President Trump on Monday suggested the federal government could move to approve some forms of 7-OH, an opioid derived from the naturally occurring kratom plant.  

“We’re looking very seriously at natural 7-OH and getting that approved,” Trump said. 

It was not clear what Trump meant by “natural 7-OH.” Small amounts of the compound, shorthand for 7-hydroxymitragynine, occur naturally in kratom, which is increasingly used as a recreational drug and an unapproved pain treatment. While kratom is significantly less dangerous than potent synthetic opioids like fentanyl or prescription pain pills, it can still cause addiction and overdose. 

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The tobacco industry chalked up another win on Friday with a new policy announced by the Food and Drug Administration that gives what one expert called a “get-out-of-jail-free card” to some manufacturers illegally selling e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches.

The FDA has a significant backlog of applications from the makers of vapes and nicotine pouches seeking authorization to sell their products. Some have gone ahead and put their products on sale anyway while awaiting word from the agency. In the new guidance, first reported by the New York Times, the agency said it will not prioritize cracking down on illegal sales under two conditions.

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The marketing deal is the latest in a series of recent pacts between GSK and China-based drug companies, and could speed access to a therapy called bepirovirsen that’s important to its future.

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