Cigarettes with ultralow nicotine levels are now being called the game-changer in the fight against smoking. If you are having trouble in quitting smoking, then, it is for you, that soon the Biden White House is expected to formally propose a plan that will order cigarette nicotine levels to be reduced, reports The Washington Post. For now though, it has been a failure, as these cigarettes, also known as VLN cigarettes that stands for very low nicotine are only available in 5,100 stores in 26 states. This is a very small fraction of the overall market for cigarettes. The company that makes it, 22nd Century, is struggling not because of the low supply, but also from the advocates who have long believed slashing nicotine levels altogether.

The Advent and ideation

Nicotine is a chemical that is produced naturally from tobacco that makes the cigarette and also keeps people hooked. While it is believed that it makes people alert, and get the "hit" to keep them going, it exposes the users to harmful substances, carcinogens, and increases the risk of heart disease, lung cancer, and other illness.

Ultralow-nicotine cigarettes, like the VLN brand, contain about 95% less nicotine than the regular cigarettes. The idea is quite simple: without the addictive grip of nicotine, smokers will find it easier to quit. Research too has shown some promise. For instance, the studies funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse revealed that very low nicotine cigarettes reduced addiction potential significantly without having users to increase their smoking frequency. However, the problem is, why would anyone choose for a low-nicotine that does not make them feel the same way, when the high-nicotine cigarette is right next to it, making them feel the same way, with the same alertness, sold at the same price.

“It’s very hard to imagine someone actively choosing to continue to use a low-nicotine product for the same price when a high-nicotine product is right next to it,” said Eric Donny, a Wake Forest University School of Medicine nicotine researcher.

No wonder, the experiment with low nicotine product by Philip Morris' Next cigarettes in the 1980s and Vector Tobacco's Quest brand in the early 2000s, flopped.

FDA's Role in the Push

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has supported the development of such products, even allowing VLN cigarettes to be marketed as lower-risk options. However, these products remain a niche market, available in only a fraction of U.S. stores.

Recently, the Biden administration has considered a bold step—mandating a dramatic reduction in nicotine levels for all cigarettes sold in the United States. Supporters believe this move could save millions of lives, while critics, including tobacco companies, warn of potential unintended consequences.

What Could Be The Challenges?

Resistance from Big Tobacco Companies: They could argue that slashing nicotine levels could backfire. Their claim is, smokers will turn to black markets or smoke more to satisfy their cravings, which may lead to greater exposure to harmful substances.

Consumer Reluctance: History is proof to the instances of smokers being hesitant to embrace the low-nicotine products.

Political Hurdle: It may face political roadblocks, as under the Trump administration, plans to cut nicotine were shelved.

Could Low-Nicotine Cigarettes Be The Solution?

Advocates believe that ultralow-nicotine cigarettes could be a game-changer, comparing them to decaf coffee or non-alcoholic beer—products that reduce harm while offering a similar experience.

Some experts warn that a black market for traditional cigarettes could undermine these efforts. They also stress the need for safer alternatives, such as vaping products, to support smokers transitioning away from traditional cigarettes.

India’s drug regulator has flagged a batch of Abhayrab, a widely used rabies vaccine, as “Not of Standard Quality” and misbranded after vaccine samples seized from an unlicensed premises in Delhi failed to meet potency test.

The development has raised concerns that the vials could be counterfeit, because the vaccine manufacturer, Indian Immunologicals Ltd (IIL), says the samples tested by authorities were not manufactured by the company.

Fake Batch Of Abhayrab Seized

The vaccine samples, carrying batch number KE25012, were seized on April 22 from an unlicensed residential premises in Mukherjee Nagar, Delhi, during an enforcement operation by the Delhi Crime Branch and Drugs Control Department.

CDSCO officials carried out legal sampling, and the samples were sent to the Central Drugs Laboratory (CDL), Kasauli, for testing. CDL subsequently classified the product as “misbranded” and “Not of Standard Quality.”

The laboratory report found that the sample failed the potency requirement, although it passed tests for sterility, moisture, thermostability and identity. It also identified 17 differences between the seized product and the genuine retention sample of the same batch, including differences in labelling, artwork, QR-code verification, cap colour, licence details and packaging text.

Also read: US Petting Zoo Visitors Warned After 4 Goats Test Positive For Rabies: Can You Get Rabies Without A Bite?

Manufacturer Says Seized Samples Were Counterfeit

IIL has denied manufacturing the vials that were seized in Delhi. In a statement released on September 4, the company said the laboratory had found 17 differences between the seized vials and its genuine retention samples.

“On that basis, the vials examined are not a product manufactured by Human Biologicals Institute,” the company said.

The company also said the genuine batch had been independently tested and released by CDL, Kasauli, with 83,370 vials supplied through its authorised distribution channel. It said no market complaint had been received for batch KE25012.

Also read: Bat Encounter While Sleeping: Why You Shouldn’t Ignore The Risk Of Rabies

Government's Action

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has asked state drug regulators to closely monitor the movement and distribution of batch KE25012.

In its August 27 statement , the DCGI directed officials to maintain “strict vigilance” over the batch and take regulatory action where necessary.

A government notice issued on September 5 said the action was part of ongoing efforts to detect “unauthorized manufacturing and distribution activities and prevent the circulation of misbranded and spurious medicines.”

Four people have been arrested by Delhi Police in connection with the case, while further investigation is underway. The government has also confirmed that no part of the concerned batch was exported to another country.

What Does This Mean For People Who Took Abhayrab?

The current alert concerns vials seized from an unlicensed premises, which the manufacturer says were not its genuine product.

IIL has said vaccines administered through hospitals, clinics, government healthcare facilities and licensed pharmacies reach patients through the authorised supply chain and are not affected by this matter.

As of now, authorities are tracing the source of the seized vials and investigating how products bearing the Abhayrab name and batch number entered an unauthorised supply chain.

Patients who suspect exposure must not to stop or delay rabies vaccination because of the alert. Anyone who has suffered a potentially rabid animal bite or exposure should seek medical care promptly and use vaccines obtained through authorised healthcare sources.

Even as dengue continues to wreak havoc globally, with more than 7.37 million cases reported worldwide so far in 2026, an experimental monoclonal antibody (mAb) has shown promise as a potential treatment in a Phase 2 trial.

Led by Pune-based Serum Institute of India, the trial found that Dengue-mAb cleared dengue viremia and fever within 24 hours, offering early evidence of a potential therapeutic effect against the virus.

“This first-in-patient phase 2 randomized clinical trial demonstrated the safety of Dengue-mAb and its action on the clearance of dengue virus and fever,” the researchers, including those from Serum, said. “This is, to our knowledge, the first evidence of a preliminary therapeutic effect in patients with dengue.”

What Did The Trial Find?

Detailed in JAMA Network Open, the researchers found that the experimental Dengue-mAb was safe and well-tolerated and showed evidence of a therapeutic effect.

Dengue-mAb is a human-engineered, recombinant monoclonal antibody that neutralized all four dengue virus serotypes in animal studies and demonstrated safety in a Phase 1 trial in healthy adults.

Also read: Dengue, Chikungunya, Zika-Carrying Mosquito Breeding In UK: Are You At Risk?

The findings were based on a randomized, placebo-controlled trial involving 250 adults with dengue and a history of fever onset within 48 hours. Participants received one of four doses of Dengue-mAb — 3, 5, 7, or 9 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) — or a placebo, with 50 participants assigned to each group.

The primary outcomes were reduction in viremia at 24 hours and causally related serious adverse events (SAEs).

The antibody showed rapid activity against dengue virus and fever at all four dose levels tested.

Among participants who had detectable viremia at baseline, those treated with the 5- to 9-mg/kg doses became negative for dengue virus by eight hours, compared with 72 hours with placebo.

At 24 hours, fever clearance ranged from 92.9% to 100% in the Dengue-mAb groups, compared with 58.3% in the placebo group.

Why Does This Matter?

Read More: Dengue Is Spreading Beyond Monsoons And Into New Regions Across India, Says Expert

Dengue affects more than 200 million people each year, mainly in tropical and subtropical regions, and is expanding into new areas amid climate change and rapid urbanisation. The incidence of severe disease is also rising, increasing the need for effective treatments.

The result matters because there is currently no licensed antiviral drug for dengue anywhere in the world. Three vaccines are licensed, but people who develop dengue today generally receive supportive care, including fluids, fever control and monitoring, rather than a treatment that acts directly on the virus.

Dengue-mAb targets the virus, not just the symptoms. The rapid reduction in viremia raises the possibility of a treatment that could change how dengue is managed. However, whether the antibody can prevent severe dengue, hospitalization or deaths is not yet known.

Much of the dengue burden falls on health systems that may struggle to deliver an infused biologic to outpatients within 48 hours of fever onset.

What Happens Next?

The finding is still early. Phase 2 trials assess whether a drug produces a measurable effect in a relatively modest number of patients. They are not the studies regulators use to approve a medicine, and this candidate remains years away from becoming widely available.

Dengue Cases Worldwide And In India

According to WHO global surveillance data, more than 7.37 million dengue cases have been reported worldwide, including about 2.83 million confirmed cases and more than 5,100 deaths. India has reported more than 33,000 cases and over 40 deaths.

Amid concerns over the MMR vaccine and falling childhood vaccination rates in the US, another child has died with measles.

The death was confirmed by Lancaster County Coroner Stephen Diamantoni, who said his office was investigating the case. He said the child died “a few weeks ago” but could not confirm whether it was the death Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro referred to last week.

“We just want to cast as wide a net as possible and identify any deaths that may have occurred in individuals who had measles,” Diamantoni said.

It remains unclear whether this is the second or third measles-associated death reported in the US this year.

Pennsylvania Reports Two Measles-Associated Deaths

Also read: Measles: Infant Among Two Unvaccinated Deaths Reported In US

In late August, Pennsylvania reported two measles-associated deaths in 2026, both involving unvaccinated individuals. One was reportedly an infant, while details about the second person have not been released.

The deaths are the first measles-related deaths reported in Pennsylvania in 35 years, according to the state Department of Health.

The infant’s death has been disputed. Lancaster County Coroner said the newborn tested positive for measles but died shortly after birth from a lacerated spleen. Measles antibodies were found during postmortem testing.

“The newborn had measles” but did not “die of measles,” Parsons said, citing the coroner.

CDC Challenges The Deaths

The CDC has not included the two Pennsylvania deaths in its national measles count while it reviews additional information about the circumstances and causes of death.

According to the CDC, available information does not establish whether measles caused or contributed to the deaths or whether the individuals died from other causes while infected with measles.

The Department of Health and Human Services said the deaths had not been confirmed based on the information available to the CDC.

Pennsylvania, however, maintains that it followed the standard process and provided the CDC with the required epidemiological data.

The state calls the deaths “measles-associated,” meaning there is laboratory or epidemiological evidence of measles, even if the virus is not established as the immediate cause of death.

The US CDC has 2,903 confirmed measles cases in the US in 2026, as of August 27, 2026, the highest number in 35 years.

The cases are spiraling amid anti-vaccine stance promoted by the Trump-led US government and HHS Secretary RFK Jr.

More recently, Trump also announced a split of the MMR vaccine.

Measles has been considered eliminated in the US since 2000, but the Pan American Health Organization is expected to decide in November whether the US has lost its elimination status.

Read More: What Trump’s Childhood Vaccine Order Means: When Will It Take Effect?

What Is Measles?

Measles is one of the most contagious infectious diseases. An infected person can spread the virus to around nine out of 10 unvaccinated people exposed to it.

Most people recover, but measles can cause serious complications, including pneumonia, brain inflammation and death.

Infants, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems are particularly vulnerable.

Why Measles Is More Than A Fever And Rash

Early measles symptoms can resemble a common cold and include:

• High fever, which can exceed 104°

• Persistent

• Runny

• Red, watery eyes

A distinctive sign of measles is the appearance of tiny white spots, called Koplik spots, inside the mouth. These spots typically develop two to three days after the initial symptoms begin. Their presence is an important diagnostic clue and often appears before the characteristic measles rash.

What Does A Measles Rash Look Like?

A rash appears three to five days after the initial symptoms. It usually starts as flat, red spots on the face, near the hairline, and then spreads downward to the neck, trunk, arms, legs and feet.

The spots can sometimes be slightly raised and may merge. When the rash appears, the fever may also increase significantly.

Who Is Most At Risk?

Groups at higher risk of measles complications include:

• Children younger than

• Adults older than

• Pregnant

• People with weakened immune systems, including those with leukemia or HIV

How To Prevent

Two doses of the MMR vaccine are key to preventing measles. The first MMR dose is recommended at 12 to 15 months, followed by a second dose at 4 to 6 years.