The Union Health Ministry implemented a ban on 156 "irrational" FDC medicines, effective immediately. These medicines, including widely used antibiotics, painkillers, and multivitamins, were commonly used to treat fever, cough, and infections. The ban was imposed due to the associated health risks and lack of therapeutic justification for the ingredients in these FDCs.

What are FDC medicines?

FDCs or fixed-dosed combinations, also known as "cocktail drugs," are medications that combine multiple drugs in a single pill. They are designed to treat multiple symptoms or conditions simultaneously. While they offer convenience, they can pose significant risks. These risks include the possibility of overdose, adverse interactions between the drugs, and the development of antibiotic resistance. Additionally, many FDC medicines lack sufficient scientific evidence to support their safety and efficacy.

Expert opinions on FDC medicines

Experts have raised concerns about the use of FDC medicines. They believe that many of these combinations lack sufficient scientific evidence to support their safety and effectiveness. Additionally, the combination of multiple drugs in a single pill can increase the risk of adverse side effects and interactions with other medications.

Experts have also found that FDC medicines may not be as effective as individual drugs in treating certain conditions. It is important to note that safer and more effective alternatives are available for most of the medical conditions that FDC medicines were used to treat. One particular concern is the inclusion of antibiotics in some FDCs. Overuse of antibiotics can contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance, a major public health threat.

The risks of FDC medicines

The use of FDC medicines can lead to adverse effects, including serious ones. Additionally, safer alternatives, tested in clinical trials, are available to treat the same medical conditions. Experts recommend prescribing drugs individually based on a patient's clinical symptoms rather than combining them in FDCs.

The ban on irrational FDC medicines by the Union Health Ministry can be seen as a positive step towards promoting rational drug use and protecting public health. The goal is to eliminate unnecessary and potentially harmful drug combinations. This is a step forward in reducing the risks associated with medication and ensure safer and more effective treatment options for patients.

India must move beyond treating hemophilia—a genetic bleeding disorder—only after bleeding episodes and focus on preventing bleeding and its complications, health experts said at the UP-Hemophilia Conclave 2026.

Hemophilia is a rare bleeding disorder where blood does not clot properly, even for minor injuries. It is caused by an error in a specific gene on the X chromosome, leading to a deficiency or absence of clotting factors.

The country has the world's second-largest population of people with hemophilia, who experience spontaneous and traumatic bleeding due to low or very low levels of clotting factors.

The World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) reported nearly 28,000 diagnosed and registered Persons with Hemophilia (PwH) in India as of 2026, including more than 24,000 with Hemophilia A. However, the estimated prevalence could be as high as 1,36,000, suggesting many cases may remain undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. In Uttar Pradesh, around 7,700 PwH are diagnosed, including approximately 5,500 with Hemophilia A.

Although India has expanded access to modern diagnosis and treatment, including gene therapy trials and non-factor therapies (NFTs) such as emicizumab, experts said preventive care needs to be strengthened.

Experts Call For Shift To Preventive Care

Also read: Why India Must Shift Towards Prophylaxis Care For Hemophilia

Hemophilia patients should be able to lead normal lives and be managed like people with chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension, with regular replacement treatment to prevent complications, said Prof A. K. Tripathi, Clinical Hematologist and former Director, RMLIMS, Lucknow.

“At present, patients largely rely on reactive treatment, where therapy is given only after a bleeding episode. This approach is neither appropriate nor effective. They do not just need treatment when they bleed; they need treatment that prevents bleeding in the first place. The only way forward is to start prophylaxis,” he said.

Why Is Prophylaxis Important?

Repeated joint bleeding can cause lasting damage, making it difficult to walk and, in severe cases, leaving patients chair-bound or bed-bound.

Regular replacement treatment, or prophylaxis, can protect joints and muscles and improve quality of life, said Dr S. P. Verma, Professor and Head, Department of Clinical Hematology, King George's Medical University (KGMU), Lucknow.

“Preventive treatment through regular replacement therapy (prophylaxis) has emerged as the global standard of care. This changing treatment landscape presents an opportunity to strengthen preventive care and improve long-term outcomes for patients,” said Dr Nita Radhakrishnan, Professor and HOD, Pediatric Hematology and Oncology, Post Graduate Institute of Child Health (PGICH), Noida.

Access And Availability Remains A Concern

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Vineet Manchanda, Secretary, Hemophilia Society, Lucknow, and Manoj, Hemophilia Federation of India (HFI) North and Agra Chapter, flagged that “Factor VIII, a clotting factor that can prevent bleeding in Hemophilia patients, is very expensive, and the government hospital’s supply is erratic, making availability a major issue".

They also stressed the importance of physiotherapy alongside newer therapies such as prophylaxis.

The experts also highlighted the financial burden of complications, including costly knee or hip replacement surgeries.

Access remains a major concern, with many patients travelling long distances for treatment. “Despite the resources, manpower and factors being invested, we are not achieving the desired results,” Prof Tripathi said.

Experts also called for better use of available budgets to identify and support patients who need treatment the most.

Organized under the aegis of the Uttar Pradesh Hematology Group (UPHG), the UP-Hemophilia Conclave 2026 was held in Lucknow under the theme ‘Uniting Care. Improving Lives.’ It brought together hematologists, physicians, researchers, pathologists, healthcare professionals from hemophilia treatment centers, policymakers and patient groups.

Days after a rare cancer cluster in California's Ladera Ranch made headlines, another revelation has added to the mystery. An unusual number of children and young adults got diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a rare type of cancer.

According to Los Angeles Times, between 2013 and 2024, at least six cases of Ewing sarcoma surfaced, leaving the families of patients knee-deep in questions.

According to the American Cancer Society, the cancer is so rare that only 200 children and teenagers are diagnosed in the United States every year.

Mystery Behind Rare Cancer Cluster In Ladera Ranch Deepens

Just when the families of patients were looking for answers, another layer of mystery unraveled after a couple of 20-year-old handwritten notes emerged, signaling towards a probable cause behind the cancer cases.

The notes talk about an oil well at the site. According to The New York Post, the notes appear twice on the Department of Conservation permit, and state, "This well is not to be built over without further considerations."

State oil and gas supervisor William F Guerard Jr, acting state oil and gas supervisor Kenneth Henderson and deputy supervisor RK Baker signed the final report after the well was sealed on February 26, 2002.

The memos warning that no structures must be constructed above the well were reportedly written by engineer Floyd Leeson. They do not reveal why such a warning about the well was issued. Another note had an arrow pointing at the message, with the phrase: "Put on final letter."

According to Los Angeles Times, Henderson could not recall why such a warning was issued, although he believes the way the well was sealed might not be "up to the current standards." Meanwhile, the Department of Conservation said that the notes could have been a "clerical error."

Also read: Cancer Should Be Made Notifiable In India, Say Experts: Here’s Why

A Cancer So Rare That The Cases Caught Attention

Symptoms can initially be easy to dismiss because they may resemble a sports injury or ordinary growing pains. They include persistent bone pain, swelling or a lump, unexplained fever, fatigue or a bone that breaks after relatively minor trauma can sometimes signal the disease.

The cancer can metastasize quickly, which is why persistent or unexplained symptoms need medical evaluation.

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Can Environmental Factors Contribute To Ewing Sarcoma Risk?

Documents related to the abandonment of an old oil well reportedly contain a handwritten warning from about 20 years ago regarding the development of the site. This prompted fresh questions about what was known about the land before the modern community was built.

There are also concerns about possible pesticide and herbicide exposure, with residents previously urging authorities to investigate environmental factors.

However, none of these potential exposures have been shown to cause the Ewing sarcoma cases in Ladera Ranch. Even though doctors are concerned, they are of the opinion that environmental factors cannot be solely tied to Ewing sarcoma.

The US is battling one of its worst Cyclospora outbreaks in years, with tens of thousands of Americans affected. Despite the spread to nearly all states, the investigation into the source took significantly longer than expected.

Health Secretary RFK Jr claimed the outbreak was under control. However, the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data show more than 17,000 confirmed cyclosporiasis cases across 48 states and Washington, D.C., between May 1 and August 24. Another 11,844 cases may require further investigation.

Amid the outbreak and growing food safety concerns, the Trump administration is shuttering two of three US Department of Agriculture (USDA) research projects studying Cyclospora, Politico reported.

Cyclospora Research Projects Lose Funding

The two projects were defunded by Congress earlier this year. The third is due to move from Maryland to Iowa in the coming months as part of a broader USDA reorganisation.

Although the third project remains funded, all scientists working on Cyclospora have declined to relocate to Iowa, according to Politico, citing people familiar with the plans and internal documents.

The USDA has blamed Congress for eliminating funding for the two projects housed at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) outside Washington.

“None of the research has been disrupted, and research will continue without disruption,” a USDA spokesperson said, adding that Congress did not appropriate funds for the projects for fiscal year 2026.

The Agricultural Research Service is working with research leaders to ensure an orderly transition, the spokesperson said.

Also read: Mangoes Sold At Walmart Recalled In 4 US States Over Salmonella Risk

Scientists Leave Amid Relocation

Scientists studying foodborne parasites, including Cyclospora, are retiring or leaving the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service rather than relocating or moving to other projects, the report said.

“We know so little, and I think that that’s been very frustrating to consumers,” said Kalmia Kniel, a University of Delaware professor who researches Cyclospora.

Without BARC, “no one can work very fast,” she said, citing the lack of research models and other tools needed to study the parasite.

Food Safety Surveillance Hit By Cuts

Susan Mayne, an adjunct professor at the Yale School of Public Health, who ran the food-safety department of the Food and Drug Administration from 2015 to 2023, told CBS News that during President Trump's second term, the FDA has lost about 20% of its staff and the CDC 25%, according to the information provided.

The CDC’s team tracking food parasites has also fallen from 11 scientists to three.

FoodNet Narrows Pathogen Surveillance

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The Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet), a collaboration among the CDC, FDA, USDA and 10 state health departments, tracked eight pathogens, including Cyclospora, for three decades.

Since July 1, 2025, reporting on pathogens other than Salmonella and E. coli has been optional. FoodNet now tracks only those two pathogens, meaning Cyclospora is no longer routinely monitored through the programme.

Alzheimer’s Research Takes A Hit

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has also been prevented from meeting since March 2025.

The panel was expected to issue recommendations this year on cognitive-decline screening and 13 other topics, The Guardian reported.

In addition, two panel chairs have been fired, while at least eight vacancies remain unfilled.

While Kennedy has called for stronger Alzheimer’s screening, he criticised the panel and accused the task force of being “lackadaisical and negligent for 20 years”, while saying the administration was making major investments in science to improve Alzheimer’s screening.

However, HHS spokesperson Emily Hilliard defended the department and said it remains committed to Alzheimer’s research.