FDA

Patchy Science on LifeWave’s Mysterious Patches

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 04 Jul 2025 10:00:00 +0000

They came in droves.

The MAHA Report Is Mostly ‘Data Vibes’

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 30 May 2025 10:00:00 +0000

Who would be so callous as to not want our children to be healthy?

The Make America Healthy Again movement, now firmly ensconced in the White House under the leadership of Robert F. Kennedy Jr, released a 73-page assessment last week called “The MAHA Report.” It’s meant to give a bird’s-eye view of the problem with American children’s health, paving the way for a multipronged strategy due next August.

Doctor Who Compared Pandemic Restrictions to Nazi Germany Gains Keys to the Vaccine Vault

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 16 May 2025 10:00:00 +0000

In the media’s rush to cover the nomination of Casey Means to the position of Surgeon General, one important name was neglected.

Red Dye #3 Isn’t a Felon Lurking in the Food Supply

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 24 Jan 2025 22:13:58 +0000

This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette.

In the late 19th century, Germany was at the forefront of chemical research and it was an ideal place for Purdue University chemistry professor Dr. Harvey Washington Wiley to spend a sabbatical to broaden his horizons.

DMSO Is Not a Cure-All. But the FDA’s Panic Over It Birthed a Myth.

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 15:37:28 +0000

Imagine a drug so powerful, your government didn’t want you to have it. Now, add the claim that this drug is all natural (it’s not) and that people report it cured them of any ailment you can think of, and you have the recipe for a good old-fashioned conspiracy theory.

The False Reassurance of Dietary Supplement Regulation

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Fri, 06 Oct 2023 16:37:06 +0000

If you are Canadian, you may have seen the letters “NPN” followed by a series of numbers on the packaging of a health product you picked up at the pharmacy, things like vitamin supplements, echinacea, and probiotics. You may even know that this number is given by our regulatory agency, Health Canada, and you may feel relief that these products are being licensed only after their safety and effectiveness have been evaluated.

If you are American, you may prefer the borderline unrestricted market you have, where dietary supplements are barely regulated at all.

Why did Denmark ban Ashwagandha?

Maya McKeown, B.Sc. — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Over the past couple of years, there’s been a lot of buzz about ashwagandha. This herb, estimated to have an annual market value of $42 million USD is available in health food stores and on Amazon, can be added to your smoothie, and is trending on TikTok.

When Living Things Make Our Drugs for Us

Jonathan Jarry M.Sc. — Thu, 21 Apr 2022 18:36:41 +0000

Could you recreate your favourite restaurant meal at home? Imagine the challenge of getting that meal to go and receiving no recipe, no ingredient list; just the final dish that you get to taste, study, and reverse-engineer. What are its ingredients? How do you cook them? What’s in the sauce? Which fat did they use? Is there MSG in there to enhance the umami flavour?

Lack of FDA COVID vaccine 'approval' doesn't matter

Christopher Labos MD, MSc — Fri, 28 May 2021 19:38:15 +0000

This article was originally published in the Montreal Gazette

Not all Viruses are Villains

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Mon, 16 Nov 2020 18:53:35 +0000

Testing for COVID-19

Alaka Mullick PhD — Fri, 17 Apr 2020 16:00:00 +0000

Until there is an effective treatment or vaccine, the best strategy to win the war against COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) is to stop its spread through the population. This requires extensive tracking of infected individuals and those with whom they may have come in contact. Tracking and tracing is a major undertaking, fraught with problems and uncertainties. Being able to definitively determine whether an individual is infected or not is crucial for gaining insight into the spread of the infection and can form the basis of effective risk mitigation approaches.

Drugs Need to be Properly Tested Before Being Put Into Use

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Fri, 20 Mar 2020 18:53:05 +0000

The Food and Drug Administration in the U.S. is under pressure to fast track drugs that may be helpful in the treatment of COVID-19. Remdesivir, originally approved for Ebola, may be helpful, as may the anti-malaria drugs chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine. However, the safety/efficacy profile of these medications has to be clarified before they are used on a large scale to treat a disease for which they have not been studied. It is instructive at this time to reflect on the situation that gave the FDA the power to regulate drugs.

Happy Birthday, Viagra

Christopher Labos MD, MSc — Thu, 05 Apr 2018 19:30:30 +0000

Twenty years ago last month, a medication called sildenafil was approved by the FDA. It is perhaps better known by its brand name of Viagra. Very few medications have enjoyed such widespread pop-culture attention. Sildenafil was mentioned in numerous TV shows, was endorsed by actors and politicians like Bob Dole, and was the subject of a huge marketing campaign. In the early 2000’s it was almost impossible to watch TV without seeing a Viagra ad.

Coumarin, the illegal chemical causing Americans to miss out on a sweet treat.

Cassandra Lee – OSS Intern — Tue, 04 Jul 2017 19:31:30 +0000

Plastic Chemicals in Our Bread?

Joe Schwarcz PhD — Thu, 06 Feb 2014 07:55:29 +0000