The FDA and Grandma’s Cuisine have recalled Cheese-Filled Pierogis sold under the Grandma’s Cuisine, Bernat’s, and Golden Eagle brands. These pierogis contain undeclared milk allergen. Those with milk allergies may develop serious and life-threatening allergic reactions after ingesting these pieogis. Grandma’s Cuisine branded pierogis were distributed in Restaurant Depot chain stores and local retail stores in NY, NJ, and PA. Bernat’s branded pierogis were distributed to retail stores in MA. Golden Eagle brand pierogis were distributed to retail stores in NJ. If you bought these pierogis, return them to the place of purchase for a refund. For more information, contact the company by phone at 1-570-421-0102. https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/dymski-pierogies-dba-grandmas-cuisine-issues-allergy-alert-undeclared-milk-frozen-cheese-filled #grandmascuisine #pierogis #cheesefilled #milk #allergy #recall

The FDA and the Mars Wrigley Confectionery US are recalling specific varieties of Skittles, Starburst, Life Savers Gummies. These candies or the bags containing them are contaminated with a very thin metal strands. The flavors involved are: original, sours, sour berries, wild berries, and five flavor. If you bought any of these, dispose of the product and contact Mars Wrigley Confectionery by phone at 1-800-651-2564 for a refund or for answers to questions. https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/mars-wrigley-confectionery-us-llc-issues-voluntary-recall-specific-varieties-skittlesr-gummies #marswrigley #skittles #starburst #lifesavers #gummies #foreignbody #injury #recall

The FDA and Mrs Millers Homemade Jams have recalled the following products: Smokey BBQ Bacon Jam and Spicy Chili Bacon Jam. The recall is due to an undeclared soy allergen found in the Worcestershire Sauce and Hickory Smoke ingredients used in these jams. These jams were sold in Ohio. Delaware, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Minnesota, Nebraska, West Virginia, California, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Washington state. If you bought either of these products and you or a family member have a soy allergy, destroy the product and contact the company by phone at 1-330-674-1165 more via email at info@millershomemadejams.com. https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/mrs-millers-homemade-jams-issues-voluntary-recall-due-undeclared-soy-allergen #mrsmillershomemadejams #soy #allergy #recall

The FDA and Van Leeuwen Ice Cream have recalled Van Leeuwen Oat Milk Brown Sugar Chunk Non-dairy Frozen Dessert. This product contains undeclared tree nuts specifically cashews and pistachios. Those with an allergy or severe sensitivity to peanuts, tree nuts including chestnuts, brazil nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, pine nuts, cashews, eggs, and sulfites run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reactions after consuming this product. Involved is lot #21V194 with a best by date of 1/13//2023. If you have this product in your freezer, return it to the place of purchase for a refund. Additional information is available by contacting Kate Alberswerth by email at kate@vanleeuwenicecream.com or by phone at 1-718-701-1630. https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/van-leeuwen-issues-voluntary-recall-undeclared-tree-nuts-cashew-and-pistachio-frozen-dessert-product #vanleeuwen #nondairy #oatmilk #treenuts #allergy #recall

The FDA and HP Hood LLC now recall Planet Oat Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Planet Oat Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl frozen dessert. The issue is undeclared peanuts. Apparently, the Planet Oat Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl frozen dessert was mistakenly packaged in the Planet Oat Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough containers. Those with a peanut allergy could develop a serious and life-threatening allergic reaction are ingesting these products. 4,481 cases of product are involved and both products bear a best by date of 12/17/2022. If you bought either of these products, return them to the place of purchase for a refund or an exchange. If you require more information contact HP Hood Consumer Affairs at 1-800-242-2423. https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/hp-hood-llc-issues-allergy-alert-undeclared-peanuts-planet-oat-non-dairy-frozen-dessert #hood #planetoat #cookiedough #peanutbutterswirl #peanuts #allergy #recall

The CPSC and Yamaha Motor Corporation USA are recalling Yamaha Wolverine RMAX Off-Road Side-by-Side Vehicles. These vehicles have a defective fuel tank that leaks creating fire and explosion hazards. About 4,130 of these vehicles were sold. If you have one of these potential firetraps, stop using it and contact your authorized Yamaha dealer to schedule a free inspection and repair. For more information, phone the Yamaha Motor Corporation USA at 1-800-889-2624. https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2022/Yamaha-Recalls-Wolverine-RMAX-Off-Road-Side-By-Side-Vehicles-Due-to-Fire-and-Explosion-Hazards-Recall-Alert #yamaha #offroad #wolverine #gastank #fire #explosion #recall

Let’s review some the healthcare-related business news for this 2nd week of May, 2022 Bill Gates just tested positive for CoVid despite the fact that he is fully vaccinated and boosted. His case so far is symptomatically mild. He is attending the first in-person meeting that the Gates Foundation has had in several years, but he will be doing so virtually. Ironically, his latest book “How to Prevent the Next Pandemic” was published last week. https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-says-he-has-tested-positive-for-covid-19-2022-5 Yelp and Microsoft now join Citibank, Apple, Tesla, and Amazon in adding a unique health benefit for their employees. In support of access to a full panel of reproductive health care including pregnancy termination, these companies and likely others will pay travel costs if services are unavailable in in an employee’s home state. https://www.businessinsider.com/yelp-exec-abortion-travel-expenses-benefit-miriam-warren-2022-4 https://www.reuters.com/world/us/microsoft-help-cover-us-employees-travel-costs-abortion-2022-05-10/ The home healthcare coordination startup Reverence has scored $9 million from the VC firm Target Global. Based in NYC and helmed by former Google exec Lee Teslik, the company is developing digital solutions to the problem of staffing and delivering at-home care. Expect to see the company seal contracts with health insurance companies seeking to move patients out of hospitals more quickly yet safely. https://www.businessinsider.com/pitch-deck-reverence-home-care-target-global-2022-5 BioMarin Pharmaceuticals is about to launch its cutting edge gene therapy for those with hemophilia, and there is bad and good news. The bad news: the one-time treatment is VERY costly with an expected pricetag of $2-3 million. The good news: BioMarin is offering a money-back guarantee and a pay-for-performance model for a result that could last years or a lifetime. The California biotech company, said to be worth $15.6 billion, thinks this approach will get insurance companies onboard. The process, named Roctavian, is being reviewed in Europe and will be submitted to the FDA next month. By the way, standard hemophilia therapy can cost upwards of half-million dollars EACH YEAR, so Roctavian may be cost-saving https://www.businessinsider.com/biomarin-ceo-plans-to-guarantee-its-hemophilia-gene-therapy-works-2022-5 Noom, the weight loss app that has promised users individualized cognitive behavioral therapy and around the clock access to advice, is laying off up to 25% of its staff. The company, said to be worth $3.7 billion, has been criticized for over-promising and under-delivering services from staff who seem overworked and burned out. Despite complaints that Noom coaches are merely providing canned advice, the company claims that it is committed to the individualized services. https://www.businessinsider.com/weight-loss-app-noom-laying-off-coaching-staff-2022-4

Short Shorts are quickie reports about cutting edge medical and healthcare discoveries. They’re worth knowing about this 2nd week of May, 2022. Silkworms help to repair Achille’s tendons. From UCLA and the Terasaki Institute for Medical Innovation comes the novel combination of silk from the Bombyx mori silkworm and a water-retaining gel called GelMA. These materials form a matrix in which mesenchymal stem cells can grow to produce a strong, biocompatible material called SG that can repair tendons. This material works in rats and soon will be tested in humans. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/smll.202107714 A new portable MRI device offers on-the-spot evaluations of wrist and elbow joint integrity for athletes such as tennis and baseball players at high risk for overuse injuries. Developed at Japan’s University of Tsukuba, the car-mounted device can be deployed in the field at the practice sites to catch cartilage and bony injuries early while still reversible with physical therapy and activity restriction. https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/mrms/advpub/0/advpub_tn.2021-0158/_article A new wearable sensor that interfaces with the body’s fluids using a microneedle patch is announced by UC-San Diego. The patch’s microneedles have different enzymes on their tips capable of reacting with glucose, alcohol, and lactic acid as they poke just below the skin’s surface into the bloodless interstitial fluid. The disposable patch sends information to a reusable electronic module that transmits it to a computer or possibly your phone for processing and alerting you about elevated sugar, alcohol, or exercise metabolite levels. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41551-022-00887-1 An experimental drug in the Eli Lilly & Co. pipeline delivers exceptional weight loss for obese and overweight persons that is on par with surgical approaches. Named Tirzepatide and delivered by a once-weekly injection, the drug is compounded from two hormones GLP-1 and GIP, known as incretins, that both share in regulating sugar metabolism. GLP-1 is already found in the FDA-approved drug semaglutide, branded as Ozempic and Rybelsus, and the addition of GIP seems to drive more impressive weight loss. https://www.sciencealert.com/experimental-drug-breaks-record-for-weight-loss-in-latest-clinical-trial-results There you have the latest health reveals for the 2nd week of May, 2022. When additional information about these developments becomes available, I’ll pass it on to you. #tendon #achilles #silkworm #silk #stemcells #wrist #elbow #mri #tennis #baseball #wearables #glucose #alcohol #lactate #microneedles #tirzepatide #weightloss #obesity #bariatricsurgery #incretins

The latest subvariants now spreading around the world, Omicron BA 2.12.1, BA.4, and BA.5 easily escape neutralization by antibodies that neutralize the original Omicron and earlier subvariants including BA.1. and BA.2. These later subvariants boast an increasing number of novel mutations. Chinese virologists now report that their studies pitting these latest subvariants against the anti-CoVid antibodies found in the sera of vaccinated and boosted persons. The vaccinations were performed with an inactivated virus vaccine CoronaVac and the boosts achieved with a protein subunit vaccine Zifivax. Compared with BA.2, the more recent subvariants evade protection by vaccination followed by boosting and vaccination followed by an Omicron or BA.1 infection. This suggests that any new boosters must contain the novel antigens found on the spikes of BA.2.12.1, BA.4, and BA.5 or even later variants. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.04.30.489997v1.full.pdf+html #CoVid #omicron #subvariants #BA.2 #BA.2.12.1 #BA.4 #BA.5 #vaccionation #boosting