STAT October 30, 2023
WASHINGTON — M&Ms, Reese’s, gummy bears, and even cotton candy made an appearance at the Food and Drug Administration on the day before Halloween.
Commissioner Robert Califf was not throwing a costume party.
Regulators were debating the potential benefits and pitfalls of “candy-like” nonprescription drug products such as gummies, particularly for children who often cannot, or do not want to, swallow actual pills.
The mood was more than a little morbid — though participants were at one point offered gummy teeth as a lunch snack from a dentist, who spoke passionately about the potential benefits of sedating kids for dental work with medicated gummy bears.
With that notable exception, most speakers at Monday’s meeting stressed the potential pitfalls of these...
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