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.

India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) has issued an advisory cautioning against the indiscriminate use of painkillers and antibiotics.

It warned that inappropriate or prolonged use of these medicines can lead to kidney complications and contribute to antimicrobial resistance.

This comes as a Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare recently noted that the pooled prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in India is approximately 13.24%.

The committee suggested that people above 20 undergo kidney function testing every six months.

How Can Painkillers Affect Kidneys?

“NSAIDs/painkillers and antibiotics should not be taken indiscriminately, repeatedly or for prolonged periods without medical advice,” the CDSCO said.

• NSAIDs can increase the risk of renal impairment, particularly in people with existing kidney disease or other risk factors.
• The risk is greater with repeated or prolonged use.
• People with renal impairment, dehydration or cardiovascular disease require particular caution when using NSAIDs.

It also suggested them to seek medical advice if pain, fever or other symptoms persist or recur, instead of repeatedly using painkillers or antibiotics on your own.

Further, the CDSCO noted that antibiotics should not be used for self-medication or for conditions where they are not clinically indicated, such as most uncomplicated viral infections.

Prescribed antibiotics should be taken strictly as advised and should not be shared or used from leftover medicines.

“Antibiotics prescribed by a healthcare professional should be taken strictly as advised and should not be shared with other persons or used from leftover medicines.”

What CDSCO Told Doctors

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Healthcare practitioners have been advised to prescribe NSAIDs and antibiotics only when clinically indicated, after considering the patient’s:

• Clinical condition
• Age
• Co-morbidities
• Concomitant medicines
• Relevant risk factors

“The lowest effective dose for the shortest appropriate duration should be considered when prescribing NSAIDs, particularly in patients at increased risk of renal impairment.”

Doctors have also been advised to take appropriate precautions when prescribing NSAIDs to people with:

• Renal impairment
• Dehydration
• Cardiovascular disease
• Other conditions that may increase the risk associated with NSAID use

Antibiotics should be prescribed judiciously in line with antimicrobial stewardship principles. Unnecessary combination therapy, inappropriate antibiotic selection, incorrect dosing and unnecessarily prolonged treatment should be avoided.

Hospitals Asked To Strengthen Monitoring

The CDSCO has asked hospitals and healthcare institutions to:

• Strengthen systems for rational prescribing and monitoring of NSAIDs and antibiotics
• Promote antimicrobial stewardship
• Conduct prescription reviews
• Provide appropriate patient counselling.

What CDSCO Told Pharmacies

The regulator has directed pharmacies and retailers to strictly comply with rules governing the sale and distribution of prescription medicines.

• Schedule H, H1 and other prescription drugs must be sold in accordance with applicable provisions of the Drugs Rules, 1945.
• Pharmacists and retailers should not encourage or facilitate self-medication with antibiotics or prescription-only NSAIDs.
• Prescribed warnings and conditions of sale on medicine labels must be followed.
• Schedule H1 drugs should not be sold at retail except in accordance with the applicable provisions of the Drugs Rules, 1945.

NSAIDs, Antibiotics Require Medical Supervision

The CDSCO said that various drugs, including NSAIDs and antibiotics, are placed under Schedules G, H, H1 and X of the Drugs Rules, 1945.

Most NSAIDs are included in Schedule H and are not to be sold at retail without a prescription from a Registered Medical Practitioner. Similarly, most antibiotics are included in Schedule H1.

They are required to carry the following warnings:

• It is dangerous to take this preparation except in accordance with the medical advice.
• Not to be sold by retail without the prescription of a Registered Medical Practitioner.

At least six major hospitals in the US have made deals with the Department of Justice to refuse gender-affirming hormones and surgery for young transgender individuals. The move has marked quite an escalation in the federal government's effort to restrict gender-affirming care across the country.

The latest agreements, announced on September 18, involve New York University Langone Health and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). They follow Mount Sinai Health System, Connecticut Children's Medical Center, Cleveland Clinic Foundation and Texas Children's Hospital.

Under the agreements, the hospitals will not provide puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones or gender-affirming surgeries to patients under 18.

The DOJ uses the term "sex-rejecting procedures" for these treatments, while medical organisations and healthcare providers generally use the term gender-affirming care.

Why Is The DOJ Targeting These Hospitals?

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The agreements stem from a nationwide investigation by the Justice Department that was launched after President Donald Trump directed the DOJ in 2025 to prioritise investigations involving gender-affirming care for minors.

The DOJ says it is examining potential violations of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, False Claims Act and other federal healthcare laws, including allegations that providers used false diagnosis codes to obtain insurance or government payments for treatments.

The DOJ has also subpoenaed hospitals for information about patients who received gender-affirming care, including sensitive medical records.

Attorney General Todd Blanche said the DOJ is "fighting to protect our nation's children" and working to reach agreements with hospitals to end what the administration calls gender-affirming care for minors.

However, the legal status of the allegations cannot be neglected. The DOJ itself says the claims resolved through these agreements are just allegations and that there has been no determination of any kind of liability. NYU and UPMC have denied the allegations.

NYU And UPMC Deals

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NYU Langone agreed to pay the federal government $8.5 million, while UPMC has agreed to pay $950,000. Both have agreed to stop providing gender-affirming medical treatments to minors.

The settlements also resolve the DOJ investigations and protect confidential information involving patients, families and healthcare providers that had been sought through earlier subpoenas.

NYU had already stopped its transgender youth programme in February, citing the "current regulatory environment." However, its agreement with DOJ does not affect its pediatric mental-health programmes transgender children. Similarly, UPMC's agreement applies to patients under 18.

Other Hospitals That Have Agreed

The six hospital systems that have agreed to the DOJ deals are:

1. Texas Children's Hospital, in May 2026, ended specified treatments worth more than $10 million in payments/damages and penalties
2. In June this year, Cleveland Clinic, agreed to end specified pediatric treatments
3. In August, Connecticut Children's stopped treatments and incurred monetary penalty and $500,000 for medical care
4. Mount Sinai Health System, in September 2026, too ended care and paid monetary penalty and $2 million for medical care
5. NYU Langone, stopped treatments and care in September and bore $8.5 million payment
6. UPMC, too, ended treatments and paid $950,000 in the deals

These agreements apply to the individual hospital systems that signed them. They do not by themselves create a nationwide federal ban on gender-affirming care for minors. Some states have enacted restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors, while other states have laws protecting access to such care.

The agreements generally concern future provision of gender-affirming treatment to minors. They do not eliminate the hospitals' overall pediatric mental-health care services.

The settlements demonstrate how the DOJ investigation has created a difficult choice for hospitals. They can either fight the government's allegations in court and reveal sensitive patient information or reach an agreement that ends the investigation while restricting the treatments in question.

NYU said its agreement was intended to protect patient from prolonged litigation and to preserve their confidentiality. The six settlements therefore represent more than individual hospital policy changes. They show how the Trump administration is using federal investigations, healthcare-fraud laws and settlement agreements to influence access to gender-affirming care for minors.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a new study to check drinking water for traces of more than 1,400 chemicals, including the abortion drugs mifepristone and misoprostol, as well as hormones, contraceptive drugs, pesticides and PFAS chemicals.

It drawn attention as abortion pills have become a political and legal critical subject in the US following the Supreme Court's 2022 Dobbs decision.

Anti-abortion groups and lawmakers have been urging federal agencies to probe into whether abortion pills could enter wastewater and, eventually, sources of water.

So, the EPA is now testing whether these chemicals can be detected in water supplies. It is important to note that it has not said that drinking water in the US is contaminated with abortion pills or that the drugs pose a health risk to people drinking the water.

About EPA Testing

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According to the reports, EPA officials will gather water samples from several locations in different areas and use a general testing method to screen for thousands of chemicals and contaminants.

The study includes mifepristone and misoprostol, which are commonly used together for medication abortion. It also includes testosterone, progesterone and levonorgestrel, a hormone used in several contraceptives including some birth-control pills and emergency contraception.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the agency wants to investigate potential pollutants in drinking water to provide Americans with true information about what may be present in their water.

He said, “We have heard loud and clear that Americans are concerned about potential unknown pollutants lurking in their drinking water. The Trump EPA is committed to getting to the bottom of this, so that Americans can feel confident about the safety of their drinking water.”

Nathan Donley, the environmental health science director at the Center for Biological Diversity, told Politico that mifepristone is not one of the known contaminants on the EPA's list to regulate.

“There are major water contaminants that need to be regulated, and testing for those things can be good as long as regulation happens. And then on the other hand, if we’re wasting time on a witch hunt for... those things like mifepristone, then that’s time and resources we take away from regulating and studying things that that are actually a problem,” Donley said.

Why Are Abortion Pills Part Of The Study?

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The move comes after years of pressure from anti-abortion groups, lawmakers and state attorneys general.

Students for Life of America has argued that abortion pills could result in pharmaceutical residues entering wastewater after drugs are taken and pregnancy tissue is flushed.

The group has also done its own testing and has called federal agencies to conduct research about presence of mifepristone in water.

In 2025, Republican lawmakers also sent a letter asking the administration whether there are ways to detect mifepristone in water supplies. EPA officials subsequently began exploring testing methods.

A Study Has Fueled The Debate

One study cited by Answers in Genesis reported finding significant amounts of mifepristone in eight of nine water sources tested in Austin, Texas; Blacksburg, Virginia; and Carbondale, Illinois.

The study also stated that conventional water treatment methods did not completely remove the compound and detected significant mean concentrations in tap water in two cities. However, that study’s interpretation has become a major dispute.

In the last few months, several reports have emerged rubbishing the claims and saying that there is no established evidence that abortion pills are contaminating US drinking water. These reports have also included environmental experts who have questioned the study's credibility and validity.

Water Safety Or Abortion Policing?

According to the EPA, the study is about understanding various potential contaminants in drinking water. But reproductive-health and environmental advocates have raised concerns about how the findings could subsequently be used.

Anna Bernstein of the Guttmacher Institute told The Cut, “The anti-abortion movement has become increasingly frustrated with that fact, so they are really throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks. They are really ramping up disinformation campaigns about the safety of medication abortion. This is the latest tactic of trying to weaponize laws that are meant to protect our environment and protect our wastewater.”

Various reports similarly reported that the EPA's decision came after sustained pressure from anti-abortion advocates.