“I'm not great at the advice. Can I interest you in a sarcastic comment?”

This is what ‘Friends’ actor Matthew Perry’s character Chandler Bing was known for. He was known for being funny. However, he had his own struggles in his personal life and those struggles were acute depression. He was treating it with ketamine infusion therapy which is legal in the US and the UK.

What is Ketamine infusion therapy?

Ketamine is an anaesthetic used to treat depression, anxiety and pain under supervised and controlled medical settings. However, it does have its side effects, which can lead to distortion of sight, sound and time. It can also produce calming and relaxing effects.

Ketamine increases a person’s heart rate and blood pressure. If overdosed, it can leave users confused and agitated and can cause them to hurt themselves without even realising it. It can also lead to liver damage and bladder problems.

However, when used in moderation and under the supervision of medical doctors, it can treat depression where traditional antidepressants have failed.

Prof Rupert McShane, a University of Oxford psychiatrist who runs an NHS ketamine treatment clinic told BBC that ketamine “probably turns off the area of the brain that is involved in disappointment.”

Can Ketamine Infusion Therapy Kill Someone?

In simple terms, it cannot, be if the dosage is given in a controlled setting and as prescribed. Ketamine infusion therapy uses drugs in small doses than those used for anaesthesia. It acts faster than traditional anti-depressants, but the effects also wear off way quickly. Which is why it is important to monitor patients’ mental state for relapsing back into depression and discouraging them from overdosing on it.

There are ways of giving people ketamine. One of the ways is through “infusing”, which means to use an IV drip. However, injections, nasal sprays and capsules are also methods used to give people ketamine.

Since the dosage of ketamine used in the infusion treatment is small, it being the reason of actor Perry’s death was ruled out. The medical examiner also noted that Perry’s last ketamine infusion therapy session happened more than a week before his death, which means by the time he had died, it must have worn off.

So, What Happened To Perry?

Though Perry’s last session was more than a week before, his post-mortem showed that his blood contained a high concentration of ketamine. He had died of the “acute effects” of ketamine.

If it was not his session, then how did he get ketamine?

Prosecutors alleged that his assistant gave him at least 27 shots of ketamine in four days before his death, reported BBC.

Perry has been open about his personal struggles and this is what the doctors and dealers used against him. Martin Estrada, the US attorney for California’s Central District told the BBC that people took advantage of his condition. They charged him 165 times more than what vials of ketamine cost.

Names that have come up include Dr Salvador Plasencia, drug dealers “Ketamine Queen” aka Jasveen Sangha and Eric Fleming, and Perry’s live-in assistant Kenneth Iwamasa.

Who Are These Names And What Did They Do?

Ketamine Queen or Sangha supplied drugs that led to Perry’s death. Her home was a “drug-selling emporium,” said Estrada. More than 80 vials of ketamine, and thousands of pills including methamphetamine, cocaine and Xanax were allegedly found in her house known as the “Sangha Stash House.”

Sangha is known to deal with high-end celebs and was a “major source of supply for ketamine to others as well as Perry,” said Estrada.

Dr Plasencia called Perry a “moron” while charging him $2,000 for vials that cost only $12. He sold Perry 20 vials of ketamine between September and October 2023, costing $55,000.

He was the one who taught Iwamasa, who had no medical knowledge to inject the drug. This is after he knew that “Perry’s ketamine addiction was spiralling out of control,” as per what the investigators told the BBC.

Another dealer Fleming was told by Sangha to “delete all our messages.” While Fleming pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute drugs unlawfully, he also allegedly messaged Sangha: “Please call...Got more info and want to bounce ideas off you. I’m 90% sure everyone is protected. I never dealt with [Perry] only his assistant. So the assistant was the enabler.”

The court documents also revealed that he asked Sangha on whether the ketamine stays in your system or “is it immediately flushed out.”

Dr Pepper, Bots, Cans

The people who allegedly exploited Perry used coded language for ketamine and called it “Dr Pepper”, “bots”, or “cans.”

Selling overpriced drugs, taking advantage of Perry’s mental condition and falsifying medical records to make the drugs given to him look legitimate by Dr Plasencia is what took Perry’s life.

Iwamasa is said to have administered more than 20 shots of ketamine and three on the day Perry died. Whereas ketamine is only administered by a physician. Authorities also found that weeks before Perry’s death, Dr Plasencia allegedly bought 10 vials of ketamine and intended to sell to Perry.

He also injected Perry with a large dose, two days later. This caused him to “freeze up” and spiked his blood pressure.

When I Die, I Want Helping Others To Be The First Thing That’s Mentioned

Perry had always been open about his drug addictions, struggles with alcohol and his depression. He said that his openness would help others who are also struggling and wanted to be remembered by his quote which also is on the homepage of the Mattew Perry Foundation that helps others struggling with the disease of addiction: “When I die, I want helping others to be the first thing that’s mentioned.”

Five arrests have been made in the case so far.

The growing measles outbreak in Pennsylvania has taken a political turn after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declined to include two deaths reported by the state in its latest national database.

Pennsylvania health officials had reported the deaths on August 25, describing them as “measles-associated.” But the CDC said it was reviewing additional information about the circumstances around the deaths before including them in the national tally.

The disagreement has since become a public clash between Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and new CDC director Dr. Erica Schwartz and US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. This has raised questions as it shunned the standard practice of CDC accepting state government's data to determine the report deaths from infectious diseases.

Why Did The CDC Leave Out The Two Deaths From National Tally?

The CDC's website currently says, “This week's measles outbreaks update will not include the two measles-associated deaths reported by the Pennsylvania Department of Health on August 25 while CDC reviews additional information regarding the circumstances and causes of death. At this time, 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. CDC will update the national count as additional information becomes available."

The Department of Health and Human Services said, "The deaths have not been confirmed based on the information currently available to CDC.”

Pennsylvania, however, maintains that it followed the standard process. State Health Department spokesperson Neil Ruhland said, “Every reported measles case is thoroughly reviewed to ensure it meets the CDC's definition for a measles case. To date, DOH has provided all required epidemiological data to the CDC.”

The state has described the deaths as “measles-associated,” a term used when there is laboratory or epidemiological evidence of measles, even if the virus is not determined to be the immediate cause of death.

Also read: Measles In US: 3 More States Report Significant Uptick In Cases; How To Spot Initial Symptoms?

One Death Involved A Newborn

One of the cases involved a newborn who died shortly after birth. The baby had tested positive for measles after the mother had been infected. However, Lancaster County Coroner Stephen Diamantoni said the immediate cause of death was a ruptured spleen, which further complicated the debate.

The coroner has said he does not believe measles was the cause of death, although measles was listed on the baby's death certificate as a contributing condition. Details about the second death have not been publicly disclosed.

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

Motive Behind CDC’s Unusual Decision

Historically, the CDC has relied on state and local health departments to report measles cases, hospitalisations and associated deaths. According to The Washington Post, former CDC chief medical officer Dr. Debra Houry called the move a departure from that practice:

She said, “CDC has historically relied on the expertise of state and local health departments.”

The dispute comes as Pennsylvania is dealing with its largest measles outbreak in three decades. As of Monday, the state had reported 497 measles cases and 87 hospitalisations, with 100 new cases recorded in just one week.

Nationally, the CDC's latest update listed 2,887 confirmed measles cases across 47 states, plus 16 cases among international visitors.

Why Is Measles Dangerous?

Measles is one of the most contagious infectious diseases. An infected person can spread the virus to around nine out of 10 unvaccinated people who are exposed. Most people recover, but measles can cause serious complications including pneumonia, brain inflammation and death.

The virus is particularly dangerous for infants, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems. That is why public health experts are worried that the argument over two deaths could distract from the larger issue.

Paul Offit, a physician at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, told The Inquirer, “It’s August. This is only going to get worse. What can we do to prevent more children suffering and being hospitalized?”

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has crossed another grim milestone, with more than 6,000 confirmed cases and nearly 3,000 deaths. As of August 31, 2026, DRC had reported 6,041 confirmed cases and 2,911 deaths, according to government figures.

That puts the outbreak's case-fatality ratio at approximately 48.2%, meaning nearly one in every two confirmed patients has died. More than 1,360 people have recovered.

With Ituri remaining the epicentre, the outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola virus, has spread across six provinces and nearly 60 health zones.

Mortality Rate Is Close To 50%

In its latest Disease Outbreak News update, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported a 48.1% crude case-fatality ratio as of August 26 and said the figure “underscores the severity of the disease”.

The number also highlights other issues like timely diagnosis, access to and quality of clinical care and containing transmission. Delayed diagnosis can be particularly dangerous as people may continue interacting with family members and healthcare workers while infectious.

WHO reported that 81 new confirmed cases were recorded in a single 24-hour period as of August 26. Ituri alone had recorded 4,802 confirmed cases by that point.

A nearly 50% case-fatality ratio does not mean that every person infected with Bundibugyo virus has a 50% chance of dying.

It is calculated from recorded cases and deaths and that can change as patients recover, die or are newly diagnosed. It is also be affected by how early cases are detected, access to treatment and whether infections are being missed.

Also read: Ebola Bundibugyo Virus: American Health Worker Had 10x Higher Viral Load In Throat Than Blood

Second-Largest Ebola Outbreak On Record

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says, "The DRC outbreak is spreading substantially faster than previous Ebola outbreaks” and is now the second-largest Ebola outbreak on record. The outbreak surpassed 1,000 confirmed cases within about 40 days of response activation, compared with approximately 235 days during the 2018 DRC outbreak.

The CDC says the response is being affected by limited healthcare infrastructure, ongoing conflict, violence against healthcare workers, shortages of protective equipment, population movement, mistrust and misinformation.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has repeatedly stressed that communities need to be at the heart of the response.

In a joint WHO-Africa CDC commentary published on August 25, Tedros, WHO Africa Regional Director Mohamed Yakub Janabi and Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya wrote, “Ebola spreads through communities, and communities hold the knowledge required to stop it.”

Also read: Ebola Outbreak In DR Congo Records Its Highest Weekly Death Tolls Yet, With More Than 300 Deaths

Vaccine-Related Developments

Unlike Zaire strain, this outbreak is being caused by Bundibugyo virus, for which there is currently no vaccine or treatment. But researchers are in the process of testing vaccine and treatment on candidates.

Health authorities have also taken the unusual step of testing Ervebo, the vaccine licensed for Zaire Ebola, against the Bundibugyo strain.

WHO and Africa CDC announced in August that DRC would receive 70,000 Ervebo doses. Of these, 20,000 doses are intended for a Phase 3 clinical trial, while 50,000 are intended for frontline and healthcare workers under current recommendations.

WHO said, “It is not known whether Ervebo may be protective against the Bundibugyo virus in humans.”

Eli Lilly has made its latest move to look beyond the blockbuster GLP-1 market by agreeing to acquire biotech company Merida Biosciences for up to $2.875 billion in cash.

The deal will give Lilly access to Merida's experimental treatments for autoimmune and allergic diseases, including a potential drug for Graves' disease and thyroid eye disease. The transaction is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to regulatory approvals and other conditions.

The acquisition is another sign that Lilly is trying to diversify its pipeline beyond the obesity and diabetes medicines that have driven its recent growth. Lilly's spending on similar deals in 2026 that signals the company is looking to to expand beyond its successful hold on GLP-1 markets.

From Weight Loss Medications To Autoimmune Disease Drugs

Merida's lead programme, MER511, is currently in Phase 1 development for Graves' disease and thyroid eye disease (TED). The experimental treatment uses Merida's antibody-engineering platform to selectively remove pathogenic autoantibodies, the antibodies responsible for driving certain autoimmune diseases.

The idea is different from conventional immune-suppressing medicines, which dampen immune activity broadly. Initial Phase 1 data showed that MER511 substantially reduced thyroid-stimulating antibodies associated with Graves' disease and TED, while showing a favourable initial safety profile.

Francisco Ramírez-Valle, Lilly's senior vice president of immunology research and early clinical development, said, “We're building our pipeline around therapies that meaningfully change the course of disease, not just its downstream effects.”

He added that Merida's lead programme is designed to selectively and directly target the antibodies driving Graves' disease and thyroid eye disease.

Also read: Eli Lilly’s Foundayo Launched In UK: Is the GLP-1 Pill Better Than Wegovy, Mounjaro?

Different Drug Approach To Autoimmune Disease

In thyroid eye disease, inflammation can cause eye bulging, pain, double vision and, in severe cases, vision impairment.

Lilly's interest is specifically in Merida's approach is its attempt to target the disease-causing antibodies themselves, rather than suppressing the immune system more broadly.

Merida CEO Adam Townsend said, “Merida was founded to fundamentally change how autoimmune and allergic diseases are treated, by targeting the antibodies driving them directly, rather than suppressing the immune system broadly.”

That could potentially offer a more precise way of treating diseases in which specific autoantibodies are driving the damage.

Also read: Wegovy Is The Go-To Weightloss Drug Choice For Most US Teens

Lilly's Expanding Pipeline

The acquisition isn't only about Graves' disease. Merida's pipeline includes MER769, an experimental programme being developed for food allergy, asthma, chronic spontaneous urticaria and other allergic diseases.

The company also has earlier-stage programmes targeting kidney diseases and other conditions mediated by immunity.

This gives Lilly a potential base across a much broader range of immune-mediated diseases. The company that became synonymous with Mounjaro and Zepbound is trying to build a pharmaceutical portfolio that does not cash in entirely on the GLP-1 boom.

MER511 is still only in Phase 1, meaning its safety and preliminary biological activity are being evaluated in early clinical testing. The promising initial data do not yet establish whether the drug will ultimately work in larger patient populations or receive regulatory approval.

The $2.88-billion deal is therefore not Lilly buying an already-proven autoimmune medicine. It is buying a platform and the potential for an entirely new class of treatments.

As Townsend put it, “Joining Lilly gives our science the resources and commitment to realize its potential for patients with immune-mediated conditions.”