'The Public Should Not Be Subject To These Quack Medicines': What We Heard This Week
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MedPage Today’s Oct. 11, 2026, “What We Heard This Week” roundup collected eight comments from clinicians and health leaders on recent public health news and research. Topics included an FDA warning to Amazon over unapproved herpes treatments, the federal response to measles, hospital efforts to prevent catheter infections and early findings in several studies.

MedPage Today published its Oct. 11, 2026, “What We Heard This Week” roundup, collecting remarks from clinicians and health leaders on an FDA warning to Amazon over unapproved herpes treatments, the U.S. measles response and recent research. The short report is a collection of attributed comments, not a single new study or policy announcement.

The roundup opens with Jeffrey Klausner, a physician with Herpes Cure Advocacy, responding to news that the Food and Drug Administration warned Amazon about selling unapproved herpes treatments. “The public should not be subject to these quack medicines,” Klausner said. The source does not provide the FDA warning itself, identify the products, or detail Amazon’s response.

Measles and public representation also feature in the report. Jeanne Marrazzo, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, described the federal government’s response to the U.S. measles outbreak as “extremely underwhelming and frankly shameful.” Jennifer Mensik Kennedy, president of the American Nurses Association, pointed to 18 nurses running for Congress in the election, saying, “Look at the number of lawyers in office. We should have more nurses.” Those remarks express the speakers’ assessments; the roundup does not provide further outbreak figures or election details.

Other comments address patient safety and emerging research. Sanjay Saint discussed U.S. hospitals’ growing adoption of strategies to prevent catheter-associated urinary tract infections, including avoiding unnecessary catheter placement and reducing catheter duration. Brian Jenssen said clinicians should ask families about vaping as well as smoking in the home when caring for children with asthma. The roundup also cites a reported spike in a rare fungal infection and early results from small studies involving radiosurgical capsulotomy for treatment-resistant depression and suicidal ideation, and optogenetic therapy for advanced retinitis pigmentosa.

At a glance
recapWhen: Published October 11, 2026
The developmentMedPage Today published a weekly roundup of clinicians’ and health leaders’ comments on recent health policy developments and medical studies.

Public Health Concerns and Clinical Research

The comments bring together issues that affect consumer protection, infectious disease response and everyday clinical care. Klausner’s criticism puts attention on the sale of unapproved treatments, while Marrazzo’s remarks reflect dissatisfaction with the federal response to measles. The report does not independently assess either issue, but records the views of people working in or connected to health care.

The research-related comments also show why early findings need careful interpretation. The radiosurgical capsulotomy discussion concerns a small study, and the retinitis pigmentosa item concerns a study of an experimental approach. Such findings can draw attention to possible options for patients with serious conditions, but this roundup does not establish effectiveness, safety, or availability for general clinical use. Its value is as a snapshot of topics and concerns being discussed by medical professionals, not as treatment guidance.

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Eight Comments Across Health Topics

MedPage Today described the piece as a selection of quotable comments heard by its reporters. It was published October 11 and includes eight speakers addressing separate developments. The quotes span public health policy, workforce representation, infection prevention, environmental exposures and research into difficult-to-treat conditions.

The comments are not presented as one coordinated argument. Some respond to news coverage or a study, while others summarize a broader concern. For example, Saint’s statement refers to hospitals’ approaches to catheter-associated infections, whereas Lieberman’s remark addresses a reported spike in a rare fungal disease. The source does not supply the underlying studies, data or full interview transcripts, so the quoted material offers only a brief account of each topic.

““The public should not be subject to these quack medicines.””

— Jeffrey Klausner, MD, MPH, of Herpes Cure Advocacy

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Details Behind the Comments Remain Limited

The roundup does not provide the FDA warning’s date, product list or full terms, nor Amazon’s response or any steps the company may have taken. It also gives no outbreak totals or specific measures by which the federal measles response was assessed. Marrazzo’s comment is her stated view, not a factual finding established by the roundup.

For the research items, the article supplies no study titles, sample sizes beyond describing one as small, numerical outcomes, publication details or independent evaluations. It does not identify the fungal infection behind the reported spike or explain the data period and comparison baseline. Readers cannot establish from these brief quotations how large or widespread those findings are, or whether any experimental approach is ready for routine use.

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Further Reporting and Study Details

The source does not announce a scheduled follow-up or regulatory deadline. The next relevant developments would be more detail on the FDA’s action and Amazon’s response, alongside additional information about the measles response and outbreak. The roundup provides no timeline for those developments.

For the research topics, fuller study reports would be needed to assess methods, participant numbers, results and limitations. Until then, the comments should be read as brief reactions to reported work, not confirmation that an experimental intervention is an established treatment. The MedPage Today item itself remains a weekly collection of remarks rather than a report of a new consolidated finding.

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Key Questions

What did MedPage Today publish?

It published an October 11, 2026, weekly roundup of eight comments from clinicians and health leaders on current health issues and research.

Jeffrey Klausner criticized unapproved herpes treatments after news that the FDA warned Amazon about selling them. The roundup does not identify the products or reproduce the warning.

Did the roundup establish that experimental treatments work?

No. It briefly describes comments on studies, including a small study of radiosurgical capsulotomy and research into optogenetic therapy. It does not provide enough study detail to establish effectiveness or clinical availability.

What information is missing about the measles response?

The roundup includes Marrazzo’s criticism but does not give outbreak figures, describe specific federal actions or provide an independent evaluation of the response.

Source: rss

This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional about your specific situation.
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