Tag Archives: FDA

SCOTUS seems likely to dump the mifepristone ban case

Some good news. For this Supreme Court to reject abortion restrictions, the argument has to be pretty bad. “That it?” Justice Amy Coney Barrett cut in tersely as anti-abortion group lawyer Erin Hawley (yes, that Hawley) enumerated the supposed harms … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters, National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

SCOTUS takes up mifepristone appeal

Get ready. The Supreme Court announced Wednesday that it will hear arguments on the accessibility of the abortion drug mifepristone in the biggest abortion case since Dobbs. The case stems from a widely panned decision handed down by notorious Donald … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters, National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on SCOTUS takes up mifepristone appeal

Fifth Circuit rejects some mifepristone restrictions, upholds others

Typical. A Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals panel handed down a decision Wednesday batting down challenges to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) initial approval of abortion drug mifepristone, but reinstituting restrictions that the agency has lifted in recent years. … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters, National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Fifth Circuit rejects some mifepristone restrictions, upholds others

Yeah, COVID’s on the rise again

We’re in a much better place overall now, but do exercise caution and get your damn shots if you haven’t already. COVID-19 isn’t going anywhere. Infections are rising in Texas and Houston for the fourth summer in a row, with many … Continue reading

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Yeah, COVID’s on the rise again

Over the counter birth control pill approved

A big deal, and a long time coming. The Food and Drug Administration approved the first ever over-the-counter birth control pill in the United States Thursday, a huge advancement in contraceptive accessibility amid an ever more restrictive abortion landscape. “Approval … Continue reading

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Over the counter birth control pill approved

COVID immunity update

Fascinating stuff. Antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, were present in the blood of 96.4% of Americans over the age of 16 by September 2022. That’s according to a serosurvey – an analysis testing for the presence of these immune defense molecules … Continue reading

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , | Comments Off on COVID immunity update

Fifth Circuit hears mifepristone appeal

It went more or less as you’d expect from this dumpster fire of a court. I’ll link to a bunch of straight news coverage in a bit, but what you need is the news with some analysis and snark, so … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

FDA set to approve over the counter birth control pill

Good. An influential advisory panel recommended that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approve an oral contraceptive pill for over-the-counter use without an age restriction. While hormonal birth control is available without a prescription in many other countries, this medication, … Continue reading

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

FDA approves RSV vaccine

Good. After a 60-year scientific quest, the world has its first vaccine to protect against respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV – and more are on the way. On Wednesday, the US Food and Drug Administration approved Arexvy, made by GSK, … Continue reading

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on FDA approves RSV vaccine

Meanwhile, in other mifepristone news

Keep an eye on this. A federal judge said during a Monday hearing that he’s leaning towards ruling in favor of a company that makes generic mifepristone in its quest to prove it has standing to sue over West Virginia’s … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Meanwhile, in other mifepristone news

SCOTUS halts the anti-mifepristone ruling

Good. The Supreme Court ruled Friday to pause lower court rulings that would have imposed restrictions on mifepristone, keeping the drug accessible while the case proceeds. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas would not have granted the stay. Despite the … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on SCOTUS halts the anti-mifepristone ruling

Anti-mifepristone order still paused

SCOTUS needs a couple more days. The Supreme Court extended its stay on lower court rulings on mifepristone until Friday just before midnight, meaning that the drug will remain accessible and available at least until then. The order, written by … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Anti-mifepristone litigants respond to SCOTUS appeal

Today we find out what SCOTUS will do. The anti-abortion doctors who first brought the case seeking to get mifepristone yanked from the markets filed a reply brief Tuesday, starting the clock on the Supreme Court’s response. It’s the latest … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Anti-mifepristone litigants respond to SCOTUS appeal

SCOTUS pauses that anti-mifepristone ruling

A brief timeout. The Supreme Court granted the Department of Justice’s emergency request to temporarily halt lower court rulings that would have reimposed restrictions on mifepristone that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had lifted in recent years. The stay … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Fifth Circuit barely limits ridiculous anti-mifepristone ruling

In other words, the Fifth Circuit did Fifth Circuit things. The notoriously right-wing Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld much of Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk’s ruling on mifepristone from late last week in an early Thursday decision that may prompt the … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Tuesday mifepristone update

First things first, that lawless ruling from the wingnut Texas judge has been appealed. The U.S. Justice Department on Monday asked a federal appeals court to keep the abortion pill mifepristone on the U.S. market as litigation plays out, days … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

We await what’s next with mifepristone

“Everything is on the table”, whatever that ultimately means. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra said the administration is willing to do whatever it takes to protect access to the abortion drug mifepristone, after a federal judge in Texas suspended the … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Mifepristone access banned and expanded

So as you might have heard, this happened on Friday. U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas stayed the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval of abortion drug mifepristone nationwide Friday, including in blue states with robust abortion protections. The … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The unhinged abortion pill lawsuit hearing

What a shitshow. The future of medication abortion in the United States remains up in the air after a federal judge heard arguments Wednesday in a suit challenging the Food and Drug Administration’s long-standing approval of mifepristone. U.S. District Judge … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The unhinged abortion pill lawsuit hearing

The hearing for that unhinged abortion pill lawsuit is today

Like I said, brace yourselves. A federal judge in Texas will hear arguments Wednesday in a closely watched dispute that could halt distribution of a key drug used for medication abortion and disrupt access nationwide, even in states where reproductive rights are protected. … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The unhinged abortion pills lawsuit will take place in darkness

Nothing about this is good. The Texas judge who could undo government approval of a key abortion drug has scheduled the first hearing in the case for Wednesday but took unusual steps to keep it from being publicized, according to … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Democratic AGs file lawsuit to ease access to mifepristone

Good, albeit a bit confusing at this point in time. A dozen Democratic state attorneys general have opened a new front in the legal war over mifepristone, the “gold standard” medication used in the majority of all US abortions. In a federal lawsuit filed … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Democratic AGs file lawsuit to ease access to mifepristone

The fentanyl vaccine

This is not actually new, but this story just came out and I hadn’t noticed the coverage before, so I’m catching up. To combat the fentanyl epidemic in the United States, researchers at the University of Houston have created a … Continue reading

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The fentanyl vaccine

FDA suggests annual COVID booster

I like the idea of this, which is to make COVID shots simpler and thus hopefully more likely to be taken, but it seems to be more nuanced than that. The US Food and Drug Administration wants to simplify the … Continue reading

Posted in National news, Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on FDA suggests annual COVID booster

Mifepristone can now be offered at retail pharmacies

Good news, for at least some of the country. For the first time, retail pharmacies, from corner drugstores to major chains like CVS and Walgreens, will be allowed to offer abortion pills in the United States under a regulatory change … Continue reading

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Mifepristone can now be offered at retail pharmacies

A non-prescription pill

This sounds like a good idea. If you’re one of the estimated 10 million people in the United States taking oral contraception, you probably needed a prescription to get it. But that could soon change: In July, a Paris-based company, HRA Pharma, announced it … Continue reading

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on A non-prescription pill

The environmental attack on abortion

It’s ridiculous. Abortion opponents and their allies in elected office are seizing on an unusual strategy after suffering a wave of election defeats — using environmental laws to try to block the distribution of abortion pills. The new approach comes … Continue reading

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Forced birther lawsuit targets abortion pills

Did you think you were going to have a nice, peaceful Thanksgiving week? Sorry, no can do. Abortion opponents who helped challenge Roe v. Wade filed a lawsuit Friday that takes aim at medication abortions, asking a federal judge in … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Forced birther lawsuit targets abortion pills

Get your kids vaccinated (I’m saying it again)

We have a long way to go. In the two weeks since the federal government allowed emergency use of COVID-19 vaccines for children younger than 5, nearly 32,000 Texas kids in that age group have been vaccinated. That accounts for … Continue reading

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Get your kids vaccinated (I’m saying it again)

Get your kids vaccinated

A good start, but we can do a lot more. Texas Children’s Hospital has administered COVID-19 vaccines to nearly 6,000 children ages 6 months through 4 years old since the youngest age group became eligible to receive the shots last … Continue reading

Posted in Technology, science, and math | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

COVID vaccines for kids under 5 are now available

It’s been a long wait. On Saturday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky signed off on Covid vaccines for the youngest Americans. Her endorsement means shots can begin immediately, finally ending the two-and-a-half year wait … Continue reading

Posted in National news | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on COVID vaccines for kids under 5 are now available

The coming fight over medical abortion

Sure is a good thing SCOTUS will leave this up to the states, isn’t it? Republican-led states are moving swiftly to restrict access to medication abortion. The efforts so far have focused on regulations around the pills, such as banning … Continue reading

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The coming fight over medical abortion

Here comes BA.2 in Houston

But don’t panic, it’s just a change in the virus composition, not an increase in viral load. Houston is seeing an uptick in the number of BA.2 cases, with genome sequencing and wastewater testing picking up higher levels this week compared to … Continue reading

Posted in Elsewhere in Houston | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Here comes BA.2 in Houston

More people are choosing the medical abortion option

It’s not like there are good alternatives right now in Texas. The demand for abortion-inducing medication spiked in the month after Texas significantly limited abortion access and has remained high since, according to new data from a researcher at the … Continue reading

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment