FDA Policy/General

Oversight of Influencer Social Media Posts Hard: Researchers

University of Chicago researchers say that while the federal government has proposed expanding direct-to-consumer ad oversight to include influencer partnerships and sponsored content, “effective oversight will be challenging because promotion is driven by thousands of individual creators rather than a few dozen companies.” Writing in a JAMA Research Letter, the authors say they conducted a content analysis of 740 high-engagement, regulator-relevant social media posts from 2023 that had amassed more than 57.5 million views as of 1/2025. The posts were from Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, and discussed GLP-1 agonists, attention deficit disorder/hyperactivity disorder stimulants, or autoimmune biologics.

Overall, the researchers report, 175 posts (23.6%) used promotional language, with prevalence ranging from 14.4% on TikTok to 33% on Instagram. Some 116 posts (15.7%) included specific calls to action, with prevalence ranging from 6.1% on TikTok to 23.1% on Instagram.

“Despite these marketing elements,” the article says, “explicit disclosures of sponsorship using sponsored tags were rare, appearing in only 16 posts overall, ranging from 0.5% on YouTube to 4.7% on Facebook.”

The researchers found that with all factors combined, undisclosed influencer promotion was present in at least 593 (80.1%) of the high-engagement social media posts. “When reviewing all posts for fair balance,” they say, “efficacy claims were made in 511 posts (69.1%). In contrast, information on risks or adverse effects was mentioned in 247 (33.4%) of all 740 posts. Among the 511 posts making efficacy claims, only 165 (32.3%) also included any information on risks or adverse effects, creating a skewed information environment for patients.”

Gupta Raises Concerns About Overton’s Independence, Ideology

FDA commissioner nominee Heidi Overton’s responses on vaccines, contraception and abortion medication during her 9/24 Senate confirmation hearing raise concerns that ideology could influence her decision-making if she takes over the agency, MSNBC senior medical analyst Dr. Vin Gupta said Friday. Gupta was particularly critical of Overton’

Overton Confirmation Remains Uncertain After Senate Hearing

FDA commissioner nominee Heidi Overton emerged from her Senate confirmation hearing Thursday (see earlier story) without resolving questions about whether she has enough Republican support to advance — and with a rapidly narrowing window for confirmation before the midterm elections. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing provided few

FDA Classifies Boston Scientific Imager II Catheter Recall as Class I

FDA has classified Boston Scientific's recall of its Imager II Angiographic Catheters as Class I because a manufacturing problem could cause catheter tips to degrade and detach, potentially resulting in life-threatening complications. The agency announced the Class I classification 9/25, updating an Early Alert it issued

FDA Approves Gazyva for Childhood-Onset Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome

FDA has approved Roche’s Gazyva (obinutuzumab) for reducing the risk of relapse in adults and children aged 2 and older with frequently relapsing or steroid-dependent, childhood-onset idiopathic nephrotic syndrome who are in remission. The expanded approval covers the use of the CD20-directed antibody beyond its existing

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Gupta Raises Concerns About Overton’s Independence, Ideology

Overton Confirmation Remains Uncertain After Senate Hearing

FDA Classifies Boston Scientific Imager II Catheter Recall as Class I

FDA Approves Gazyva for Childhood-Onset Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome