The hottest Drug regulation Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Health Politics Topics

Why the FDA Is Slow to Remove Drugs

Asimov Press • 296 implied HN points • 01 Dec 25
🏥 Health Politics Drug regulation
  1. The FDA took 50 years to evaluate the effectiveness of oral phenylephrine before finally announcing it was ineffective. This long process raised questions about the agency's reliance on industry-funded studies.
  2. Drugs like phenylephrine stay on the market for years, even if they don't work well, because of their profitability for companies and the FDA's slow review process. This can leave consumers using products that have questionable benefits.
  3. The FDA has made efforts to improve its drug review processes, especially in terms of removing ineffective drugs, but challenges remain. The balance between ensuring safety and efficacy is still a difficult task for the agency.

VERY URGENT: Pfizer's mRNA flu shot failed its pivotal clinical trial in adults 65 and older

Unreported Truths • 56 implied HN points • 26 Nov 25
🏥 Health Politics Drug regulation
  1. Pfizer's mRNA flu shot did not work well for older adults, causing more flu infections and side effects compared to the standard flu shot.
  2. In addition to more flu cases, older people who received the mRNA shot faced serious health issues like kidney problems and respiratory failure.
  3. Despite the disappointing results and higher side effects, Pfizer has not been transparent about the trial findings and seems to be downplaying the issues.

Medicines of Mass Destruction

Diane Francis • 439 implied HN points • 29 Apr 21
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Drug regulation
  1. The Sackler family played a major role in the opioid crisis by aggressively marketing addictive drugs like OxyContin, causing immense suffering.
  2. Despite the damage caused, the Sacklers faced little real punishment, and many believe that white-collar crimes should have consequences similar to street crimes.
  3. Recent lawsuits and proposed laws aim to hold the Sacklers accountable and ensure that they cannot escape legal repercussions for their actions.

Bi Jingquan on China’s pharmaceutical evolution and int'l cooperation

Pekingnology • 37 implied HN points • 23 Jan 25
🏥 Health Politics Drug regulation
  1. China has made big improvements in its pharmaceutical industry by working with international partners. This helps them develop better drugs and get them to the market faster.
  2. Despite progress, China still faces challenges in drug innovation and access. Most new drugs are imitations, and prices are often too low, which can discourage companies from investing in new developments.
  3. To create a better future in healthcare, it's important for different countries to cooperate. This teamwork can help tackle global drug shortages and ensure people can get the medicines they need.

An Insider Perspective on the FDA: History and Role

Holodoxa • 39 implied HN points • 14 Oct 22
🏥 Health Politics Drug regulation
  1. Understanding the FDA's approval process for drugs includes stages like drug discovery, preclinical studies, clinical trials, and regulatory approval.
  2. The FDA's accelerated approval program, initiated in the 1990s due to HIV/AIDS, aims to speed up bringing life-saving drugs to market for urgent conditions, but follow-up studies are crucial.
  3. FDA approval decisions hinge on expert clinical judgment, balancing benefits and risks for patient safety and efficacy, a process that involves multiple stakeholders and extensive data evaluation.
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Bug Out: An Interview with Laurie Garrett

The Octavian Report • 0 implied HN points • 23 Dec 25
🏥 Health Politics Drug regulation
  1. Routine use of antibiotics as growth promoters in animals and crops is the biggest driver of resistance and needs to be banned, because it spreads drug-resistant genes through the food chain and environment.
  2. Antibiotic resistance is already widespread and underreported; mobile plasmids and environmental contamination mean common infections are becoming harder or impossible to treat, raising the risk of large numbers of deaths and a return to pre-antibiotic harms.
  3. Stopping this requires urgent, coordinated global action—strong regulation, better surveillance, more research, and changes in farming and medical practice—because current political will and industry behavior are not enough.