McConnell Speculation; Army Doc Charged; Ice Cream Recall Over Listeria Concerns

— Health news and commentary from around the Web gathered by MedPage Today staff

by
Charles Bankhead, Senior Editor, MedPage Today
September 1, 2023

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The Capitol physician declared Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) “medically clear” to resume a normal schedule following a second episode when the senator appeared to “freeze” while talking to reporters. (The Hill)

Speculation about McConnell’s freezing episodes has centered on seizures. (Business Insider)

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has recommended changing cannabis from a Schedule I to Schedule III controlled substance: Why that’s a big deal. (Forbes)

An Army doctor has been charged with sexual abuse and indecent behavior in a case that includes more than 20 alleged victims. (Washington Post)

Virginia health officials announced a meningococcal disease outbreak that has grown to 27 patients since June of last year, three times the expected case count; five of the patients have died. (ABC News)

At least half of people who have sudden cardiac arrest had warning symptoms 24 hours before. (UPI)

On average, 100 older adults died each day in 2021 due to falls. (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report)

The U.S. will regulate nursing home staffing standards for the first time, though advocates say the move doesn’t go far enough. (AP)

Going against an advisory committee recommendation from more than a decade ago, the FDA added an indication for canakinumab (Ilaris) to include gout flares in adults who have not responded to or cannot tolerate other therapies.

And Alcresta Therapeutics said the agency expanded the clearance of Relizorb, a digestive enzyme cartridge that mimics the function of pancreatic lipase, for use with enteral feeding in children as young as 2 years.

Dismissing an appeal by advocacy groups, the Texas Supreme Court will allow the state’s near-total ban on gender-affirming care for minors to go into effect today. (CNN)

Wall Street analysts expect the blockbuster diabetes drug semaglutide (Ozempic) will make it on to the next HHS list of drugs for Medicare price negotiation with manufacturers. (CNBC)

Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk briefly supplanted luxury retailer LVMH as Europe’s most valuable company after stock markets opened this morning. (Reuters)

As more states in the U.S. enact strict antiabortion legislation, 12 of Mexico’s 32 states have decriminalized abortion services, since the country’s Supreme Court ruled that penalizing abortion is unconstitutional. (Reuters via NBC News)

FDA announced Universal Meditech’s recall of all products manufactured between March 2021 and November 2022 — including tests for pregnancy, ovulation, and urinary tract infections — as the company is going out of business and will be unable to provide postmarket services.

The FDA also posted a notice that Marlex Pharmaceuticals has voluntarily recalled one lot of 0.25-mg digoxin tablets and one lot of 0.125-mg tablets because of a label mix-up.

The Ice Cream House announced, by way of the FDA, a voluntary recall of all ice cream products and nondairy frozen dessert products because of potential Listeria contamination.

A study documenting a preference for same-sex behavior among monkeys has added to evidence of similar activity among other species. (New York Post)