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Morning Briefing

Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations

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Monday, Jul 27 2026 8:58 AM

Full Issue

Peptide Push Is Lowering The Bar For Patient Safety, Scientists Fear

The FDA’s Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee approved the peptides epitalon and semax for compounding, but not everyone thinks it's a good idea. Experts say this move might lead people to think the FDA has thoroughly evaluated these compounds, NBC News reported, when it has not. “At stake is literally the future of the FDA drug approval process,” one doctor said.

A Food and Drug Administration advisory committee on Friday recommended allowing two more unproven peptides to be compounded, capping a two-day meeting that raised questions about whether the agency was weakening the guardrails designed to keep untested drugs from reaching patients. (Lovelace Jr., 7/24)

When students return to McGovern Medical School at UT Health Houston this year, they will get to participate in hands-on nutrition experiences, including cooking demonstrations in the teaching kitchen, tours of the campus “holistic garden,” and the opportunity to take a culinary-medicine-focused elective. (Chan, 7/27)

As screens compete for families' attention, children's development is paying the price, top federal health officials warn. Early and excessive screen time can trigger severe neurocognitive delays in young children, impacting attention spans, memory and language skills, according to Dr. Stephanie Haridopolos, interim surgeon general and principal deputy assistant secretary of health. (Quill, 7/26)

The Trump administration’s deadly military strikes on alleged drug trafficking boats have not reduced the amount of cocaine entering the United States, but they’re prompting criminal organizations to develop new strategies and tactics and undermining traditional investigative methods, according to a previously unreported assessment by the Drug Enforcement Administration, a closed-door congressional briefing and interviews with current and former U.S. and foreign officials. (Horton, McCoy, Schmidt and Moriarty, 7/27)

On traumatic brain injuries in veterans —

Active-duty U.S. military personnel and veterans suffering from traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and other related ailments could benefit from new federal research programs after the House authorized the creation of the so-called Blast Overpressure Task Force in its annual defense policy bill. ... If approved, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will appoint health experts to the task force who are "involved in research regarding the mitigation and treatment of blast overpressure or blast exposure." (Plummer, 7/24)

On former President Joe Biden's health —

Joe Biden’s world has grown smaller. Eighteen months after leaving the White House, the 83-year-old former president moves within a narrowed circle of relatives, old friends and longtime aides as he undergoes treatment for metastatic cancer. The treatment appears to be working, according to five former aides and others close to Biden, many of whom spoke on the condition of anonymity to candidly discuss his health and private life. But the disease — and the toll of treating it — has left him visibly frail. (Wootson Jr., 7/26)

This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.
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