Headaches are a common symptom of a stressful lifestyle, your body not feeling well and other issues. While headaches can be dealt with easily, migraines are not so easy to handle. Migraines are a type of headache that feels like severe throbbing and pulsing sensation, almost like you are hearing your own heartbeat in your brain, usually on one side of the brain. Many people believe that migraines are not that big of a deal because you just have to deal with the pain, but that is not all migraine is, some people find it very difficult to do their daily tasks as they experience dizzying spells, nausea and extreme sensitivity to light and sound! These attacks can last hours and make it difficult for people to go about their daily lives as well. While there are medications available for migraine patients, these medications need time to take effect, so you may be in a lot of pain, but there are not many quick reliefs you can have in place other than learning the symptoms of a migraine attack and taking medication before it happens. But a new approval by the FDA may change this!

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Symbravo, a new medicine to treat acute migraine attacks in adults. This means adults can now use Symbravo to get relief from their migraine symptoms. The FDA's decision was based on the results of three big studies, called Phase 3 trials. These trials involved over 21,000 migraine attacks, so the FDA has a lot of information about how well Symbravo works and how safe it is. The FDA only approves medicines that have been shown to be both safe and effective through a thorough testing process.

Importance of New Treatment Option

"Migraine attacks can happen suddenly and really mess up people's lives. It's estimated that over 39 million people in the U.S. alone get migraines," said Herriot Tabuteau, M.D., CEO of Axsome Therapeutics told US News. This shows how common migraines are and how important it is to have good treatments. "Symbravo gives patients and doctors a new option that can quickly stop a migraine attack, keep it away, and let people get back to their normal activities, all with just one dose." Having a medicine that can give fast and long-lasting relief from migraine pain is a big deal for millions of people. This new treatment is a real step forward in how we treat migraines.

Symbravo Trial Results, How Was It Approved

The trials took place in 3 steps, the Momentum trial study focused on people whose migraines had moderate to severe pain. The results showed that a lot more people taking Symbravo felt pain-free two hours after taking the medicine compared to those who took a placebo which is a dummy pill. Even better, many people felt relief for up to 24 and even 48 hours after just one dose. This long-lasting relief is really important for people with migraines because it means they can get back to their normal lives without worrying about the pain coming back. The study also looked at how many people were free from their worst symptom, like sensitivity to light or sound, or nausea. Symbravo worked better than the placebo in this area too.

While the intercept trial looked at people who took Symbravo when their migraine pain was still mild. Even when the pain was just starting, Symbravo was effective. The results were similar to the MOMENTUM trial, with many people getting pain relief and relief from their worst symptoms. Treating migraines early is often better because it can stop the pain from getting really bad.

And lastly the Movement trial which was to see how safe the medication is when people take it regularly. This study followed 706 people who had at least two migraines a month. The most common side effects people experienced were sleepiness and dizziness. While these side effects are important to know about, the study showed that Symbravo is generally safe for people to use on a regular basis.

Pope Leo XIV recently underwent lung cancer surgery to have the lower lobe of his right lung removed. According to the Vatican, the 71-year-old pontiff's recovery is on track. But doctors are awaiting further test results to determine whether he needs further treatment. The pope has resumed eating, walking and celebrating Mass but he is not fit to take a trip just yet.

The pope underwent surgery at Rome's Gemelli Hospital on October 13 after doctors identified a suspicious lung nodule. The procedure confirmed lung adenocarcinoma, the most common type of lung cancer, and surgeons removed the lower lobe of his right lung.

In a update on October 14, the pope's personal physician, Dr Luigi Carbone, and thoracic surgeon Professor Stefano Margaritora said, "The Holy Father underwent respiratory physiotherapy and has begun walking in his room. He resumed his regular diet and had breakfast and lunch." They added, "Recovery is proceeding as planned."

Blood tests and a chest X-ray indicated that the pope was recovering normally after the operation. He also celebrated Mass with his secretaries in a private hospital chapel.

However, doctors have not yet disclosed whether the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes or other parts of the body. That will help determine if further treatment is needed.

Surgery For Lung Lobe

The lungs are divided into sections called lobes. The right lung has three lobes, while the left lung has two. When cancer is confined to a particular area, surgeons may remove the affected lobe in an operation called a lobectomy.

The procedure aims to remove the tumour along with surrounding tissue to reduce the likelihood of cancer remaining in the lung. Nearby lymph nodes may also be removed and examined to check whether cancer cells have spread.

Pope Leo underwent surgery assisted by video, a minimally invasive technique that uses a camera and small surgical incisions to operate inside the chest.

Dr PierCarlo Gentile, head of radiation oncology at Rome's San Pietro Fatebenefratelli Hospital, told The Associated Press that this type of surgery typically requires around 15 to 20 days of recovery. He also said that in this case postoperative complications, including infections, is rare.

Also read: Pope Leo XIV, Diagnosed With Lung Cancer, Undergoes Surgery As His Brother Battles Relapsed Multiple Myeloma

Recovery After Lung Lobe Removal

After a lobectomy, the remaining lung tissue can help compensate for some of the lost lung capacity. However, recovery varies depending on a person's age, overall health, lung function before surgery and the extent of the operation.

In the initial days, patients are encouraged to get out of bed and walk as soon as medically appropriate. Early movement helps reduce the risk of blood clots and other complications associated with prolonged bed rest.

Respiratory physiotherapy is also a part of recovery. Breathing exercises help patients expand their remaining lung tissue, improve ventilation and clear secretions from the airways. Some patients may also need oxygen support temporarily.

Pain management, proper nutrition and slow and gradual increases in physical activity are important. Breathlessness and fatigue can persist for weeks, and full recovery may take longer than the initial hospital stay.

Although the remaining lung tissue can adapt, it does not mean lung capacity automatically returns to its previous level. The extent of recovery depends on the individual's baseline respiratory health and how much functioning lung tissue remains.

Also read: Pope Leo XIV’s Lung Cancer Diagnosis: When Should You Worry About Lung Nodules?

Additional Cancer Treatment

The need for additional treatment for Pope Leo will depend on the final results, including the tumour's size and whether cancer cells are present in the lymph nodes.

If the cancer is localised and has been completely removed, surgery may be sufficient in some cases. If tests show that the disease has spread or carries features associated with a higher risk of recurrence, doctors may consider chemotherapy, immunotherapy or targeted therapy, depending on the tumour's characteristics.

Dr Stephen Liu, a lung cancer expert at Georgetown University's Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center who is not involved in the pope's care, told The Associated Press, "While we know the diagnosis, we now need to know the stage."

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently expanded the approval of Anktiva (nogapendekin alfa inbakicept-pmln), a bladder cancer treatment, to include adults with high-grade papillary bladder cancer that has not responded to Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) therapy.

The decision provides a new treatment option for patients whose cancer persists or returns despite standard immunotherapy.

The approval specifically covers BCG-unresponsive, high-grade papillary-only non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Anktiva was already approved in April 2024 for certain patients with BCG-unresponsive NMIBC involving carcinoma in situ, with or without papillary tumours.

The latest development is significant because patients with high-grade papillary-only disease previously had fewer approved bladder-preserving treatment options after BCG failed.

The FDA based its decision on evidence supporting Anktiva's earlier approval, alongside scientific similarities between the two forms of bladder cancer.

“We listen to patients, clinicians, and researchers, and we act when the science supports a new approach,” said R. Angelo de Claro, MD, director of the FDA's Oncology Center of Excellence.

“For Anktiva, our review of the similarities between these cancers allowed us to build on the results in patients with CIS and expand treatment options for people with high-grade papillary tumors alone. This approach may also help guide the development of future treatments.”

What Is BCG-Unresponsive Bladder Cancer?

Also read: Pope Leo XIV’s Lung Cancer Diagnosis: When Should You Worry About Lung Nodules?

BCG is a form of immunotherapy used to treat high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Although the name comes from a bacterium originally used in tuberculosis vaccination, BCG is administered directly into the bladder to initiate an immune response against cancer cells.

NMIBC refers to bladder cancer that has not grown into the muscle layer of the bladder wall. Treatment often involves removing visible tumours through a procedure called transurethral resection of bladder tumour (TURBT), followed by BCG therapy to destroy remaining cancer cells and reduce the risk of recurrence.

However, some cancers return despite treatment. These are described as BCG-unresponsive, and patients may need alternative therapies or surgery to remove the bladder.

More About Anktiva

Also read: Can A Blood Test Predict Childhood Cancer Years Before Diagnosis? Study Gives Clues

Anktiva is an interleukin-15 receptor agonist, a type of immunotherapy designed to strengthen the body's immune response against cancer.

It activates and expands immune cells, including natural killer cells and T cells, which help recognise and attack abnormal cells. When administered with BCG, Anktiva provides an additional immune stimulus to help the body fight cancer within the bladder.

The medicine is delivered directly into the bladder through a catheter, a procedure known as intravesical instillation. This allows treatment to act locally rather than being administered through an intravenous infusion.

Treatment begins with weekly doses for six weeks. Depending on the patient's response, additional induction and maintenance treatment may be given, with the overall treatment period extending up to 37 months.

FDA's Approval For Anktiva

The FDA's original approval was supported by the QUILT-3.032 clinical trial, which included 77 adults with BCG-unresponsive, high-risk NMIBC involving CIS, with or without papillary tumours.

The study found a complete response rate of 62%. This means that no high-grade cancer was detected during the relevant assessments. Among patients who achieved a complete response, 58% maintained it for at least 12 months, while 40% maintained it for at least 24 months.

For the expanded approval, the FDA considered these findings alongside laboratory evidence indicating that CIS and high-grade papillary-only tumours share key biological features. Both can recur or progress when BCG treatment fails.

The agency concluded that the earlier evidence of effectiveness could be applied to patients with high-grade papillary-only disease.

The United States shelved the decision to vaccinate poultry as a bird flu prevention measure due to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s skeptical vaccine views

According to a Politico report, the move came as highly pathogenic avian influenza, especially the H5N1 strain, continues to affect poultry farms, threatening bird populations, disrupting egg supplies and raising concerns about transmission to humans.

According to Politico's findings, five people who were involved in the decision-making said that Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins pulled back an internal strategy for vaccinating poultry and hens that lay eggs.

The plan was initially intended to be shared with governments of other countries, industry leaders and other stakeholders to help boost bird flu response.

However, it remains unclear whether Kennedy directly asked Rollins to halt the strategy. However, concerns about how poultry vaccination would be received by the health secretary reportedly influenced the decision to keep the document away from wider circulation.

Why Was The Poultry Vaccination Plan Shelved?

Also read: Pope Leo XIV’s Lung Cancer Diagnosis: When Should You Worry About Lung Nodules?

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced a $1 billion bird flu response strategy in February 2025. The plan included $500 million for farm biosecurity, $400 million in financial relief for farmers and $100 million for vaccine research.

Despite the resources, an internal poultry vaccination strategy reportedly failed to be executed as planned. One person familiar with the process told Politico that the technical and communication components were already in place by the summer of 2025, but the final document was circulated among fewer than a dozen people.

Kennedy has publicly opposed vaccinating poultry against bird flu, arguing that vaccines that do not completely prevent infection could allow the virus to continue evolving.

In a March 2025 interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity, Kennedy warned that using vaccines that do not provide complete protection could turn poultry flocks into “mutation factories”.

He argued that allowing the virus to circulate among birds could help identify animals with natural immunity. The proposal attracted criticism from veterinary and vaccine experts, who warned that permitting uncontrolled infections could, in turn, increase viral replication and create opportunities for mutations.

Dr Gail Hansen, a former state veterinarian for Kansas, criticised the idea of allowing bird flu to spread through poultry populations, calling it a “really terrible idea, for any one of a number of reasons”. She warned that a virus circulating through a flock containing millions of birds would have many opportunities to evolve or mutate, which increases the risk to other animals and farm workers.

Also read: US Health Secretary Wants To Expand Vaccine Injury Reporting: Benefits And Risks Explained

Can Vaccinating Poultry Help Control Bird Flu?

Vaccination is one the effective tools for reducing bird flu infections and containing transmission. However, vaccines do not always provide sterilising immunity, meaning vaccinated animals may still become infected even if they are protected against severe disease.

So, if vaccination reduces visible symptoms without fully preventing infection, infected birds may be harder to identify unless monitoring systems are efficient.

However, this does not mean vaccination inevitably creates dangerous mutations. The evolution of viruses occur naturally, and vaccination can reduce the number of opportunities for viral replication. The overall effect depends on the vaccine effectiveness, surveillance, biosecurity and how the nature of the virus.

Countries including France, China, Egypt and Mexico have used poultry vaccination against avian influenza. In the US, the USDA granted conditional approval for an avian influenza vaccine in 2025, but poultry vaccination has not been adopted yet.

H5N1 has infected people following exposure to infected animals, but sustained human-to-human transmission has not been established yet. Hence, preventing infections in poultry remains important for reducing opportunities for the virus to spread and evolve.