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.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) could soon implement measures to speed up processes that help companies obtain approvals for new vaping products and nicotine pouches, according to a Reuters report that cited in a Wall Street Journal report.

The agency is expected to revisit rules introduced in 2021 to simplify some scientific requirements and shorten timelines of review of these products, allowing them to move through the approval process swiftly and smoothly.

It is important to note that Reuters could not verify the report independently. The FDA, too, had not responded to a request for a comment.

The development is slightly alarming as even though these products are often positioned as alternatives to traditional cigarettes, they are not essentially safer.

Are Vapes Safer Than Conventional Cigarettes?

Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine, which is a highly addictive substance. The aerosol produced by a vape can also contain harmful substances, including cancer-causing chemicals, heavy metals like nickel, tin and lead, and other tiny particles that can travel into the lungs, leaving lasting damage.

It is also important to understand that the long-term effects of vaping are still being studied.

For adults who already smoke cigarettes, the FDA says switching completely to e-cigarettes may reduce damage that stem from harmful chemicals found in cigarette smoke.

But continuing to smoke while vaping, known as dual use, does not provide any benefit. Hence, FDA authorisation is not a declaration or proof that a product is risk-free.

Also read: Never Smoked, Still Got Lung Cancer? Rare Gene Mutation Linked To Over 60x Risk

Nicotine Pouches

Nicotine pouches do not produce smoke or an inhaled aerosol. Instead, the pouch is placed in the mouth, where nicotine is absorbed through the gums and lining of the mouth. Again, nicotine pouches may pose lesser risk than tobacco cigarettes, but it still contains nicotine.

The FDA says nicotine pouches can generally be a lower-risk alternative for adults who smoke cigarettes if they switch completely, because they can reduce exposure to many harmful chemicals found in cigarettes. But they are not risk-free, and the FDA has not approved nicotine pouches as medicines to help quit smoking.

The agency has already authorised some nicotine pouch products after reviewing their risks and benefits. In August 2026, it authorised four additional products through its nicotine pouch pilot programme.

Nicotine is highly addictive and can affect the brain, especially in the younger population. Nicotine pouches can also contain relatively high levels of nicotine, and scientists are still studying their short as well as long-term health effects.

Also read: It’s Not Just Tobacco: The Hidden Oral Cancer Risks We Rarely Talk About

Why FDA Is Pushing For Does Faster Approval For These Products?

The FDA's move is essentially about how quickly products can be reviewed and approved, not about removing the requirement that products meet a specific public-health standard.

The FDA says authorised products must prove that their benefits for the public as a whole is greater than the risks they pose.

At the same time, it continues to state that there are no safe tobacco products, and people who do not use tobacco should not start using vapes or nicotine pouches.

Cancer death rates among American men and women declined from 2019 to 2023, continuing a downward trend that has lasted more than 20 years, according to a new CDC report.

The 2026 Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, published in the journal Cancer, found that the continued decline in cancer mortality was driven largely by sustained progress against lung cancer.

“Cancer incidence was stable among males but increased slowly among females. Cancer mortality continued to decline, largely because of sustained progress against lung cancer,” the report said.

Cancer Death Rates Continue To Fall

The overall cancer death rate during 2019–2023 was 145.4 per 100,000. It was higher among males (171.5 per 100,000) than females (126.3 per 100,000)

Cancer death rates decreased among males and females of every race and ethnicity. From 2004 to 2023, the cancer death rate declined by:

• 1.6%–2.1% per year among males

• 1.1%–1.8% per year among females

Between 2019 and 2023, death rates among males decreased for 12 of the 18 most common cancers, remained stable for four and increased for two.

Among females, death rates decreased for 12 of the 19 most common cancers, remained stable for three and increased for four. The largest declines were seen in lung cancer and myeloma.

Lung Cancer Progress Drives Decline

Lung cancer recorded the largest decline in cancer mortality between 2019 and 2023:

• Males: 4.7% decline per year

• Females: 3.0% decline per year

Lung cancer incidence also decreased between 2018 and 2022:

• Males: 3.5% decline per year

• Females: 1.9% decline per year

Researchers attributed the progress partly to:

• A roughly 50% decline in smoking since the early 2000s

• A two-thirds increase in early-stage lung cancer diagnoses

• A doubling of the five-year relative survival rate for lung cancer

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death among both men and women in the United States. It is also the second most commonly diagnosed cancer among men, after prostate cancer, and among women, after breast cancer.

Cancer Incidence Trends

While cancer mortality continued to decline, incidence trends were different.

Overall cancer incidence rates were 504.6 per 100,000 among males and 443.0 among females during 2018–2019 and 2021–2022. The year 2020 was excluded because of pandemic-related diagnostic delays.

Incidence rates:

• Remained stable among males from 2013 to 2022

• Increased 0.4% per year among females from 2011 to 2022

Among males, stable overall incidence was driven by a decline in lung cancer, which offset an increase in prostate cancer.

Incidence decreased for cancers of the:

• Larynx

• Bladder

• Liver

• Non-Hodgkin lymphoma

• Colorectal cancer

• Thyroid

• Brain and other nervous system

Rates increased for cancers of the oral cavity and pharynx and pancreas, while rates for seven of the 18 most common cancers remained stable.

Prostate cancer incidence increased while lung cancer incidence decreased among males across every race and ethnicity. Colorectal cancer incidence decreased among White males but remained stable among other males.

Breast And Prostate Cancer Drive New Cases

The report also examined trends in new U.S. cancer cases from 2003 to 2022. Overall cancer incidence rose slightly each year from 2018 to 2022, driven by increases in breast cancer among women and prostate cancer among men.

Breast and prostate cancer remained the most commonly diagnosed cancers among women and men, respectively.

Despite the increase in prostate cancer, the overall rate of new cancer cases among men remained stable.

The report also noted that continued progress in cancer prevention and control will depend on tobacco-free environments, preventive care, screening, timely diagnosis, state-of-the-art treatment and survivorship care.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has updated its contraception guidance, recommending mifepristone as an additional emergency contraception option and providing new guidance on contraceptive pills and implants.

The recommendations aim to expand access and give people more flexibility in choosing and using contraception.

“Choice is a gender equality issue,” said Pascale Allotey, Director of WHO’s Department of Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing.

“Contraception isn't one-size-fits-all. Men and women both need a range of options that reflect what science and innovation can now offer, weighed against convenience, invasiveness, behavior, reliability and accessibility. Real choice means the confidence and control to choose a method, change it, or stop it.”

What’s New In The WHO Guidance?

The guideline covers five areas: three contraceptive methods not previously included in WHO guidance and two changes to existing contraceptive practices.

These include:

• Mifepristone: Recommended as an additional emergency contraception option.
• Ormeloxifene: WHO suggests against adding it because more high-quality safety and efficacy evidence is needed.
• Quinestrol-containing pills: WHO recommends against adding the specified combinations, citing limited evidence and the need for safety monitoring.
• Combined oral contraceptive pills: Can be used for extended periods of up to six months or continuously for up to one year, alongside cyclical use.
• Etonogestrel implants: Can be used for up to five years, in line with the updated manufacturer-approved duration.

Mifepristone For Emergency Contraception

WHO recommends a 10–50 mg single dose of mifepristone for emergency contraception, taken as soon as possible and within five days of unprotected sex. A 10–25 mg dose may be preferred where available.

Ormeloxifene And Quinestrol

• WHO suggests against ormeloxifene due to insufficient safety and efficacy evidence.
• It also recommends against quinestrol-quingestanol and quinestrol-norgestrel, and suggests against quinestrol-levonorgestrel. Safety monitoring is advised where quinestrol products are used.

Longer Use Of Pills And Implants

• Combined oral contraceptive pills can be used for up to six months in extended regimens or continuously for up to one year.
• WHO also supports etonogestrel implants for up to five years, potentially reducing replacement procedures and clinic visits.

Why Contraceptive Access Matters

The number of women of reproductive age using modern contraception rose 87% between 1990 and 2022, from 467 million to 874 million. Yet an estimated 164 million women who want to delay or avoid pregnancy are not using contraception and have an unmet need for family planning.

WHO says expanding access must go hand in hand with identifying methods that lack sufficient evidence for wider use.

WHO Pushes For More Male Contraceptive Choices

Men currently have relatively few contraceptive methods under their control, mainly condoms, withdrawal and vasectomy. Still, around 30% of couples rely on a male method.

A new global study in Contraception found that more than 75% of couples surveyed would be willing to use a new male contraceptive, while more than 85% of women said they would trust their male partners to take responsibility for contraception.

The WHO also developed its first Target Product Profile for male contraceptive methods, outlining desired characteristics such as safety, effectiveness, acceptability and affordability.

Several hormonal and non-hormonal male contraceptives are in development, with some candidates in advanced clinical trials. New reversible male contraceptives could potentially reach the market within the next five to 10 years, according to WHO.