Researchers caution that larger studies are needed to confirm the results and test long-term safety. Food allergies affect millions of people worldwide, and current treatments rely mostly on avoidance and emergency medicines.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Moderna's mFlusiva, the first mRNA-based vaccine for seasonal influenza. The vaccine is cleared for adults 50 and older and targets influenza A subtypes and influenza B strains. The approval followed a unanimous recommendation from the FDA's Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee. Moderna expects the shot to be available at select retailers for the 2026-2027 respiratory virus season. The decision marks the first U.S. approval of an mRNA flu vaccine and expands the use of the technology behind the COVID-19 shots. It also signals a shift in federal vaccine policy after months of delays.
A large clinical trial shows that tirzepatide, a drug already used for type 2 diabetes and weight loss, cuts the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular deaths. The study followed more than 13,000 adults with type 2 diabetes, many of whom had heart disease risk factors. Patients taking the drug had fewer heart attacks and strokes than those given a placebo, and the benefits appeared within months and grew over time. Researchers say weight loss explains part of the effect, but the drug also appears to act on the heart and blood vessels directly. Side effects were mostly mild and included nausea. Doctors say the results are likely to change how the drug is prescribed and could strengthen arguments for broader insurance coverage.
A specially engineered chewing gum reduced oral HPV by up to 93 percent in a new study, while nearly eliminating two bacteria linked to head and neck cancer. The gum preserved beneficial mouth bacteria, raising hopes for a safer and more affordable way to reduce cancer risk. HPV is a common virus that accounts for a large share of head and neck cancers. The study's authors say a daily gum could offer a low-cost prevention tool, especially in places where vaccines are hard to access. Clinical trials will be needed before the gum reaches the market.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Oveporexton, sold as Orzeyful, on August 5 for adults with narcolepsy type 1. It is the first orexin receptor agonist approved in the United States and the first medicine to treat the underlying cause of the disease rather than individual symptoms. Narcolepsy type 1 is caused by the loss of orexin, a brain chemical that regulates wakefulness. The approval rests on two global Phase 3 trials that showed improvements in daytime sleepiness, cataplexy and quality of life. The drug was developed by Takeda and received Priority Review and Breakthrough Therapy designation.
The FDA has approved Oveporexton, a first-in-class treatment for narcolepsy that works by restoring orexin signaling in the brain. The approval is limited to people aged 50 and older. Narcolepsy is caused by the loss of orexin-producing neurons that regulate wakefulness. Unlike older stimulant-based drugs that mask symptoms, Oveporexton targets the underlying mechanism. In clinical trials, patients reported fewer daytime sleep attacks and better nighttime sleep, and some saw improvement in cataplexy. The once-daily pill is the first approved therapy to restore orexin signaling, and researchers say the approach could eventually apply to other sleep and neurological disorders. Doctors caution that long-term safety data is still limited.
A specially engineered chewing gum reduced oral HPV by up to 93 percent in an early trial, researchers said. The gum also nearly eliminated two bacteria linked to head and neck cancer while preserving beneficial mouth bacteria. Scientists tested the gum in people with high levels of oral HPV, a virus that causes most throat and mouth cancers. The results raise hopes for a safe, low-cost way to lower cancer risk, especially in regions where HPV vaccines are hard to deliver. Larger trials are needed to confirm the findings and check long-term safety before the gum could reach the market.
An experimental vaccine targeting the KRAS gene mutation showed promise in preventing pancreatic cancer, according to early trial results. The KRAS mutation appears in most pancreatic cancers and has long been considered one of the hardest targets in medicine. The vaccine trains the immune system to recognize cells carrying the mutated protein, with each dose built around the patient's own tumor mutations. Patients in the early trial developed strong immune responses, and some stayed free of recurrence longer than expected. The vaccine is moving into larger trials that will test it against a placebo. Similar vaccines are being tested for lung and colon cancer. Doctors cautioned that the approach will take years to reach patients.