What We’re Reading: Cancer Drug Imports; Mental Health Respites; Xylazine Testing

FDA Plans to Import Cancer Drugs from China Due to US Shortages

The FDA has rolled out plans to import more cancer drugs from China amid drug shortages in the United States, according to The Hill. On Monday, a spokesperson for the agency confirmed that it will allow 10 additional lots of the cancer drug cisplatin to be distributed by a Chinese drug manufacturing company, Qilu Pharmaceutical. Cisplatin is a widely used chemotherapy drug in the US, but the cisplatin product being imported, which is manufactured and marketed in China, is not technically FDA approved.

Rural Peer Respites Offer Support Amid a National Mental Health Crisis

Mental health respite facilities provide a short-term, homelike environment for people who experience mental health crises who don’t need immediate medical care, according to Kaiser Health News. Heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic, these respite facilities have been popping up in dozens of states across the United States. Public health officials believe that these facilities hold promise for improving mental health care and reducing suicide risks.

Ramping Up Testing to Curb Xylazine in Nation’s Illicit Drug Supply

On Tuesday, White House officials announced the need for more testing, treatments, and plans to combat the use of xylazine, also known as tranq, which has been found in fentanyl and other illicit opioids, according to The Associated Press. Back in April, xylazine-laced fentanyl was marked as an “emerging threat,” as it can cause breathing and heart rates to drop to dangerous levels when used by humans. Several bills in Congress plan to restrict the use of xylazine without losing its legitimate use by veterinarians, farmers, and others who regularly work with the drug for sedating horses, sheep, and other animals.