High U.S. prescription drug costs are driven by a lack of price regulation, patent monopolies, and complex supply chain mechanics involving pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) that incentivize high list prices. Infographics highlight that these factors, combined with extensive marketing spend over R&D, lead to soaring launch prices and increased patient cost-related non-adherence.
A March 2026 multisociety guideline says some adults may need earlier cholesterol risk review, one-time Lp(a) testing, and more personalized prevention decisions.
CDC says the risk to the general U.S. public is low, but cruise passengers, traced contacts, and anyone with a known close exposure should watch for symptoms and act quickly if they get sick.
ACOG now includes patient-collected high-risk HPV screening in cervical cancer guidance for average-risk adults ages 30 to 65, but the change is narrower than many headlines suggest. Federal preventive-coverage changes tied to the HRSA update generally begin with plan years starting in 2027, and a positive result still usually leads to in-person follow-up.
The FDA is pressing more than 2,200 sponsors and researchers to post required clinical trial results to ClinicalTrials.gov. For patients and readers, the issue is simple: missing results can distort what we think works, what does not, and how safe a medical product really is.
A new randomized trial found a signal that fluvoxamine may ease long COVID fatigue, but the evidence is still early and does not change routine care yet. CDC guidance says there are no approved tests or treatments for Long COVID, and treatment remains focused on symptoms and support.
A randomized trial suggests that moving the postpartum glucose test to the hospital stay may help more people with gestational diabetes complete screening. The result points to a practical problem: after delivery, follow-up testing can fail because of logistics, not just motivation.
A new randomized study suggests fluvoxamine may ease long COVID fatigue for some people, but the finding is narrow, early, and not enough to change routine care. CDC guidance still says long COVID is diagnosed clinically, there is no approved test, and treatment is focused on symptom management while research continues.
Three FDA decisions in March 2026 gave families in the rare-disease world something unusual: approved options for conditions that previously had few or none. Here’s what changed, what the evidence looked like, and what still needs to be watched closely.
There are two main ways to help protect babies from severe RSV: maternal vaccination during a narrow pregnancy window, or an infant RSV monoclonal antibody after birth. CDC says the right option depends on timing, eligibility, and whether a mother already received RSV vaccine in a previous pregnancy.
The FDA has issued new guidance aimed at improving how pregnancy safety data are collected for drugs and biologics. For patients, the practical takeaway is not that treatment rules changed today, but that the evidence base for medicine use in pregnancy may become more useful over time.
New CDC estimates show chronic kidney disease remains common in the U.S. and often goes unnoticed. Adults with diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, or a family history of kidney disease may have the most to gain from earlier screening and follow-up in primary care.
Breast cancer screening is back in the news because policy leaders and researchers are revisiting how mammograms should be recommended and covered. For most average-risk U.S. women, the practical advice has not changed: keep following current screening guidance and confirm your schedule with your clinician.
The FDA is pressing sponsors and researchers to report clinical trial results on time, saying missing data can distort what doctors and patients think they know. A new FDA push and an NIH policy update are raising the stakes for transparency as the clinical-trials system evolves.
The FDA’s May 15 approval adds two early-stage breast cancer uses for Enhertu, also known as fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki. The update matters for some adults with HER2-positive disease, but it does not change screening guidance or replace a discussion about surgery, chemotherapy, and other treatment options with an oncology team.
A new randomized clinical trial suggests centralized patient navigation can help people get a follow-up colonoscopy sooner after a positive FIT stool test. The finding matters because a FIT is a screening step, not the endpoint: an abnormal result still needs diagnostic follow-up.
New CDC guidance and fresh research reinforce the same core message: long COVID can follow even a mild infection, normal tests do not rule it out, and the best proven way to lower risk is still reducing the chances of severe COVID-19. Early studies on fatigue treatments and supplements are interesting, but they are not yet practice-changing. New U.S. data also suggest long COVID still falls unevenly across communities, which matters for access to diagnosis and care.
The FDA says it wants to make room for individualized treatments in ultra-rare diseases without lowering the bar for evidence. A new draft framework, plus several 2026 approvals, shows how regulators are trying to balance flexibility with proof that a therapy targets the disease’s root cause.
The FDA has finalized new guidance on collecting pregnancy-safety data after a drug or biologic is approved. The change will not rewrite labels overnight, but it could strengthen the evidence doctors and patients rely on when deciding whether medicine is needed during pregnancy.
New 2026 research adds momentum to earlier LDL lowering for people without prior heart attack or stroke. But the basics have not changed: healthy habits, blood pressure control, cholesterol screening, and statins remain the mainstay for most primary prevention decisions.
A large randomized trial suggests breast cancer screening can be tailored by risk without missing more advanced cancers compared with standard screening. But U.S. guidance has not broadly shifted yet, and experts still see important limits in the evidence.
The FDA is testing a faster way to view some trial data as studies are running while also pressing sponsors to catch up on overdue results reports. The big takeaway for readers: this is a change in transparency and timing, not proof that a therapy works.
The FDA has finalized guidance meant to help sponsors collect better pregnancy safety data after a drug or biologic is approved. The goal is not to label any one medicine safer or riskier on its own, but to improve the evidence doctors and patients can use later.
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