Justice Department to make $40 million available for victims of deadly meningitis outbreak
The Justice Department plans to make as much as $40 million available for victims of a 2012 fungal meningitis outbreak that federal investigators traced to a batch of contaminated steroid injections after a dispute over whether those affected by the outbreak qualified for such financial assistance was finally resolved, officials said.
While some of the...
Juno Plunges After 3 Patients Die in Trial of Cancer Therapy
Juno Therapeutics Inc. plunged by a record 27 percent after three patients died in a trial for its lead cancer therapy and U.S. regulators put the study on hold, raising questions about the risks and tradeoffs of a new and very aggressive approach to treating cancer.
Two adult patients died last week after a chemotherapy...
Patients Sometimes Take Antibiotics Without Consulting A Doctor, Study Finds
Suffering from a sore throat or runny nose? For some people, that many mean opting to use antibiotics without seeing a doctor, a practice that health experts say may not help cure the disease and could help aggravate the problem of antibiotic-resistant germs.
A study published Monday in the journal Antimicrobial Agents...
U.S. judge cuts $500 million verdict over J&J hip implants
A U.S. judge has slashed a $500 million verdict against Johnson & Johnson and its DePuy unit over allegedly defective metal-on-metal Pinnacle hip implants to approximately $151 million.
On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Ed Kinkeade in the Northern District of Texas said he was compelled to reduce the verdict under a Texas state law limiting...
U.S. Safety Agency Investigates Another Tesla Crash Involving Autopilot
The nation’s top auto safety regulator said on Wednesday that it had begun an investigation of a second crash involving a Tesla Motors car equipped with Autopilot technology, a system designed to let vehicles drive themselves for brief periods.
4 in 10 top-selling sunscreens on Amazon don’t meet dermatologists’ standards, study says
If you want to know which headphones will stay in your ears when you go for a run or which books you should bring to the beach, the customer reviews on Amazon.com can offer helpful advice. But if you’d like to know which sunscreens are best equipped to reduce your risk of
People Are Suing Over Exploding E-Cigarettes
Electronic cigarettes are seen by some as a safer alternative to traditional forms of smoking, though the jury is still largely out on their long-term health effects. Now, the so-called “e-cigs” are facing another safety issue, as multiple users have filed lawsuits alleging their battery-powered devices exploded and,...
Pfizer agrees to truth in opioid marketing
Pfizer, the world’s second- largest drug company, has agreed to a written code of conduct for the marketing of opioids that some officials hope will set a standard for manufacturers of narcotics and help curb the use of the addictive painkillers.
Though Pfizer does not sell many opioids compared with other industry leaders, its action...
Will concern over Tesla death close self-driving ‘loophole’?
The crash in Florida that killed a driver who was using his Tesla's Autopilot feature is raising questions about whether stronger federal regulation will make sure self-driving technology is thoroughly tested before going into cars.
"It wasn't ready to go out on the road," said Rosemary Shahan, president of the advocacy group
Consumers for Auto Reliability...
Philadelphia jury pins $70m verdict on Janssen for its Risperdal drug
A Philadelphia jury found Friday that the antipsychotic drug Risperdal caused a Tennessee boy to grow breasts and imposed a $70 million verdict on its manufacturer, Janssen Pharmaceuticals.
Lawyers for the boy argued that scientists for the company were well aware of the risks and sought to downplay them. The company disputed that allegation during...
