FDA Moves Toward Faster Drug Approvals

In a major shift that could fundamentally change how new medicine reaches the pharmacy, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is relaxing a long-standing drug approval requirement for common diseases.

Drugmakers must often complete two separate, large-scale studies to prove a new medication is effective.

Going forward, the FDA&...

Bhattacharya to Do Double Duty at Helms of CDC and NIH

An outspoken critic of the nation’s top public health agency has been tapped to lead it for the foreseeable future.

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya will serve temporarily as acting director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in addition to filling his role as director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

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Study Links Advanced CTE From Head Trauma as Distinct Cause of Dementia

For years, families of athletes and military veterans have watched loved ones slip into memory loss, suspecting the culprit was a lifetime of blows to the head.

Now, a major study from the Boston University CTE Center provides the data to back those suspicions: Advanced chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), or stage IV CTE, quadrupled a ...

'Operation Stork Speed' Prepares to Overhaul Baby Formula Guidelines

During their first six months of life, many infants get some or all of their calories from formula, but federal rules governing what goes into those bottles haven't been updated in decades.

That may soon change under a federal initiative dubbed Operation Stork Speed that was launched last March to bring U.S. infant formula standards into t...

Dental Guidelines Call For More Judicious Use Of X-Rays

FRIDAY, Jan. 20, 2026 (HealthDay News) —  Everyone who’s had regular dental care knows the heavy lead apron that’s draped across your body before taking X-rays of your teeth.

But what has been an annual ritual of donning the apron and undergoing oral X-rays might look very different the next time you visit the dentis...

Parents' 'Gut Feelings' Best Help Doctors Detect And Treat Serious Illness Among Children

Doctors would do well to heed any gut feelings parents might have about their child’s health, a new study says.

Nine times out of 10, children were seriously ill if their parents had a clear or strong concern about their health, researchers reported Feb. 17 in JAMA Network Open.

In fact, asking whether a parent is worr...