Venomous snake bites can cause illness, disability and death in tropical and subtropical regions. A study published on August 25th in PLOS Medicine by Dileepa Ediriweera and Anuradhani Kasturuiratne at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK, and the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, and colleagues suggests that the incidence of snake envenoming and snakebite mortality is much higher than previously estimated.

Eagles are symbols of hunting prowess. Known as top predators wherever they live, it is often assumed that killing is their primary mode. However, a new study published in the Journal of Raptor Research reports the first confirmed case of sustained carrion use by Verreaux’s Eagles (Aquila verreauxii) in the Arabian Peninsula, suggesting that the species’ diet may be more adaptable than previously realized. At a time when food webs are shifting and habitat health is in constant jeopardy, evidence of flexibility in top predators bolsters our understanding of how raptors can or cannot adapt to their changing environment. 

ARDD 2026 has announced that senior officials from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will join the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) for a dedicated government and regulatory panel at the 13th Aging Research & Drug Discovery (ARDD) Meeting, taking place October 1–3, 2026, at the David Rubenstein Treehouse at Harvard University.

The session, “Matching Clinical Trials of Therapeutics & Regulatory Mandates,” will bring together Jeffrey Siegel, Director, Office of Drug Evaluation Sciences, Office of New Drugs, CDER, FDA; Justin Penzenstadler, Associate Director, OCHEN/OND/CDER/FDA; and Lowell M. Zeta, Acting Chief of Staff, Office of the Commissioner, FDA. Andrew Brack, Program Manager, Proactive Health, ARPA-H, will moderate the discussion.

As more discoveries in aging biology advance toward clinical translation, the session will provide an important forum for dialogue between government and regulatory leaders and the researchers, clinicians, and biotechnology innovators developing potential therapies to extend healthy lifespan and improve patient outcomes.

Salk study pinpoints a pathway between two brain regions responsible for driving social isolation-related alcohol consumption in mice. The same pathway has opposing outcomes in male and female mice—activating that pathway increases alcohol consumption in male mice but decreases it in females. Findings may be used to improve risk assessment and treatment strategies for alcohol use disorder, and highlight the importance of sex as a key variable in designing optimal therapies and interventions.

Researchers at Binghamton University, State University of New York have been awarded a $3.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study drug transfer through human breast milk.