FDA Adds Boldest Warning to Widely Used Opioid Painkillers
Washington — Federal health regulators will add their strongest warning labels to the most widely prescribed painkillers, part of a multi-pronged government campaign to stem an epidemic of abuse and death tied to drugs like Vicodin and Percocet. The Food and Drug Administration announced on Tuesday plans to add a boxed warning — the most serious type — to all immediate-release opioid painkillers, including some 175 branded and generic...
Despite Lack of Eggs, FDA Will Let Just Mayo Keep Its Name
New York — Just Mayo says it will get to keep its name, a decision that caps a rollercoaster year for the vegan spread that has rattled the egg industry. After months of discussions, Just Mayo’s maker Hampton Creek says it worked out an agreement with the Food and Drug Administration that lets the eggless spread keep its name, as long as a few changes are made to its label. The resolution comes after the FDA sent a warning letter to...
Costco Joins Retailers Saying They Won’t Sell GMO Salmon
Seattle — Costco has joined the list of retailers who say they will not sell genetically modified salmon after the Food and Drug Administration approved on Thursday the sale of such fish. “Although the FDA has approved the sale of GM salmon, Costco has not sold and does not intend to sell GM salmon at this time,” the warehouse store chain based outside Seattle said in a statement Friday. The FDA cleared for sale AquAdvantage Salmon,...
Food Companies Scrambling to Satisfy ‘Clean Eating’
The steady, national swing toward “clean eating” has helped trigger an industry move toward clearing product labels of unpronounceable ingredients. So have the numerous class-action lawsuits chasing multimillion-dollar penalties for consumers who claim they were misled or misfed. Among the lawsuits filed this year alone are cases targeting trans fat in Heinz’s Ore-Ida Extra Crispy fries, complaining about a Kraft shredded cheese...
Drug Industry Links Run Deep In the Field of Sexual Medicine
Washington — How do you measure sexual desire? If you’re a drugmaker trying to win approval for a medication to boost female libido, it might come down to two questions on a medical questionnaire. Those questions made the difference for Sprout Pharmaceuticals, which received federal approval Tuesday for Addyi, the first pill for women who suffer from a loss of sexual appetite. But the history and development of that questionnaire —...
