Opinion | ‘The Law Is Clear. These Products Are Illegal’: What We Heard This Week

“The law is clear. These products are illegal.” — Pieter Cohen, MD, of Cambridge Health Alliance in Massachusetts, noting that despite FDA warnings, certain banned supplements are still available to purchase online.

“Probably the best niche now for Novavax’s purified protein vaccine is as a booster strategy for mRNA vaccines.” — Paul Offit, MD, of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, who served on the FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee on Novavax, on possible future paths for the recently FDA-authorized vaccine.

“Given their 1,000% higher risk, it is tempting to recommend screening.” — Ali Ahmed, MD, from the VA Medical Center in Washington, D.C., on new research showing the high risk of lung cancer in long-time smokers who don’t meet criteria for screening.

“Junk food companies are effectively turning TikTok users into advertising producers and distributors.” — Kathryn Backholer, PhD, of Deakin University in Australia, discussing how viral marketing campaigns are hooking teens to unhealthy foods and drinks.

“These acquisitions don’t take place at random.” — Yashaswini Singh, MPA, of Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, on the presence of private equity investments in physician practices.

“God forbid something were to happen, they were to fall, they were to hurt themselves, it will be difficult for them to call for help, for instance.” — Ryan Henner, MD, of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, on how one telehealth company is marketing at-home doses of ketamine.

“The pandemic brought forth this important medical problem to the attention of physicians and patients.” — Song Tar Toh, MBBS, of the National University of Singapore, on how about 27 million people globally who have had SARS-CoV-2 infection may have long-lasting smell or taste dysfunction.

“Health systems weren’t ready to handle such a drastic crisis.” — Dani Bowie, DNP, RN, of Trusted Health, on the ongoing mental health issues nurses continue to feel since the start of the pandemic.