The US Food and Drug Administration has approved TNKase or Tenecteplase, which is a thrombolytic or clot-dissolving agent, for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke in adults.

Ischemic strokes happen when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in your brain. It can cause permanent brain damage and death. If enough brain cells die, you can also lose the abilities or body functions those cells control. They are also the most common types of stroke, with 80% of all strokes being ischemic strokes.

How is TNKase administered?

It is delivered as a single five-second intravenous bolus, which is faster than the standard of care Activase or alteplase, which is administered as an intravenous bolus followed by a 60-minute infusion. The manufacturer of TNKase, Genetech said a new 25-mg vial configuration will also be available in the coming months.

How Was TNKase approved?

The approval came at the backdrop of a study that compared TNKase to Activase in patients with acute ischemic stroke. These patients also presented with a disabling neurological deficit. Results show that TNKase was comparable to Activase in terms of efficacy and safety.

How Common Are These Strokes?

In the United States it self, it affects more than 795,000 people each year and is the leading cause of long-term disability. It is also the fifth leading cause of death. Since brain damage can happen if this progresses rapidly, one needs an immediate, fast-acting medical care.

TNKase thus provide a faster and simpler administration which can be critical for anyone. The chief medical officer and head of global product development at Genetech, Levi Garraway, MD., PhD., said, "Today's approval is a significant step forward and underscores our commitment to advancing stroke treatment options for patients."

What Are The Symptoms Of Ischemic Strokes?

Some of the most common symptoms include weakness or paralysis on one side of your face and body. You may also feel trouble speaking or have loss of speech, also known as aphasia. You may faced slurred or garbled speaking, also known as dysarthria. Other symptoms include loss of muscle control on one side of your face, or sudden worsening or loss of your senses, including vision, hearing, smell, taste, and touch.

Other symptoms include:

• Loss of coordination or clumsiness
• Blurry vision or double vision
• Dizziness or vertigo
• Nausea and vomiting
• Neck stiffness
• Mood swings or sudden personality changes
• Confusion or agitation
• Seizures
• Memory loss (amnesia)
• Headaches which are sudden and severe
• Passing out or fainting
• Coma

Are There Any Warning Signs?

While these are symptoms one has who is prone to this condition. However, often, many may confuse it with other illnesses. It is best to keep an eye out for warning signs. These could be looking out for yourself or your loved one. Note if there is a sudden loss of balance. Look out for sudden vision loss or changes in one or both eyes. Look for a droop on one or both sides of your face, especially when you smile. Raise both arms and see if one arm sags or drops in a way it usually does not. Note for your speech. Are you as fluent? Are you have trouble speaking? If you see any of such signs, start tracking it and talk to your healthcare provider.

Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, the retired airline pilot celebrated worldwide for safely landing US Airways Flight 1549 on New York's Hudson River in 2009, recently shared that he has been diagnosed with early-stage Alzheimer's disease.

Chesley Sullenberger’s Alzheimer’s Diagnosis

The 75-year-old aviation hero, whose calmness and composure saved all the 155 passengers and crew during what became known as the "Miracle on the Hudson," shared the news in a public statement released on July 14.

He said that he wanted to share his diagnosis to reduce the stigma surrounding the disease.

"I recently found out I have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. It is early stage," Chesley Sullenberger said.

Describing the early effects of the condition, he added, "For now, this means a name may not come easily to me, I forget a story I have recently told, or I don't sleep as well, but I am in the beginning of this long journey."

According to recent, Sullenberger began noticing subtle memory lapses in 2025 before seeking medical intervention. He later received an Alzheimer's diagnosis and is now under specialist care.

Despite the diagnosis, Sullenberger emphasized that he remains hopeful and intends to continue living a meaningful life with the support of his family.

"I've spent my life trying to be of service to others," he said, adding that sharing his diagnosis is another opportunity to help people navigating the disease.

Also read: Your Country May Influence Your Dementia Risk More Than You Think, Study Suggests

Sullenberger Compared His Famous Landing To Alzheimer’s

Sullenberger also drew a parallel between the courage required during the emergency landing in 2009 and the resilience needed to battle Alzheimer's disease.

"It takes courage to face a challenge like this," he said, expressing confidence that, just as people came together during the Hudson River rescue, families, caregivers and researchers can unite in the fight against Alzheimer's disease.

Chesley Sullenberger’s Landing On The Hudson River

Sullenberger became an aviation hero after US Airways Flight 1549 struck a flock of Canada geese shortly after takeoff from New York's LaGuardia Airport on January 15, 2009.

With both engines disabled, he safely landed the Airbus A320 on the Hudson River, allowing every passenger and crew member to survive. The extraordinary incident inspired the 2016 film Sully, starring Tom Hanks.

Following his retirement from commercial aviation in 2010, Sullenberger remained active as an aviation safety advocate, author and public speaker.

Also read: Indian Scientists Create 3D Brainstem Atlas That Can Help Understand Parkinson’s, Sleep Disorders & Stroke Better

Public Figures Who Recently Revealed Alzheimer’s Diagnosis

Sullenberger’s announcement comes as Alzheimer's disease continues to pose a growing public health challenge. He is one of the public figures who recently shared their Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

Before Sullenberger, veteran BBC Radio 2 presenter Paul Gambaccini also shared that he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2025. Despite the diagnosis, he said he plans to continue broadcasting while he is able and wants to raise awareness about the disease.

Oscar-nominated actor Danny Glover revealed he has been living with Alzheimer's disease for several years after receiving a diagnosis in 2022.

What Is Alzheimer’s Disease?

The condition is the most common cause of dementia and gradually affects memory, thinking and the ability to carry out everyday activities.

Here are the early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease:

• Frequent memory loss, especially forgetting recently learned information
• Difficulty finding the right words during conversations
• Confusion about time or familiar places
• Trouble planning or solving routine problems
• Misplacing belongings and being unable to retrace steps
• Changes in mood, personality or behaviour
• Poor judgment and reduced decision-making ability

As the disease progresses, individuals may struggle to recognize loved ones, communicate effectively, and carry out daily activities independently.

While there is currently no cure, newer treatments and supportive care may help slow progression in some patients when the disease is detected early.

In a major policy shift, schools and colleges across India are set to introduce comprehensive sex education after the Centre informed the Supreme Court that a nationwide programme on health, safety, relationships and reproductive awareness will soon be rolled out.

The move comes nearly two years after the apex court directed the government to create a structured national framework to improve awareness about sexuality, reproductive health, consent, personal safety and child sexual abuse prevention.

Appearing before a bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and R. Mahadevan, Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati said the Centre has accepted the recommendations of a 26-member national expert committee. The government plans to implement the curriculum nationwide after the Supreme Court grants its formal approval.

The bench also observed that "sex education is not a Western concept incompatible with Indian societal values," noting that misconceptions have led some states to oppose or ban such programmes despite their public health importance.

What Will Be Taught?

The expert panel has recommended making comprehensive sex education a mandatory part of the school curriculum under NEP 2020. Specially trained teachers would conduct brief 15–20 minute sessions twice a week, with lessons tailored to each age group.

Primary school: Personal hygiene, body awareness, and safe and unsafe touch.

Middle and higher classes: Puberty, hormonal changes, consent, personal boundaries, recognising unsafe situations, seeking help, and reproductive and sexual health.

Experts Call It A Long-Overdue Reform

Health experts lauded the move and reiterated that comprehensive sex education is not about encouraging sexual activity. Instead, it equips children with the knowledge and life skills needed to stay safe, make informed decisions and build healthy relationships.

Speaking to HealthandMe, Dr. Ishwar Gilada, the President Emeritus of the AIDS Society of India (ASI) and a Governing Council member of the International AIDS Society (IAS), called the apex Court's directions a landmark moment after decades of advocating for scientific sex education.

He noted that "early sex education can help prevent child sexual abuse among both girls and boys", and also prevent sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and HIV.

A key myth about sex education is that it will encourage sexual activity. Busting the myth, Dr. Arti Anand, Senior Consultant, Clinical Psychology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said that "comprehensive sex education is about providing children with the right information at the right age, not encouraging sexual activity".

The experts noted that in the absence of accurate information, children often rely on friends or the internet, where myths and misinformation are common.

Instead, Dr Arti said that a good sex education can:

• Protect children from abuse
• Reduce bullying
• Prevent unhealthy relationships
• Build confidence
• Encourage respect and responsible decision-making
• Help children grow into emotionally healthy, safe and well-informed adults

Studies have proven that comprehensive sexuality education can:

• Reduce risky behaviors
• Lower unintended pregnancies
• Reduce sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
• Help prevent sexual abuse by enabling children to recognise inappropriate behaviour and seek help
• Promote gender equality and mutual respect.

Dr. Amit Prakash Singh, Consultant – Internal Medicine, CK Birla Hospital, Delhi, described comprehensive sex education as an essential life-skills programme that goes beyond reproductive health.

Dr. Singh told HealthandMe that the curriculum will help children understand:

• Puberty
• Consent
• Healthy relationships
• Personal safety
• Gender respect
• Digital safety.

The Trump administration has withdrawn its most far-reaching proposal to restrict gender-affirming care for transgender youth, stepping back from a rule that would have blocked federal Medicaid and Medicare funding for hospitals providing such care.

According to an official document obtained by NPR, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will not finalize a proposed rule introduced in December 2025 that sought to deny Medicaid and Medicare reimbursements to hospitals offering pediatric gender-affirming care.

The move to drop comes as the HHS received more than 30,000 public comments, including strong opposition from major medical organizations, such as the American Medical Association (AMA) and the Children's Hospital Association. They argued that evidence-based gender-affirming treatments—such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy—are safe and effective for appropriately selected transgender adolescents..

"CMS does not comment on future rulemaking or speculate on potential actions. The Trump Administration rejects ideologically driven surgical interventions on vulnerable children," the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) told NPR.

What Was the Proposed Rule?

In December 2025, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Dr. Mehmet Oz, who oversees Medicare and Medicaid, announced plans that would have effectively ended federal funding for hospitals providing gender-affirming care to transgender minors, even in states where such care remains legal.

"So-called gender affirming care has inflicted lasting physical and psychological damage on vulnerable young people. This is not medicine. It is malpractice," Kennedy said at the time.

The administration's move aligns with President Donald Trump's broader policies on transgender healthcare. On his first day back in office, Trump signed an executive order stating that the United States "will not fund, sponsor, promote, assist, or support the so-called 'transition' of a child from one sex to another."

Access to Care Still Varies Across the US

Although the federal funding proposal has been dropped, access to gender-affirming care remains uneven across the United States.

Twenty-seven states have enacted laws banning or restricting gender-affirming care for minors. In several other states, hospitals have reduced or discontinued these services amid ongoing legal and political challenges.

According to a CDC survey, about 3 per cent of US teens aged 13-17—roughly 700,000 adolescents—identify as transgender.

A survey by health policy organization KFF found that fewer than one-third of transgender people reported using medication related to their gender identity, while 16 per cent said they had undergone gender-affirming surgery.

For transgender adolescents, medical treatment most commonly includes puberty blockers and hormone therapy. Gender-affirming surgery for minors remains rare.

Medicaid Concerns For People Living With HIV

Separately, Medicaid is set to undergo major policy changes that could affect millions of Americans, including people living with HIV.

Beginning January 1, 2027, many adult Medicaid beneficiaries will be required to complete at least 80 hours per month of work, volunteering, education, or job training under a new community engagement requirement. Enrollees will also have to verify compliance twice a year to maintain their coverage.

Medicaid is the largest health insurer for people living with HIV in the United States, covering about 46 per cent of this population. Eligibility is primarily based on income, although age and disability status may also qualify individuals.

Health experts have warned that the new reporting requirements could create administrative hurdles, causing some eligible beneficiaries—including people living with HIV—to lose Medicaid coverage and potentially face interruptions in access to essential treatment and care. They added that the loss of Medicaid coverage will not only harm individuals but public health as a whole.