Updates ·
Health notices · Tuesday 13 October
3 notices from the agencies today, in plain words, each with the original linked.
FDA approval for isotretinoin capsules for severe nodular acne
FDA · Approval
If you have severe nodular acne and it has not responded to conventional treatment (including systemic antibiotics), isotretinoin capsules may be an option.
Isotretinoin can cause life-threatening birth defects, so it is indicated only for patients who are not pregnant.
The notice also says isotretinoin should be reserved because of significant adverse effects, and treatment is intended as a course of therapy. If a second course is needed, it should not start until after a waiting period.
Recall for estradiol gel packets found empty or partially full
FDA · Recall
If you use estradiol gel, the US Food and Drug Administration says some packets may be empty or only partly full due to a defective container.
This recall is listed as Class II and was published on 2026-10-07 for distribution nationwide in the USA.
If your estradiol gel packet looks empty or partly full, this could change how much medicine you actually receive compared with before.
FDA approval of letrozole for certain breast cancer treatments
FDA · Approval
If you are a postmenopausal woman, the US Food and Drug Administration has approved letrozole (an aromatase inhibitor) for several hormone-receptor–related breast cancer treatment settings.
The approval covers adjuvant (additional after primary treatment), extended adjuvant, and treatment of locally advanced or metastatic disease, when the breast cancer is hormone receptor positive or unknown.
What changes for you tomorrow depends on whether your clinician determines your breast cancer is in one of these categories and whether you are postmenopausal.