Legal war over abortion undermines FDA

+ conservation needs to go big for biodiversity US Edition - Today's top story: Challenging the FDA's authority isn't new – the agency's history shows what's at stake when drug regulation is in limbo [View in browser]( US Edition | 26 April 2023 [The Conversation] [The Conversation]( Our newsroom was on high alert last Friday as editors – and our academic writers – awaited a decision from the Supreme Court on access to the medication abortion drug mifepristone. As you know by now, the Supreme Court decided to stay a preliminary injunction from a Texas judge that would have restricted access, and a case on whether the FDA has authority to approve mifepristone will be tried and likely go to the Supreme Court. The stakes are high for the future of abortion access in the country, of course, but also for many other commonly used drugs – and the [authority of the FDA itself](. Recapping the FDA’s changing mission over its history, Wake Forest University legal scholar Christine Coughlin writes the agency “needs to be able to use its scientific expertise to make data-driven decisions that balance safety and access, without the ability of a single judge to potentially gut the system.” There seems to be growing awareness of the biodiversity crisis facing our planet, and it’s always encouraging to read articles that demonstrate progress, as this one by Clemson University ecologist David Jachowski does. Citing ambitious conservation projects, he explains why preserving [large protected areas is so important for biodiversity](, even though they tend to be challenging to establish. Not only do larger tracts of land benefit species by, for example, restoring processes like migration, but “they transform conservation discussions and draw in other organizations that together can achieve big results,” he writes. Apart from the legal battle over abortion, another big science story from the last week was SpaceX’s launch of the most powerful rocket ever built; a space policy expert explains why [its explosion was a “successful failure](.” And biotech company Moderna announced promising results for a [vaccine to treat skin cancer](; a biochemist explains how these are designed to work and what it means for the trend toward personalized medicine. Also on this week science news: - [Leprosy-causing bacteria found in museum armadillo collections]( - [Potential harms of over-the-counter flu and cold drugs]( - [A database to track how climate change exacerbates allergies]( If there’s a subject you’d like our team of science editors to investigate, please reply to this email. Martin La Monica Director of Editorial Projects and Newsletters In addition to evaluating new drug applications, the FDA also inspects drug manufacturing facilities. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration/Flickr [Challenging the FDA’s authority isn’t new – the agency’s history shows what’s at stake when drug regulation is in limbo]( Christine Coughlin, Wake Forest University As the government’s oldest consumer protection agency, the FDA has long butted up against drugmakers, activists and politicians. But undermining its work could be harmful to patient health and safety. A bison herd on the America Prairie reserve in Montana. Amy Toensing/Getty Images [In protecting land for wildlife, size matters – here’s what it takes to conserve very large areas]( David Jachowski, Clemson University Governments and wildlife advocates are working to protect 30% of Earth’s lands and waters for nature by 2030. An ecologist explains why creating large protected areas should be a top priority. Starship, the most powerful rocket ever built, launched from a spaceport in Texas. AP Photo/Eric Gay) [SpaceX launches most powerful rocket in history in explosive debut – like many first liftoffs, Starship’s test was a successful failure]( Wendy Whitman Cobb, Air University The launch of a new rocket is always an exciting event. SpaceX’s ‘go fast and fail’ approach means that even though the test ended with engineers blowing up the rocket, it was a valuable first flight. [Mifepristone is under scrutiny in the courts, but it has been used safely and effectively around the world for decades]( Grace Shih, University of Washington Mifepristone’s safety in medication abortions has been well established over more than two decades, but legal wrangling leaves the future of the drug hanging in the balance. [Prescription drugs’ fine print is important – a toxicologist explains how to decode package inserts to take medications safely and increase their effectiveness]( Brad Reisfeld, Colorado State University Don’t be intimidated by the package insert that comes with your medication. Learning how to read it can help you better understand how drugs work. [Arctic sea ice loss and fierce storms leave Kivalina’s volunteer search and rescue fighting to protect their island from climate disasters]( P. Joshua Griffin, University of Washington Ten years after Kivalina’s lawsuit against Exxon over climate change damage was dismissed, the Indigenous community’s search and rescue team has become accustomed at managing frequent disasters. [Arbor Day: Why planting trees isn’t enough]( Karen D. Holl, University of California, Santa Cruz; Pedro Brancalion, Universidade de São Paulo Large-scale tree-planting projects are politically popular and media-friendly, but without effective planning and long-term management, they can do more harm than good. [Hopelessness about the future is a key reason some Black young adults consider suicide, new study finds]( Janelle R. Goodwill, University of Chicago New research points to feelings of failure, hopelessness, loneliness and sadness as some of the potential reasons Black young people are considering or carrying out suicide at unprecedented rates. [How will the Supreme Court’s decision on mifepristone affect abortion access? 4 questions answered]( Jamie Rowen, UMass Amherst; Tami S. Rowen, University of California, San Francisco The Supreme Court’s ruling on mifepristone keeps the drug accessible for now, but its future is still in limbo. - [Can rainbows form in a circle? Fun facts on the physics of rainbows]( Partha Chowdhury, UMass Lowell Each rainbow is personal – the rainbow you see isn’t exactly the same rainbow the next person sees. It’s all in the eye of the beholder. - [Leprosy-causing bacteria found in armadillo specimens highlight value of museum collections for tracking pathogens]( Daniel Romero-Alvarez, University of Kansas Museum archives hold biological specimens that have been collected over years or even decades. Modern molecular analysis of these collections can reveal information about pathogens and their spread. - [Moderna’s experimental cancer vaccine treats but doesn’t prevent melanoma – a biochemist explains how it works]( Mark R. O'Brian, University at Buffalo Preventive and therapeutic vaccines both train the immune system to fight disease, but they are used in different ways. - [Watch out for dangerous combinations of over-the-counter cold medicine and prescription drugs – two pharmacoepidemiology experts explain the risks]( Macarius Mwinisungee Donneyong, The Ohio State University; Ximena Oyarzún-González, The Ohio State University Some of the prescription medications you’re taking may not mix with over-the-counter drugs. - [Allergy season is getting more intense with climate change – we’re creating better pollen forecasts to help]( Yingxiao Zhang, University of Michigan; Allison L. Steiner, University of Michigan Rising temperatures mean longer, earlier pollen seasons, but a bigger problem is what more carbon dioxide will do to the amount of pollen being released. - Like this newsletter? 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