health and wellness Archives

Black Health Matters presents The Close Gap Community Health Challenge

January 9, 2021 Rod Washington

Free virtual fair supporting heart health awareness in Detroit’s Black Community Black Health Matters will host The Close the Gap Community Health Challenge, a free, virtual health fair aimed at raising awareness of heart health within the Black community. This virtual event will take place this Saturday, January 9, 2021, from 10:00 an to 5:00pm EST and features healthcare professionals from some of Detroit’s top…

FDA Statement on Following the Authorized Dosing Schedules for COVID-19 Vaccines

January 5, 2021 Rod Washington

Two different mRNA vaccines have now shown remarkable effectiveness of about 95% in preventing COVID-19 disease in adults. As the first round of vaccine recipients become eligible to receive their second dose, we want to remind the public about the importance of receiving COVID-19 vaccines according to how they’ve been authorized by the FDA in order to safely receive…

MasterClass Announces Class on the Science of Better Sleep

December 23, 2020 Rod Washington

Neuroscientist and sleep expert Matthew Walker teaches how to increase the quality and quantity of sleep MasterClass, the streaming platform where anyone can learn from the world’s best across a wide range of subjects, today announced a class on the science of better sleep, led by sleep expert Matthew Walker. As a professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of California,…

FDA Takes Additional Action in Fight Against COVID-19 By Issuing Emergency Use Authorization for Second COVID-19 Vaccine

December 19, 2020 Rod Washington

Action Follows Thorough Evaluation of Available Safety, Effectiveness, and Manufacturing Quality Information by FDA Career Scientists, Input from Independent Experts Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the second vaccine for the prevention of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The emergency use authorization allows the…

FDA Approved First Adjuvant Therapy for Most Common Type of Lung Cancer

December 19, 2020 Rod Washington

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Tagrisso (osimertinib) as the first adjuvant treatment for patients with non-small cell lung cancer whose tumors have a specific type of genetic mutation. “Today’s approval of Tagrisso demonstrates how additional research on therapies approved in later stages of cancer can eventually improve treatment options for patients in earlier stages,” said Richard Pazdur, M.D.,…

FDA Authorizes First COVID-19 and Flu Combination Test for use with home-collected samples

December 5, 2020 Rod Washington

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the first diagnostic test for at home collection of patient samples to detect both COVID-19 and influenza A and B (flu). The FDA authorized Quest Diagnostics RC COVID-19 +Flu RT-PCR Test for prescription use with the Quest Diagnostics Self-Collection Kit for COVID-19 +Flu by individuals who are suspected of respiratory viral infection consistent…

FDA Approves Lotion for Nonprescription Use to Treat Head Lice

October 27, 2020 Rod Washington

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a lotion to treat head lice for nonprescription, or over-the-counter (OTC), use through a process called a prescription (Rx)-to-OTC switch. The FDA initially approved Sklice (ivermectin) lotion, 0.5% for the treatment of head lice infestation in patients 6 months of age and older as a prescription drug in February 2012. “The Rx-to-OTC…

Warnings About Using a Type of Pain and Fever Medication in Second Half of Pregnancy

October 18, 2020 Charles Elliott

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced in a Drug Safety Communication that it is requiring labeling changes for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These changes include new labeling to explain that if women take the medications around 20 weeks or later in their pregnancy, the drugs can cause rare but serious kidney problems in the unborn baby, which can lead…

FDA Approves First Treatment for Ebola Virus

October 16, 2020 Rod Washington

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Inmazeb (atoltivimab, maftivimab, and odesivimab-ebgn), a mixture of three monoclonal antibodies, as the first FDA-approved treatment for Zaire ebolavirus (Ebola virus) infection in adult and pediatric patients. “Today’s action demonstrates the FDA’s ongoing commitment to responding to public health threats—both domestically and abroad—on the basis of science and data,” said FDA Commissioner Stephen M….

FDA Approves Drug Combination for Treating Mesothelioma

October 4, 2020 Rod Washington

First approval in 16 years for mesothelioma, a type of cancer caused by inhaling asbestos fibers Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Opdivo (nivolumab) in combination with Yervoy (ipilimumab) for the first-line treatment of adults with malignant pleural mesothelioma that cannot be removed by surgery. This is the first drug regimen approved for mesothelioma in 16 years and…