to your health

Drug expiration dates are mostly BS.

“Eight long-expired medications with 15 different active ingredients were discovered in a retail pharmacy in their original, unopened containers: All had expired 28 to 40 years prior to analysis. … Twelve of the 14 drug compounds tested (86%) were present […]

under the microscope

Hijacking bacterial attack system with light

Science is so cool. “Some bacteria inject toxins into host cells using a syringe-like appendage. Past research has found we could hijack that as a new drug delivery system, and now Max Planck scientists have developed a way to control […]

under the microscope

Can we engineer biology

Today, I bring you two links that are best read in sequence. The question is whether we’re anywhere near being able to approach biology the way we approach engineering. The debaters are both exceptional: Vijay Pande, healthcare investor at a16z, […]

to your health

The surprising health benefits of meth

For those keeping track, these common recreational drugs are all finding useful clinical applications: ketamine, psilocybin, and now meth. “In low, pharmaceutical-grade doses, methamphetamine may actually repair and protect the brain in certain circumstances. But stigma against the drug could […]

thoughts of food

Next steps on CBD from outgoing FDA commissioner

“When it comes to CBD in food, considering CBD is an ingredient in FDA-approved pharmaceuticals, the FDA emphasized that ‘allowing drug ingredients in foods can undermine the drug approval process and diminish commercial incentives for further clinical study of the […]

under the microscope

FDA approves new antidepressant containing ketamine

“Esketamine represents the first depression drug in years to be approved that works via a completely different mechanism in the brain, as compared to the previous generation of medications. For many with treatment-resistant depression, the new drug offers newfound hope […]

to your health

Prescribing food as a specialty drug.

This is so exciting! It seems “obvious” that food is tied to health, but this is the first time I’ve seen the healthcare system treat it that way. “Geisinger Health System’s program of providing free food as a treatment for […]