A new study has found that a combination of two drugs could enhance the immune system to treat one of the most common types of cancer in the world, bowel cancer. Also known as colorectal cancer, despite its widespread presence, the treatment options for this condition are limited. What the study specifically found was that this procedure could shrink the tumours caused by this condition by around 60%.

What Are The Drugs Involved

The trial involved the use of two immunotherapy drugs, botancilimab and balstilumab. It is a monoclonal antibody that works to stimulate the body's immune system to attack cancer. The study is a rather significant find, as it’s the first time that a consistent and durable response to immunotherapy has been reported in patients with solid MSS mCRC tumours.

The study was divided into several phases for more than 6 months. In the US trial, around around 101 patients with microsatile stable metastatic colorectal (MSS-mCRC) tumours showed a decrease . Around 61% of the patients experienced tumour shrinkage or stabilization after combined treatment with votancilumab and balstilumab. When it comes to downsides, diarrhea and fatigue were found to be the most common side effects or side effects of this drug.

These results are interesting and open to exploration. To date, immunotherapy has not been effective in patients with CNS-mCRC tumors. This study demonstrates the potential of the combination of botenlimab and balstilimab in the treatment of CNS mCRC, providing new hope for people diagnosed with colon cancer.

What Could This Mean For Bowel Cancer Treatment In The Future

The study is currently in the final stages of clinical trials, and the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hopes to quickly gain approval for its use because of the importance of this area that affects many people. The efficiency shown demonstrates the potential of botansilimab to contribute to broad antitumor immunity.

All in all, the combination of botensilimab and balstilimab represents a promising new direction in the treatment of colorectal cancer. This breakthrough could improve conditions for many patients worldwide and lights a new hope in the fight against this common disease. The results of this study show the effectiveness of immunotherapy in this field and how its potential to transform cancer treatment can only grow in the years to come.

Irish health authorities are warning people against using retatrutide, an experimental weight-loss drug that has led to multiple cases of hospitalisation after people obtained it outside legitimate clinical trials through unlawful sources.

The warning comes as demand for the drug has grown online, particularly through fitness networks. Despite retatrutide not yet being approved, the masses have been reported to obtain and administer it without medical supervision.

Ireland's Health Service Executive (HSE) has reported patients presenting with serious side effects after taking the drug, including severe vomiting and kidney problems.

Prof Donal O'Shea, HSE Clinical Lead for Obesity, said doctors are seeing patients who have taken retatrutide obtained through unofficial channels.

He said, "Personal trainers who have been giving these jabs give no advice about side effects and how to manage those side effects, leading to real problems".

He also warned that some people are choosing not to disclose this information to the healthcare professionals, which has been making it harder to identify the cause of their symptoms and administer appropriate treatment.

He added, “They are too embarrassed to say they are taking it, leaving us blindfolded when we are trying to come to a conclusion.”

Retatrutide Is An Unapproved Experimental Drug

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Retatrutide is currently being developed by Eli Lilly as a once-weekly injection. Unlike existing GLP-1 medicines like semaglutide and tirzepatide, it simultaneously targets three hormone pathways --- GLP-1, GIP and glucagon. The combination is developed to target appetite, blood sugar regulation and energy metabolism simultaneuously.

Lilly's latest Phase 3 results have shown substantial weight loss. In one trial involving people with obesity or overweight and type 2 diabetes, participants receiving the highest studied dose lost an average of 20.8% of their body weight after 80 weeks.

Another Phase 3 trial reported average weight loss of up to 22.6% after 80 weeks in people with severe obesity and cardiovascular disease.

But promising results do not mean the medicine is ready for unrestricted use, especially before clearance. Its unapproved status indicates that researchers are still examining the drug for potential side-effects and other complications.

Lilly says retatrutide remains an investigational medicine and is legally available only to participants in its clinical trials. The company plans to submit it to the FDA in the first quarter of 2027.

Why Are People Being Hospitalised?

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The Irish warning is particularly concerning as people obtaining retatrutide outside clinical trials may not have an idea about what they are actually injecting, how concentrated the drug is or whether it has been manufactured and stored safely.

Prof O'Shea highlighted cases involving nausea, vomiting and kidney problems. He said, "We had somebody in at the weekend who was getting. Retatrutide twice a week in the gym they go to from their personal trainer and they were in hospital with vomiting and kidney disease. That’s going to happen widescale if people are taking this drug."

Severe vomiting can itself become dangerous because prolonged fluid loss can cause dehydration and acute kidney injury, particularly when someone is unable to keep fluids down.

Growing Concern Of Black Markets

Retatrutide's impressive weight-loss results have fuelled demand for it even though it has not been approved by the FDA. Recent reports spark concerns of a growing black market for the drug, with products being promoted through social media, online sellers, fitness communities and some unregulated clinics. Eli Lilly has taken legal action against companies accused of selling unauthorised retatrutide products.

This is particularly concerning because buyers may mistake a product marketed as “research use only” for a medicine that is safe for human injection. The HSE is urging people not to use retatrutide obtained outside a legitimate clinical trial.

Anyone experiencing severe vomiting, abdominal symptoms, weakness, reduced urination or other concerning symptoms after taking an unapproved weight-loss injection should seek medical attention and tell doctors exactly what they have taken.

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has flagged misleading claims by food business operators (FBOs) on products including coconut oil, energy drinks and baby food.

The claims include “100%” on coconut oil and “Energy Drink” on a caffeinated beverage, as well as claims around immunity, growth, digestion and nutrition in baby food. The regulator also flagged health and nutrient-comparison claims.

Companies Take Corrective Action

In a social media post, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) said that “major food business operators (FBOs) have taken prompt corrective action” following notices issued by the regulator.

The corrective measures include withdrawing misleading label claims and revising product packaging.

Companies Flagged

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Mondelez India

Mondelez India Foods Pvt Ltd was flagged over misleading health and nutrient-comparative claims. It subsequently withdrew the claims and advertisements from e-commerce platforms.

Sapiens Labs

Sapiens Labs was flagged over a misleading claim and, after submitting its response, withdrew the claim and advertisements.

Vichi Agro

Vichi Agro Products Pvt Ltd, along with the concerned packer, was flagged over a misleading trade name and deleted the product from its platform.

Amway India

Amway India Enterprises Pvt Ltd, Delhi, was flagged over the use of “100%” in the name “100% Pure Coconut Oil”. The company said it had voluntarily removed the term from packaging and promotional material and discontinued old stock from sales channels.

Revised packaging without the claim has been finalized and is being rolled out progressively from September to October 2026.

Amway India was also flagged separately over the use of the term “Energy Drink” on a caffeinated beverage.

The company accepted the observation and removed the term from its product range, website and promotional material. Updated packaging is to be introduced from the production cycle beginning August 2026.

Juza Foods

Kerala-based Juza Foods was flagged over multiple claims for its baby food products. These included claims relating to nutrition, immunity, growth, digestion and nutrient content, besides comparisons with other milk powders.

The company acknowledged the violations and agreed to remove the misleading claims.

It also said its selling website had been shut and rectification completed, while steps were being taken for license-related changes and an e-commerce license.

FSSAI Issues More Than 150 Notices

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The action is part of a wider drive in which FSSAI has issued more than 150 notices to food companies over misleading advertisements, false claims and labelling violations.

Nestlé India, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola India, Abbott India, Red Bull India, Danone India, Monster Energy India, Ferrero India and Kenvue are among the companies named by the regulator.

FSSAI has also widened enforcement to e-commerce platforms and food-service establishments, issuing 12 notices to e-commerce companies and more than 30 to food-service establishments, including major restaurant chains.

The regulator’s latest action underlines its focus on ensuring that food claims are substantiated and do not mislead consumers. The challenge, however, will be to ensure sustained compliance after companies withdraw or modify the claims.

Particulate matter sized under 2.5 microns or 0.0025 millimeters (PM2.5) accounted for the largest share of air pollution-induced cancer cases worldwide, according to a new study.

The study, published in the journal Nature Health, showed that PM2.5 was attributable to 8.82 million of the 109 million cancer cases identified between 2000 and 2020. PM2.5 exposure was the dominant contributor to cancers of the respiratory, reproductive and endocrine systems.

What Did The Study Find?

Ambient air pollution is known to pose a global threat to public health. Although the carcinogenic potential of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), ozone (O3) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is a growing concern, comprehensive global assessments of their cancer risks remain limited.

The study, led by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, evaluated the effects of long-term exposure to PM2.5, O3 and NO2 on cancer incidence and quantified their attributable burdens worldwide, encompassing 109 million cases from 952 locations between 2000 and 2020.

The results identified PM2.5 as the dominant contributor. The researchers found that globally, each 10 microgram per cubic meter increase in PM2.5, ozone and nitrogen dioxide levels was associated with an increased risk of cancer by 16 per cent, 4.23 per cent and 11.7 per cent, respectively.

Exposure to nitrogen dioxide was attributable to 6.67 million incident cases, while exposure to ozone was attributable to about 2.6 million incident cases during the study period. Women were found to be consistently more vulnerable to most malignancies.

PM2.5 Linked to Cancers Beyond the Lungs

The study also showed that PM2.5-related cancer-inducing gene mutations extend beyond the respiratory system, particularly to cancers of the thyroid, esophagus, colon and rectum, and breast.

Further, each 10 microgram per cubic meter increase in PM2.5 was associated with a 17.9 per cent higher risk of kidney cancer and a 21.1 per cent higher risk of bladder cancer.

Biologically, PM2.5 exerts broad cancer-related impacts, possibly due to its small size and its ability to drive multiple processes, including systemic oxidative stress, DNA damage and immune dysregulation, the researchers said.

Study Uses Global Cancer Data

The study uses high-quality, globally representative cancer datasets involving populations from low-, middle- and high-income countries and therefore ensures generalizability of the findings, the researchers said.

"These findings provide critical impetus for public health policy initiatives aimed at mitigating the global cancer burden,” said the researchers in the paper.

Air Pollution and Cancer Risk

According to WHO data, almost all of the global population (99%) breathe air that exceeds WHO guideline limits and contains high levels of pollutants, with low- and middle-income countries suffering from the highest exposures.

In 2016, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified outdoor (ambient) air pollution as a Group 1 carcinogen, primarily linked to lung cancer.

As per an April 2026 study by The Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), the risks associated with air pollution are similar to those caused by smoking tobacco. Exposure to air pollution can lead to cancer, stroke, respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, and other health issues.

Beyond lung cancers, air pollution has been linked to breast, colorectal, liver, kidney, brain, cervical and ovarian cancers, as well as childhood leukaemia.

Studies also suggest that long-term exposure to high levels of PM2.5 may be associated with a 21% increase in the risk of dying from cancer, and new evidence suggests that the risk of dying from air pollution exposure is increased for lung, breast, liver, colorectal and kidney cancers.