Swift Kennedy Healthcare News Recap 1/31/25

USDA Issues Warning for Wegman's Chicken Nuggets

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) has released a public health alert regarding concerns that some packages of Wegman's chicken nuggets may contain bone fragments.

This alert affects 46-ounce packages of "Wegmans Family Pack Fully Cooked Breaded Chicken Breast with Rib Meat," which were produced on August 26, 2024.

The best-if-used-by date is August 26, 2025, and the code "P-33944" can be found inside the USDA mark of inspection.

Although no recall has been issued since the product is no longer available for purchase, FSIS warns that packages could still be in people’s freezers.

the affected nuggets were distributed to Wegmans locations across Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

FDA Approves New Painkiller Aimed at Eliminating Opioid Addiction

On Thursday, federal officials approved a new kind of pain reliever aimed at eliminating the risks of addiction and overdose linked to opioid medications such as Vicodin and OxyContin.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given the green light to Vertex Pharmaceuticals' Journavx, intended for short-term pain often experienced after surgery or injuries.

This marks the first new pharmaceutical approach to pain management in over two decades, providing an alternative to both opioids and common over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen and acetaminophen.

Opioids alleviate pain by binding to receptors in the brain that process nerve signals from various body parts. However, these chemical interactions are also responsible for the addictive properties of opioids.

In contrast, Vertex's drug operates differently by blocking proteins that initiate pain signals sent to the brain, thus eliminating the risk of addiction.

The new medication will have a list price of $15.50 per pill

New Bird Flu Strain Identified

A new bird flu strain, H5N9, has been identified for the first time in the United States.

This strain was found at a commercial duck farm in Merced County, California, and reported to the World Organization for Animal Health.

In January, genetic sequencing confirmed the presence of H5N9, leading to an official report to health authorities.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed that the H5N9 strain detected in California resulted from reassortment with H5N1, a strain that is already spreading rapidly across the U.S.

Genetic sequencing confirmed the presence of H5N9 in January, prompting a formal notification to health authorities.