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A cluster of Mycobacterium abscessus infections in four cardiac surgery patients at Brigham and Women's Hospital -- three of whom died -- was potentially attributable to a commercial water purifier, researchers determined. (Annals of Internal Medicine)
Covis Pharma Group will voluntarily withdraw from the market its hydroxyprogesterone caproate injection (Makena), a controversial drug aimed at preventing preterm birth.
In a New York Times guest essay, President Joe Biden outlined his plan to extend Medicare beyond 2050, including raising the Medicare tax rate on income above $400,000.
The U.K. plans to offer an additional COVID booster shot in the spring to vulnerable groups. (The Guardian)
Meanwhile, the U.S. will ease COVID testing requirements for travelers from China. (Wall Street Journal)
Two of the four Americans traveling to Mexico -- one of whom was planning to have surgery there -- were found dead. (New York Times)
Five women with medical crises who were denied abortions under Texas law sued the state, asking a judge to clarify what the law means. (NPR)
Florida lawmakers filed bills to ban abortion after 6 weeks of pregnancy; the state's ban currently begins at 15 weeks. (Tallahassee Democrat)
In Mississippi, state lawmakers passed a bipartisan bill that extends postpartum care under Medicaid to 1 year. (AP)
By cutting insulin prices, Eli Lilly may save millions of dollars it would have paid in rebates to state Medicaid programs, health policy experts said. (Politico)
And in other Medicaid news, states are turning to big health insurance companies to keep enrollees insured once pandemic-era coverage ends. (Fortune)
Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) is out of the hospital and receiving treatment at home for shingles. (The Hill)
Former Nashville nurse RaDonda Vaught will appear in Tennessee court later this month to appeal the state board's decision to revoke her license over a fatal error she made in 2017. (Becker's Hospital Review)
Fairview Health offered to sell the University of Minnesota teaching hospital to the state. (Star Tribune)
Oklahoma voters rejected legalizing recreational marijuana. (AP)
Dozens of students at the University of Massachusetts were hospitalized after consuming "borgs," or "blackout rage gallons," the latest TikTok challenge gone wrong. (CBS News)
Researchers developed blood biomarkers to predict anxiety severity and future clinical worsening. (Molecular Psychiatry)
Abbott received FDA clearance for its concussion blood test.
A shot of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) sobered up mice that had passed out from alcohol, helping them regain consciousness and coordination faster. (Cell Metabolism)
In other rodent news, motion sequencing revealed that mice had strongly individualized patterns of exploration and males behaved more erratically than females. (Current Biology)
Pharmedica USA is recalling its Purely Soothing 15% MSM eye drops due to non-sterility, which carries the risk for infections leading to blindness.
The FDA issued an update about the potential risk of exposure to toxic compounds with hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis systems, encouraging healthcare providers to report any adverse events.
The agency also launched a new directory of ingredients used in products marketed as dietary supplements, allowing consumers to determine if actions have been taken against certain ingredients.