Drugs

• A New York Times report alleges that Conor McGregor used banned performance-enhancing drugs to speed up his recovery after breaking his leg at UFC 264 in 2021. • Following these events, Combat Sports Anti-Doping issued McGregor an 18-month suspension in October 2021 for failing to provide multiple testing samples. • The suspension was retroactive to September 2024, which prevented the fighter from securing a spot on the June 14 UFC White House event.

• The Connecticut Office of Health Strategy (OHS) has released a preliminary list of outpatient prescription drugs provided at a substantial cost for the 2026 reporting cycle. • The report details the highest-cost outpatient drugs, including total costs, utilization rates across commercial, Medicaid, and Medicare Advantage markets, and wholesale acquisition cost increases. • This initiative, mandated by Connecticut General Statute § 19a-754b (d), aims to increase transparency regarding the pricing and accessibility of expensive medications.

• Shoptalk Europe unveiled five major predictions for the future of European retail during its 2026 event in Barcelona. • The forecast identifies AI shopping agents, the rise of weight-loss drugs, a "recommerce boom," personalized physical stores, and revamped supply chain planning as primary drivers of change. • These trends are expected to fundamentally reshape the retail industry over the next decade, impacting how consumers shop and how businesses operate.

Peptides join melatonin, cannabis and weight loss medications as priority concerns. Follow today’s news liveGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastGood morning and welcome to our live news blog. I’m Martin Farrer with the top overnight stories and then it will be Nick Visser with the main action.A non-profit organisation that runs a helpline for young people says there is little sign of a dip in cyberbullying or image-based abuse in the six months since teenagers under 16 have been banned from social media. More coming up. Continue reading...

Price of dairy product has risen fivefold after users of GLP-1 medications advised to increase protein consumptionThe growing popularity of weight-loss drugs has fuelled global demand for whey protein, sparking concerns among industry experts over a potential shortage.The price of whey has risen fivefold to record levels as companies race to secure supplies amid a boom driven by growing use of GLP-1 drugs, such as Mounjaro, which often require higher protein intake to preserve muscle mass. Continue reading...

• Children’s Tumor Foundation (CTF) CEO Annette Bakker reports that over 5,000 potential treatments for rare diseases are currently shelved by pharmaceutical companies. • The organization is working to rescue these dormant drug candidates to provide options for patients with rare conditions who lack viable therapies. • This initiative addresses a critical gap in drug development where promising compounds are abandoned due to market size or corporate priorities.

Emma Barnett killed her one-year-old after a court ruling he be taken away from herA mother who poisoned her one-year-old son with a lethal cocktail of prescription medications added to milk in a baby bottle has been jailed for life for his murder.Emma Barnett, 36, killed her son Oakley before he could be taken into care after a family court hearing ordered that he be removed from her. Continue reading...

Patients with knee arthritis who took medications for at least three years at reduced risk of needing surgeryTaking weight-loss drugs for at least three years could prevent thousands of knee replacements a year, research suggests.Globally, more than 500 million people have osteoarthritis. Knee arthritis is the most common form, affecting about 14 million people in the US and more than 5 million in the UK. Many will require knee surgery. In the UK more than 120,000 knee replacements are carried out every year. Continue reading...

• Northern Ireland’s Health Minister has praised a Public Health Agency warning regarding drug use, describing the guidance as "practical." • The statement comes amid legal proceedings where the Minister and his wife, Eleanor Donaldson of Dromore, Co Down, face criminal charges. • The Minister denies all allegations, while his wife is charged with aiding and abetting and has also denied the charges.

Helen Spree, 63, headed prison watchdog and was said to have become besotted with killer Dylan Westall, 35A corrupt prison watchdog boss who billed herself “the prisoners’ Deliveroo” has been jailed for five years after admitting sending sexual messages to a killer inmate and smuggling drugs.Helen Spree, 63, was the head of the independent monitoring board (IMB) for HMP Liverpool when she engaged in illicit chats with prisoners over a 20-month period. Spree was said to have become besotted with Dylan Westall, 35, who was serving a life sentence for manslaughter for shooting a teenager in the head. Continue reading...

• The FDA approved Icotyde (icotrokinra), developed by Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine, on March 17, 2026. • The drug is an interleukin-23 (IL-23) receptor antagonist specifically indicated for patients with moderate-to-severe plaque psoriasis. • This approval provides a new therapeutic option for managing a chronic inflammatory skin condition by targeting specific immune responses.

Two men arrested in raid in which 12,000 doses of unlicensed weight-loss medicines recoveredA country estate near Northampton has become the centre of the largest-ever seizure of unlicensed weight-loss medicines in the UK.Two men, both aged 29, were arrested during a raid in which the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) recovered about 12,000 doses of unlicensed weight-loss medicines. Continue reading...

• Multisectoral groups launched the Philippine Truth and Reconciliation Commission on May 27, 2026, at Villa San Miguel in Mandaluyong City. • Led by chairperson and former ICC judge Raul Pangalangan, the commission aims to verify and preserve the testimonies of victims and survivors of former President Duterte’s war on drugs. • This initiative is critical for seeking justice and documenting human rights abuses that occurred during the drug war killings.

• The Philippines launched an independent truth commission on Wednesday to investigate alleged extrajudicial killings resulting from the government's "war on drugs." • Led by a former International Criminal Court judge, the panel aims to document atrocities and compile evidence for potential future legal proceedings. • The initiative targets the signature policy of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who campaigned on a platform of killing thousands of drug dealers and criminals.

• The Philippines launched an independent truth panel on Wednesday to investigate the bloody "war on drugs" associated with former President Rodrigo Duterte. • Led by a former International Criminal Court judge, the commission aims to document alleged extrajudicial killings and compile evidence for potential legal proceedings. • The initiative addresses the fallout from Duterte's signature policy, which centered on promises to eliminate thousands of drug dealers and criminals.

Eli Lilly says participants in a sizable trial of retatrutide lost much more weight compared to other weight-loss drugsA new weight-loss drug has helped participants in a sizable trial lose much more weight than other obesity drugs already on the market – up to an average of 28% of their body weight – Eli Lilly announced Thursday.The Indiana-based pharmaceutical company in a press statement said that retatrutide, a once-weekly triple hormone receptor agonist, led to an average weight loss of 70.3lbs (28.3%) over 80 weeks among participants receiving the 12mg dose, with 45.3% achieving at least 30% weight loss. Continue reading...

Trump claims number of medications available via the discount program will increase nearly sevenfoldDonald Trump has announced a major expansion of his prescription drug website, TrumpRx, claiming the number of medications available via the discount program will increase nearly sevenfold.Experts raised questions earlier this year about the limited number of drugs listed on the site, suggesting they would appeal to a relatively small group of patients. Continue reading...

Two campaign groups claim that change to how NHS treatments are approved amounts to ‘unlawful power grab’Campaigners against the UK’s controversial drug pricing deal with Donald Trump are threatening the government with legal action unless it scraps a key element of the plan.They claim that a change to how drug treatments are approved for use by the NHS, which could lead to it paying even higher prices for them, amounts to an “unlawful power grab”. Continue reading...

Medicines watchdog approves two treatments for patients with spinal muscular atrophyHundreds of children with a rare muscle-wasting disease will be able to receive two drugs that can improve their survival in a move parents hailed as a “lifeline”.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has published final draft guidance recommending that any patient who would benefit can have either drug. Continue reading...

• Between 1999-2022, US mortality rates exceeded other high-income countries by 38% in 2022, leading to 12.7 million preventable 'missing Americans' deaths. • Cardiovascular diseases topped causes, followed by metabolic conditions like diabetes, Alzheimer's, and drug/alcohol complications, per Boston University study in JAMA Network Open. • Excess deaths rose steadily through 2019 and spiked during COVID-19, highlighting failures in health, social, and economic policies.

Exclusive: Regime, which executed 243 people last year for drug offences, accused of investing in entertainment to whitewash its human rights recordThe acclaimed Australian film-maker Phillip Noyce is being paid by the Saudi regime to make a feature film portraying the repressive state’s narcotics officers as heroes.The Watchful Eyes, based on a real Saudi ministry of interior narcotics case, is billed as a dramatic depiction of the “heroism of security men in combating drugs”. Continue reading...

Pop star was arrested in March after she was pulled over for driving erratically on US 101 in CaliforniaSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxBritney Spears was charged in California on Thursday with driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, authorities said.The 44-year-old pop star was charged with a single misdemeanor count of driving under the combined influence of alcohol and at least one drug, the Ventura county district attorney’s office said. Continue reading...

Hope that sessions of MDMA-assisted therapy could help soldiers fight longer by helping them process traumaAs the war on drugs approaches its end, a new doctrine could soon take hold: psychedelic drugs for active-duty soldiers suffering from PTSD.In two studies funded by the Department of Defense (DoD), 186 service personnel with PTSD will likely next year undergo multiple sessions of MDMA-assisted therapy. Continue reading...

Health secretary’s ‘power grab’ to override Nice comes amid growing concern move may be illegal and benefit big pharmaDozens of MPs are opposing Wes Streeting’s decision to award himself power to dictate what the NHS pays for drugs amid growing concern the move may be illegal.Thirty-one MPs have signed a House of Commons motion voicing their disapproval of the health secretary being handed the power to override the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s (Nice) judgment on how much the NHS should spend on individual medicines. Continue reading...

Experts say any short-term financial benefit will be outweighed by long-term health costs related to obesityFaced with high demand for GLP-1 drugs, some American cities and states that previously covered the cost of the weight-loss medication for low-income residents and public employees have now started to restrict or eliminate coverage.The pullback stems from the dramatic increase in public spending on drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy in recent years. Continue reading...

• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services published a proposed rule on Friday requiring health insurance companies and states to resolve non-urgent prior authorization requests for prescription drugs within 24 hours. • The regulation mandates Medicaid and CHIP insurers, plus state administrators, to publicly disclose denial rates and respond faster to improve patient access. • This addresses delays in medication approvals, potentially benefiting millions enrolled in these programs amid ongoing affordability challenges.

Enzo Conticello jailed for 27 months for ‘opportunistic’ theft of Givenchy handbag containing precious jewelsA man who stole a handbag containing a Fabergé egg and watch set valued at up to £2.2m has been jailed for more than two years.Enzo Conticello, 29, took the Givenchy bag belonging to Rosie Dawson as she stood in the smoking area of the Dog and Duck pub in Soho, London, on 7 November 2024. Continue reading...

Analysis of more than 500 brain scans finds LSD, psilocybin and other psychedelics increase cross-talk between brain systemsScientists have identified a hallmark signature produced by psychedelic drugs in the human brain when users experience their mind-altering effects.The “neural fingerprint” of the psychedelic trip was spotted among hundreds of brain scans of people on LSD, psilocybin, DMT, mescaline and ayahuasca, pointing to a shared impact on the brain’s behaviour. Continue reading...