Internal Medicine news.

CDC has launched a resource combining fatal and nonfatal overdose surveillance data with prevention strategies. The announcement cites provisional estimates of 67,798 US overdose deaths during the 12 months ending March 2026, a 12.3% decline from the corresponding previous-year period.

WHO and EIB Global signed a €10 million grant agreement to strengthen public health in Lebanon. The initiative aims to re-establish the Central Public Health Laboratory and provide medication and healthcare support to more than 50,000 people with chronic diseases.

The FDA has opened a request for information on barriers to botanical drug development, including quality standards and study designs for complex mixtures. The agency says public comments are due November 3, 2026; the consultation does not announce new approvals or clinical findings.

EMA’s Pharmacovigilance Risk Assessment Committee has begun reviewing injectable iron-containing medicines. The review will assess low blood phosphate levels and related bone problems; the supplied meeting highlights report no findings or prescribing changes.

CDC reports increased animal exposures and rabies post-exposure vaccinations across the United States during summer 2026. Its health advisory urges evidence-based risk assessment and appropriate administration of vaccine and human rabies immune globulin when indicated.

The FDA has finalized an Expedited Investigational New Drug pilot pairing drug sponsors with qualified research institutions to support earlier regulatory review and first-in-human trial initiation. Applications close October 30, 2026, with 8–10 sponsor–institution pairs expected in the initial cohort.

EMA’s human medicines committee recommended 12 medicines for approval at its 14–17 September 2026 meeting, including two biosimilars and two generics. It also recommended extensions of therapeutic indications for 11 medicines.

A JAMA Neurology review emphasizes that HINTS is most effective in patients with continuous dizziness and spontaneous nystagmus at rest. The authors advise screening for central features first and warn that inappropriate patient selection can contribute to missed strokes and unnecessary imaging.

The FDA issued a direct final rule clarifying that appropriate non-animal methods can support safety testing before human trials of drugs and biological products. The agency also launched a database with 25 examples of alternative methods used in FDA reviews; evidentiary standards remain unchanged.

The randomized NHS-Galleri trial enrolled 142,250 adults aged 50–77 years. Secondary analyses across three annual screening rounds found high specificity but limited sensitivity for all cancers; the trial previously reported no reduction meeting its primary endpoint for stage III/IV cancer diagnoses.

A federal consent decree dated September 21, 2026, bars Gold Star Distribution from handling FDA-regulated products until it meets federal requirements. FDA inspections documented persistent rodent and pest infestations at its Minneapolis warehouse, creating potential contamination risks for foods, drugs, devices and cosmetics.

A prespecified SELECT analysis of 7,594 participants treated with semaglutide for at least one year found that baseline clinical characteristics explained less than 10% of variation in peak weight loss. Median peak weight loss was 12.5%, reached after a median of 19 months.

A randomized trial of 703 older adults with mild cognitive impairment and hearing loss found no significant reduction in dementia-level impairment with hearing aids over 24 months. A prespecified secondary analysis found more cognitive improvement with hearing aids than with hearing care education.

An analysis of 1,981 small-molecule drugs approved by the FDA from 1990 to 2019 found that mean patent counts rose from 2.1 to 6.9 per drug. Growth was driven primarily by nonprimary patents covering formulations, methods of use, and delivery devices rather than active ingredients.

An expert forum review in Diabetes Care challenges the view of insulin resistance as a uniform condition. Convened in September 2025, the forum examined measurement methods, insulin signaling, current therapies, and research priorities for more targeted treatments.

A review examines evidence on antibiotic duration in critically ill patients with sepsis and severe infections. It reports support for shorter courses in selected infections, while highlighting uncertainty in immunocompromised patients, difficult-to-treat pathogens and infections involving retained devices.

An observational questionnaire analysis of 963 DCCT/EDIC participants found intermediate/high obstructive sleep apnea risk in 64% and poor sleep quality in 43%. Higher HbA1c was associated with greater odds of sleep problems, while several diabetes complications showed specific associations.

A primer in Clinical Infectious Diseases examines safety and stewardship concerns surrounding online emergency kits containing prescription antimicrobials. The abstract warns that consumer-directed treatment of self-diagnosed infections may lead to inappropriate use, adverse effects, and antimicrobial resistance; it provides no quantitative outcome data.

A multisociety guideline provides recommendations for perioperative cardiovascular evaluation and management in adults undergoing noncardiac surgery. The supplied abstract describes an update to the 2014 guideline, informed by a literature search conducted from August 2022 through March 2023.

An American Heart Association scientific statement reviews primary and secondary Raynaud phenomenon, including quality of life and treatment options. It highlights the risk of digital ischemia and tissue loss in secondary disease, while noting limited clinical trial evidence for treatment.

In OUTSTAND-1, a randomized, double-blind phase 3 trial involving 284 adults in China, oral safiglipron reduced HbA1c versus placebo over 32 weeks. Weight reductions were modest, and adverse-event discontinuations increased across the tested doses.

Federal prosecutors announced conspiracy and smuggling charges against two Indian nationals over an alleged counterfeit Ozempic distribution scheme. According to court documents, distribution continued after an FDA seizure and public warning in December 2023.

A multinational retrospective study of 18,326 adults with biopsy-confirmed MASLD found less advanced fibrosis in lean patients but no independent association between lean status and mortality or clinical events. Advanced fibrosis was associated with poorer outcomes, while liver stiffness measurement showed good diagnostic accuracy in lean patients.

Norwegian SYSVAK registry data show influenza vaccination coverage reached 69% among older adults in 2025–2026, up three percentage points. Pneumococcal coverage among people born in 1960 rose from 13% to 43%, while COVID-19 coverage among those aged 75 or older fell to 48%.

An American Heart Association scientific statement examines antithrombotic undertreatment and its consequences in patients with atrial fibrillation, venous thromboembolism, and peripheral artery disease. It highlights gaps in prescribing, dosing, adherence, and access, and calls for interprofessional antithrombotic stewardship.

An observational investigation of 3,163 patients in China detected Asian longhorned tick nairovirus (ALTNV) in 10.4%. Patients with ALTNV alone recovered, while coinfection with Dabie bandavirus was associated with more respiratory symptoms and kidney impairment than Dabie bandavirus infection alone.