April 2020

U.S. Food and Drug Administration provided an update on its efforts to ensure the availability of alcohol-based sanitizer to help meet the demand for hand sanitizer during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of the agency’s significant flexibility, more than 1,500 additional manufacturers have registered with the agency to produce hand sanitizer. At the same time, the agency is addressing safety concerns related to products being sold that are not in line with the FDA’s policy and others being marketed with unproven claims.

Commission has published guidance to ensure that clinical trials can continue taking place in the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim is to mitigate the disruption of clinical research in Europe and therefore the negative effects of the pandemic, without compromising on quality and safety. These recommendations are an important part of the overall strategy in finding treatments and a vaccine to protect citizens against the coronavirus.

EMA has endorsed a joint COVID-19 statement published today by the International Coalition of Medicines Regulatory Authorities (ICMRA) committing to a strengthening of global collaboration in the fight against coronavirus disease.

African Americans with severe sleep apnea and other adverse sleep patterns are much more likely to have high blood glucose levels — a risk factor for diabetes — than those without these patterns, according to a new study funded in part by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), part of the National Institutes of Health.

Using machine learning, a team of computer scientists and biologists from Western University identified an underlying genomic signature for 29 different COVID-19 virus DNA sequences.

GSK Consumer Healthcare is voluntarily recalling five lots (listed below) of Benefiber Healthy Shape Prebiotic Fiber Supplement powder and Benefiber Prebiotic Fiber Supplement powder due to the potential for green plastic pieces or shavings from bottle caps to be present in the product. There is a potential risk of choking or physical injury to the soft tissues of the mouth or gastrointestinal tract of a consumer using the product who may not see a broken piece or shaving of plastic cap.