FDA chief says warning labels deterred women from using menopause hormone therapy: "It's an American tragedy"

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will remove the "black box" warning labels on many hormone therapy drugs used for menopause and perimenopause symptoms — a major turnaround that's likely to encourage more women to seek treatment. FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary said in an exclusive CBS News interview that the change ends a decades-long "fear machine," and he called the demonization of menopause hormone therapy, also known as hormone replacement therapy (HRT), "an American tragedy."

"With the exception of vaccines or antibiotics, there's no medication that can improve the health of women on a population level more than hormone replacement therapy," Makary told senior correspondent Norah O'Donnell, explaining that studies show that menopause hormone therapy can reduce the risk of