Dr Amir Khadir, microbiologist and infectious disease specialist at Pierre-Le Gardeur Hospital in Terrebonne, Quebec, Canada pleaded guilty to 12 offences over his controversial treatment of Lyme disease. He had been treating patients with "chronic" Lyme disease since 2019 in his specialized clinic, affiliated to the hospital. However, science does not back that such a condition even exists, confirmed the disciplinary council of the Collège des médecins du Québec (CMQ).

In June 2020, he made a commitment to stop prescribing antibiotics beyond 28 days to treat people with Lyme disease, however, some patients have taken his medications for two years. His long-term antibiotic treatment lasted for more than four months up to two years in his patients.

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What Happened In The Past?

Dr Steven Lapointe, who is a CMQ trustee said that Dr Khadir "admitted four times rather than once that he had not respected his commitment. He spent much more time justifying himself than expressing regret, and even less remorse, for not having respected his commitment. [He made] his own law."

Dr Khadir justified his deed by saying that some of his desperate patients had recovered after prolonged course of antibiotics. He said that there were no complains from his patients about his approach. No complications were reported either.

Dr Khadir had earlier made the government aware of the need to undertake a research and was hoping to seek funding for the same. Le Journal de Montreal reports that he was not to offer antibiotic treatment for Lyme disease for more than 28 days, except as part of a hospital research project. However, as Montreal City News reports, that though he received the approval of the medical and political communities, the fundings had not come, as Quebec allocated the funds for a group of clinics specializing in long COVID and infectious diseases. Thus, he continued to offer antibiotic treatment beyond 28 days outside of a research setting.

"I regret not having done things in the right order. It was a lamentable error of judgment," he said.

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What Is The Right Way To Treat Lyme Disease?

As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), most cases of Lyme diseases are treated within 10 to 14 days of antibiotics.

Mayo Clinic notes that the standard treatment for Lyme disease is an antibiotic taken as a pill that lasts 10 to 14 days.

Cleveland Clinic also notes that while antibiotics are the primary treatment for Lyme disease, including doxycycline, amoxicillin, or cefuroxime axetil. The time taken to recover could be around 10 days.

Johns Hopkins Medicine notes that treatment could last up to 21 days.

What Is Lyme Disease?

It is a bacterial infection spread by infected ticks. The initial symptoms can include a 'bull's eye' rash, fever, headache, and fatigue. If it is left untreated, the infection could spread and cause more serious problems affecting joints, heart, and even the nervous system. It is most effectively treated, as many have noted and has been mentioned above, with antibiotics, especially when caught early.

Three British Airways cabin members were taken to the hospital after they ate marijuana-laced sweets handed to them by a passenger during a flight from London Heathrow to Los Angeles.

The staffers were unaware that the sweets contained up to 300mg of THC, the main psychoactive compound in weed a produces the psychoactive effect.

The affected members are said to have had 'out-of-body experiences' after unknowingly consuming the weed-laced gummies. The airline has now launched an investigation to find the passenger who gave the crew member the marijuana edibles.

"It is a godsend in this case the sweets in question were not shared out among the crew until they had arrived in the US," one source told The Sun.

"They were consumed in the crew bus after touchdown, and tired staff gratefully gobbled them up. Almost immediately BA staff realized something was wrong.

"By the time the group had reached the crew hotel, three staff members who had numerous sweets began suffering 'out-of-body' experiences. They felt totally out of control and became panicked and scared."

As a result, the entire crew had to be grounded in LA and a new team was out in place to operate the return service. The affected members were flown back on a separate service days later as passengers.

What Is THC?

THC is essentially the compound that causes the euphoric “high” associated with cannabis. It’s commonly consumed through smoking cannabis, edibles, tinctures, and capsules. THC also offers medical benefits but is more likely to cause psychoactive side effects.

Known for helping with nausea, appetite stimulation, chronic pain, and insomnia, this FDA-approved edible is used in synthetic forms (like dronabinol) for treating chemotherapy-induced nausea and appetite loss in conditions like AIDS.

THC can cause temporary effects like dry mouth, red eyes and increased heart rate. Long-term use, especially in adolescents, may be linked to psychiatric issues such as anxiety or low motivation.

While CBD is not intoxicating but has mild psychoactive properties, such as promoting relaxation, THC, however, directly binds to brain receptors, causing euphoria or a “high.

Why Is THC Dangerous?

Furthermore, THC disrupts normal brain function, affecting memory, learning, and attention, especially in developing adolescent brains. It can cause acute panic, anxiety, and, in some cases, induce psychosis.

Along with this, it impairs coordination, slows reaction time, and alters judgment, directly contributing to motor-vehicle accidents.

Frequent use of marijuana has been previously linked to a higher risk of developing schizophrenia or other psychoses in people who are predisposed to these conditions.

According to the American Health Association, smoking cannabis also causes respiratory issues such as lung irritation and coughing as well as increases heart rate and blood pressure, which can raise the risk of heart attacks or strokes.

Erythritol sweetener, commonly found in most of the food we consume, whether it is a protein bar or energy drink could be linked to stroke risk. While it is considered as a safer alternative to sugar as a natural sweetener, a study from the University of Colorado suggests it could damage cells in the blood-brain barrier.

The blood-brain barrier is brain's security system that keeps the harmful substance off the limits, while letting in nutrients. Research also suggests that it would lead to serious consequences for heart health and stroke risk.

Erythritol Sweetener Risk: What Did The Study Find?

In the latest study, researchers exposed cells that form the blood–brain barrier to erythritol levels typically seen after consuming a soft drink sweetened with the compound. What followed was a cascade of cellular damage that could leave the brain more vulnerable to blood clots, one of the leading causes of stroke.

The researchers found that erythritol triggered intense oxidative stress, overwhelming cells with unstable molecules known as free radicals. At the same time, it weakened the body’s natural antioxidant defences. This double hit impaired normal cell function and, in some cases, led to cell death.

Damage to blood–brain barrier cells is particularly concerning because this barrier plays a crucial role in protecting the brain from harmful substances circulating in the bloodstream. When its integrity is compromised, the risk of neurological injury rises sharply.

Erythritol Sweetener Risk: How It Disrupts Blood Flow Control

Even more troubling was erythritol’s effect on how blood vessels regulate blood flow. Healthy blood vessels constantly adjust their width—expanding when organs need more oxygen and nutrients, and narrowing when demand is lower.

This process depends on a delicate balance between two molecules: nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels, and endothelin-1, which causes them to constrict. The study found that erythritol disrupted this balance by reducing nitric oxide production while increasing endothelin-1 levels.

The result is blood vessels that stay constricted longer than they should, potentially restricting blood flow to the brain. This kind of dysfunction is a known warning sign for ischaemic stroke, the most common form of stroke caused by blocked blood vessels.

Erythritol Sweetener Risk: How It Interferes With Body's Clot Defense

The most alarming finding in the study was how body's natural protect against blood clot is disturbed. Under normal circumstances, cells release a substance called tissue plasminogen activator, which is described as a natural 'clot buster', which helps dissolve clots before they become dangerous. However, erythritol could interfere with this protective mechanism and allow clots to persist and cause damage.

Several have shown that people with higher blood levels of erythritol face significantly increased risks of cardiovascular events. In one major study, individuals with the highest erythritol levels were nearly twice as likely to suffer a heart attack or stroke.

However, researchers caution that the experiments were conducted on isolated cells rather than full blood vessels. More advanced models that better replicate human physiology will be needed to confirm the findings.

Erythritol occupies a unique space in the sweetener world. Classified as a sugar alcohol rather than an artificial sweetener, it escaped recent World Health Organization guidance discouraging artificial sweeteners for weight control. Its sugar-like taste has also made it a favorite in “keto-friendly” and sugar-free foods.

FDA refuses to review Moderna's flu vaccine: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has declined to begin reviewing Moderna’s application for its experimental flu vaccine. The company made the announcement on Tuesday. The decision marks another signal of stricter vaccine oversight under the Trump administration and has already rattled investor confidence, with Moderna’s stock falling nearly 7% in after-hours trading.

Read: CDC Vaccine Schedule: Coverage Falls From 17 to 11 Diseases For Children

Moderna said the FDA’s refusal came as a surprise and contradicted feedback the company had received earlier, before it submitted the application and launched phase three trials for the vaccine, known as mRNA-1010. The company has now requested a meeting with the agency to better understand what it described as an unclear “path forward.”

FDA Refuses: Objections Raised Over Trial Design

According to Moderna, the FDA did not flag any safety or efficacy concerns with the vaccine itself. Instead, the agency objected to the design of the clinical trial—despite having previously signed off on it. Moderna added that the setback would not affect its financial guidance for 2026.

The experimental flu shot had shown encouraging results in phase three trials last year, successfully meeting all primary trial endpoints. At the time, Moderna positioned the stand-alone flu vaccine as a critical step toward developing a combined influenza and COVID-19 vaccine, a key long-term goal for the company.

FDA Refuses: Shifting U.S. Vaccine Policy Landscape

The decision comes amid sweeping changes to U.S. immunisation policy over the past year under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has long expressed skepticism toward vaccines. Moderna on Tuesday pointed to the FDA’s top vaccine regulator, Vinay Prasad, who returned to the agency in August after being removed earlier.

Prasad currently heads the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) and has publicly argued for tighter regulatory standards for vaccines. He has also drawn controversy for comments linking child deaths to COVID-19 vaccines.

FDA Refuses: FDA Letter Cites Comparator Concerns

In a letter dated February 3 and signed by Prasad, the FDA stated that its refusal to review Moderna’s application was solely due to concerns about the trial’s design. Specifically, the agency objected to Moderna’s choice of comparator, arguing that comparing the experimental shot to a standard, approved flu vaccine did not represent the “best available standard of care.”

As a result, the FDA concluded that the study did not qualify as an “adequate and well-controlled” trial under its regulatory definition.

Moderna has strongly disputed this interpretation, arguing that FDA rules do not require companies to use the most advanced or highest-dose vaccine as a comparator in clinical trials.

FDA Refuses: Moderna Pushes Back, Eyes 2026–27 Timeline

In a statement, Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said the decision undermines innovation and fails to advance shared public health goals. He emphasized that the trial design had been discussed and agreed upon with CBER before the study began.

Moderna now expects the earliest possible approval for its flu shot to come in late 2026 or 2027, pending regulatory reviews across the U.S., Europe, Canada, and Australia.

The FDA declined to comment, stating it does not discuss regulatory communications with individual companies, reported CNBC.