Treatments

• President issues executive order on April 18, 2026, to speed medical treatments for serious mental illness using psychedelic drugs including ibogaine compounds. • Order highlights clinical studies showing potential for patients with persistent conditions unresponsive to standard therapies. • Directs federal agencies to prioritize research, approvals, and access to innovative mental health interventions nationwide.

President signed executive order directing FDA to expedite review of psychedelic drugs including ibogaineDonald Trump on Saturday announced reforms intended to speed up access to medical research and treatment based on psychedelic drugs.The president signed an executive order directing the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to expedite review of drugs such as ibogaine, a drug that US military veteran groups have said can help treat post-traumatic stress disorder. Continue reading...

Exclusive: ministers consider restricting pesticide-based treatments, which can get into waterways and harm wildlifePet owners across the UK could be banned from buying flea treatment for cats and dogs under new government rules.Ministers have begun an eight-week consultation on letting only veterinary practitioners or pharmacists give out the potent, pesticide-based flea treatments, to ensure “correct usage”. At the moment, the flea and tick treatments can be bought from any pet shop. Continue reading...

• The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) unveiled three potential treatments for osteoarthritis, a condition affecting 32 million Americans, following a $100 million-plus investment over three years announced in 2023. • Research teams are contractually required to begin patient testing within 18 months, marking a shift from traditional federal research timelines. • This initiative addresses the painful joint degeneration disease, with solutions now progressing toward clinical trials amid high prevalence in the US population.

Judge rules that Trump’s health secretary did not go through proper procedures when issuing declarationRobert F Kennedy Jr, the health secretary, overstepped his power when he declared that gender-affirming treatments are unsafe, a federal judge has ruled.In a blow to the Trump administration’s attempts to limit access to gender transition procedures, Judge Mustafa Kasubhai ruled Thursday that Kennedy did not go through the proper procedures when issuing his 12-page declaration last December. Continue reading...