Until law, GLP-1 drugs were used to treat diabetes, obesity and even the recent evidences suggest that it could as well be used to treat chronic kidney problems. There is yet another research, published in JAMA Psychiatry on February 25, titled Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults With Alcohol Use Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial that explores if GLP-1 receptor agonist semaglutide reduce alcohol consumption and cravings in adults with alcohol use disorder.

What Do Studies Say?

The research was conducted over a period of 9 weeks, where in the randomized clinical trial, the participants who were administered semaglutide, it led to reductions in some but not all measures of weekly consumptions. It also reduced weekly alcohol and craving related to placebo, and also led to a greater relative reduction in cigarettes per day.

The research also found that weekly injections of semaglutide, which is the active ingredient in weight loss drugs like Wegovy also helped reduce cravings in people with alcohol use disorder.

The lead author Christian Hendershot said that these findings will help in developing new approaches to treat alcoholism. "Two drugs currently approved to reduce alcohol consumption aren't widely used. The popularity of Ozempic and other GLP-1 receptor agonists increases the chances of broad adoption of these treatments for alcohol use disorder," said Hendershot in news release by the University of Southern California's Institute for Addiction Research, where he is the director.

The study is government-funded research and was funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, part of the National Institutes of Health.

How Was The Study Conducted?

The study was small, and took in account for only 48 adults over two months, thus experts say that it is not yet clear how safe these drugs are for people who do not need to lose weight. Though the results do add up with the evidence form animal studies on drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy on how it helps manage cravings, not just for food, but also for tobacco and alcohol. Scientists are also studying these drugs on smokers, people with opioid addiction and cocaine users.

Co-author Dr Klara Klein of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill who treats people with obesity and diabetes said, "This is such promising data. And we need more of it. We frequently will hear that once people start these medications that their desire to drink is very reduced, if not completely abolished."

Why Does It Work So Well Against Alcoholism?

The GLP-1 receptor agonists work by mimicking hormones GLP-1 in the gut and brain that regulates appetite and feelings of fullness. This response is what helps one lose weight, and what helps one curb their craving for alcohol. These drugs that mimic the functioning of your brain, which is responsible to tell your body when to stop consuming, are the same hormones that tell your body about other kinds of consumptions, including alcohol. Therefore by consuming the weight loss drugs one can treat alcohol use disorder.

However, the researchers have pointed out on the limited data on the research and have suggested to continue using the three approved drugs by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, namely, Disulfiram, Naltrexone, and Acamprosate to treat alcohol use disorder until large studies confirm these findings.

In January 2025, Los Angeles was ravaged by wildfires, which reportedly exposed an estimated 7 million people to lead concentrations more than 80 times higher than normal levels. The findings were published in Science Advances.

Researchers from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) found that smoke from the Eaton Fire contained excessive concentrations of toxic metals and other chemicals than smoke from a wildfire that burned mainly vegetation. The findings highlight the health risks caused when fires spread through populated areas and burnt homes, vehicles and electronic equipment.

The lead exposure for an estimated 24-hour period across the Los Angeles metropolitan area was more than 80 times typical levels. The researchers also found that the fire plume contained 50 times more lead, three times more arsenic and seven times more chlorine and bromine than the smoke.

LA Wildfire Smoke Was Highly Toxic

Wildfire smoke is releases particulate matter from the burning of trees, grass and other vegetation. However, when fires spread deeper into cities, they can also burn building materials, paint, vehicles, plastics and electronic devices, releasing more toxic pollutants.

The Eaton Fire began on January 7, 2025, and ravaged communities in and around Altadena, California. As the fire burned homes and vehicles, concentrations of toxic metals in the atmosphere increased drastically.

The researchers compared the chemical composition of the Eaton Fire plume to measurements from the 2024 Airport Fire in Southern California, which predominantly burned vegetation. They found that the urban fire plume had a completely different chemical composition.

“Urban fire plumes are chemically distinct from those of wildfires. Now that we have these observational data about how they differ, we can go back and adjust our models to more accurately estimate how smoke might affect people,” said Haroula Baliaka, the study’s lead author, in a statement released by Caltech.

Also read: Recreational Drugs, Steroids & Birth Control: Expert Explains Why Strokes Are Arriving Decades Earlier

Health Risks Of Lead And Arsenic Exposure

Lead is a toxic metal that can damage the nervous system. In children, exposure can impair brain development and lower IQ. In adults, it can cause high blood pressure and other health problems.

Arsenic exposure is also connected to several cancers. Chlorine and bromine are halogens that can be released when certain materials burn.

However, scientists have not established the full health consequences of the short-term, high-concentration lead exposure estimated in the study. The findings establish that millions of people may have encountered elevated levels of toxic pollutants, but they do not show how many developed health problems as a result.

Urban Fire Smoke Needs Stricter Monitoring

Wildfire smoke threatens populated areas. Smoke can travel beyond the fire zone, exposing people who may not face an immediate risk from flames.

Researchers and outside experts have called for better monitoring of smoke composition, better public alerts and emergency responses that account for toxic pollutants as well as fire danger.

The study also points to a gap in current understanding of air quality models that are based on wildfire emissions. They may not be fully be able capture the chemical hazards from fires that burn buildings and vehicles.

“Smoke travels; it's not just about the burn area. What does a plume mean for people who are miles away from a fire but receive the smoke? We evacuate for fire, but we don't evacuate for smoke exposure,” Baliaka said according to CBS Los Angeles.

Tuberculosis (TB) remains the world’s leading cause of death from a single infectious agent. Treatment typically involves daily oral medicines that is taken for over weeks or months, making adherence a challenge for many patients.

To tackle this, the World Health Organization (WHO) has now released target regimen profiles for long-acting injectables (LAIs), which may soon replace pills with injections for TB preventive treatment and TB disease.

The new treatment regimen for tuberculosis with LAIs targets three or fewer injections in just four months.

These treatments are not yet commercially available for routine clinical use, but several candidates are entering clinical development.

“Long-acting injectables could make TB prevention and treatment much simpler for the people who need them. These profiles tell developers, early, what a new regimen must achieve to make that difference in practice, without trading away efficacy, safety or patient choice,” said Dr. Tereza Kasaeva, director of the WHO Department for HIV, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis and Sexually Transmitted Infections.

What Are the WHO’s Targets for Long-Acting TB Injections?

Also read: 94% Of TB Patients Report Anxiety, 77% Depression: Study Highlights Mental Health Toll Of India's TB Burden

The WHO’s target regimen profiles (TRPs) define the minimum and optimal requirements for developing LAIs for TB prevention and treatment, guiding pharmaceutical companies, researchers, product developers, donors and TB-affected communities.

"The profile for TB preventive treatment aims for a complete course delivered through a single injection during one healthcare encounter. For TB disease, the target is a regimen lasting no more than four months, delivered in three or fewer dosing encounters," the WHO said.

Both profiles call for injections administered by trained health workers at the lowest feasible level of the health system. They also specify small injection volumes, no requirement for a cold chain, and efficacy and safety at least comparable to those of existing oral regimens. The profiles also address clinical trial design, scalability, equitable access and affordability.

How Could Long-Acting Injections Help People With TB?

Read More: ICMR's Advanced Blood Test to Predict Risk of TB 1.5 Years Before Symptoms Appear

LAIs are sustained-release medicines administered through intramuscular or subcutaneous injections. They have shown previously shown potential in managing conditions including HIV, schizophrenia, opioid dependence and contraception.

For HIV prevention, long-acting cabotegravir is administered every two months, while lenacapavir is administered twice yearly. WHO recommended lenacapavir for HIV prevention in 2025.

For people affected by TB, potential benefits include:

• Simpler adherence: Fewer doses could make it easier to complete treatment.
• Lower risk of drug resistance: Better adherence could reduce the risk of resistance developing during treatment.
• Reduced treatment burden: Fewer pills and healthcare visits could mean less time away from work and lower travel costs.
• Less stigma: Less frequent medication-taking and fewer healthcare visits could ease some of the burden associated with treatment.

However, LAIs address medication-taking frequency and adherence, not every challenge in TB care. Effective implementation would still require timely diagnosis, appropriate testing, management of comorbidities and drug interactions, contact investigation, and adequate healthcare resources.

Will Long-Acting TB Injections Be Affordable?

The WHO expects LAIs for TB prevention and treatment to enter the market at higher prices than existing oral formulations, based on anticipated development and production costs. International collaboration and support may be needed to ensure affordability, particularly during the initial rollout.

The WHO also emphasized that research into improved oral regimens should continue. Treatment programmes must preserve patient choice, allowing people who prefer oral medicines to continue using them.

Why Does This Matter for India?

According to the WHO’s Global Tuberculosis Report 2025, more than 10 million people developed TB worldwide in 2024, while more than 1.2 million died from the disease.

India bears the largest share of the global TB burden. Prolonged treatment, financial hardship, stigma and uneven access to drug-resistant TB care can make treatment more challenging.

If successfully developed and made accessible, long-acting injections could reduce some of the practical and economic barriers associated with TB treatment. Their impact will depend on safety, efficacy, affordability and equitable access.

Australian actor and stuntman Richard Norton died in 2025 after an injection of unapproved peptides triggered a fatal anaphylactic reaction, according to a coroner’s findings. The coroner has recommended tighter restrictions on the substances.

The findings come as US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. moves to ease restrictions on six unapproved peptides despite opposition from US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) scientists.

What Happened to Richard Norton?

Norton, 75, died on March 30, 2025, after suffering cardiac arrest following an injection of CJC-1295 and Ipamorelin, according to ABC News. A coroner found that the peptides triggered a fatal anaphylactic reaction.

Norton sought peptide therapy to address fatigue, slow physical recovery, shoulder pain and muscle loss. Doctor Jerzy Muchnicki prescribed the injectable peptides, which were compounded by a licensed pharmacy in Queensland.

Norton told a clinic nurse he had been taking double his prescribed dose. The nurse advised him to return to the prescribed dose the following week. Hours later, he became unresponsive after injecting the peptides and died at Melbourne’s Alfred Hospital.

Coroner David Ryan recommended that Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) review the peptides’ safety and benefits and consider tighter restrictions. Norton’s death is believed to be Australia’s first confirmed fatality linked to unapproved peptide use.

RFK Jr. Eases Restrictions on Six Unapproved Peptides

The Trump administration has outlined a policy allowing the limited compounding of six unapproved peptides under specified safeguards, despite opposition from FDA scientists.

In a draft policy released Wednesday, Kennedy said compounding pharmacies could prepare BPC-157, Epitalon, KPV, MOTS-c, Semax and TB-500, none of which are approved by the FDA as a medicine.

The policy states that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) does not intend to take action against licensed pharmacies or physicians that compound products using certain peptide ingredients not found in FDA-approved drugs.

“By allowing limited compounding of the substances addressed in this guidance under appropriate safeguards, the policy provides patients with a more controlled alternative,” Kennedy wrote in the draft policy.

Kennedy has previously expressed support for peptides, including the so-called “Wolverine stack,” a combination of BPC-157 and TB-500 marketed online for healing and recovery. Both substances are included in the proposed policy.

The draft policy will be open for public comment from Friday through November 13. It will remain in effect until the FDA finalizes a rule on compounded peptides. The FDA has not yet proposed such a rule.

What Are Peptides?

Peptides are short chains of amino acids that perform various functions in the body, including regulating hormones and processes involved in growth, metabolism and healing.

Some peptide-based medicines are approved to treat conditions such as diabetes and obesity. However, other peptides promoted online have not been adequately studied or approved as medicines.

What Are the Safety Concerns?

The FDA has raised concerns about limited human safety data, potential immune reactions and impurities associated with certain peptides, including BPC-157. The agency has also cited potential risks from compounded peptides, including contamination, allergic reactions and tumor growth.

The FDA’s adverse-event database includes reports of injection-site reactions, shortness of breath and changes in skin or gum pigmentation among people who used BPC-157. However, these reports do not establish that the peptide caused the events.

Compounded medicines can meet specific patient needs, but they are not FDA-approved. The agency does not verify their safety, effectiveness and quality through the same premarket approval process used for approved drugs.

Allowing pharmacies to compound certain peptides would not mean the substances had received FDA approval or that their safety and effectiveness had been established.