Ever feel like your cold medication isn’t really doing the job? That may be because it’s literally not doing the job—or any job, for that matter.

What happened: An FDA advisory panel found that an active ingredient commonly found in cold medicine is no more effective than a placebo for treating congestion. 

You all already know that tobacco companies were responsible for one major global health crisis, but what if we told you they were actually responsible for two of them? 

Driving the news: A new study published in the journal Addictions blames the rise of junk food in North America on brands that were once owned by tobacco companies. 

Looking to cut back on drinking? There’s an app for that. 

What happened: Swiss researchers who designed a smartphone app aimed at developing healthier drinking habits among students found that, over 12 months, students with a history of “unhealthy alcohol use” drank 10% less per week on average while using the app.  

You can now add ‘higher prices’ to the list of reasons to put off your next visit to the dentist, alongside ‘awkward small talk’ and ‘pointy tools.’ 

What happened: Provincial dental associations have increased prices by an average of 5.99% in their dental fee guides, which help dentists determine how to price their services. 

TikTokers (who else?) have found a “natural” alternative to Ozempic in berberine, a chemical found in plants like barberry and goldenseal.

Driving the news: Per Wired, TikTok influencers are fuelling the surge in summer sales for berberine, a supplement nicknamed “nature’s Ozempic,” a play on the popular type 2 diabetes drug that became a phenomenon when it was discovered to cause weight loss.

Have you heard about INS018_055? No, it’s not the name of Grimes and Elon Musk’s newest child. It’s a potentially groundbreaking AI-designed drug.  

What happened: Biotech company Insilico Medicine has moved to a phase two clinical trial (the stage determining an experimental drug’s efficacy) for its lung disease drug called INS018_055—a first for a drug that’s entirely “AI-discovered-and-designed.” 

You’ve probably heard of Ozempic—the diabetes drug that has become a fave of celebs and border-hopping Americans for its weight loss capabilities—because it’s literally everywhere. 

Driving the news: From sports to social media, advertisements for pharma giant Novo Nordisk’s smash hit are inescapable, which has left some medical professionals worried about a wave of overprescriptions, leading to shortages and an uptick in nasty side effects.

Cancer rates among people aged 25 to 29 have increased faster than any other age group over the past three decades, a new analysis by the Financial Times showed.

Catch up: In the G20 group of industrialized countries, cancer rates for people between the ages of 20 and 34 are higher than they’ve been in three decades. 

Today in news that you will not find shocking, a drink called Hype Sauce may not be a totally healthy beverage choice.