Current Events

An infant teething toy sold exclusively at Target has been recalled because it poses a choking hazard, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

According to the agency's warning notice, Battat's B. toys Firefly Frank Infant Teethers, which is shaped like a firefly, could harm a young child because its "plastic wings can detach from the body of the teether.
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For years, the FDA has warned the industry of the risks of improperly cleaned and reusable endoscopes designed to visualize the stomach and intestines. Now, it’s doing the same with urological scopes following the reports of patient deaths from bacterial infections outside the U.S.

The agency said it is investigating “numerous medical device reports” describing contamination issues and the patient-to-patient transfer of pathogens from devices used to view and access the urinary tract, bladder and kidneys, including cystoscopes, ureteroscopes and cystourethroscopes.

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GlaxoSmithKline’s vaccine cash cow Shingrix has a new safety warning on its label, although regulators still maintain the shot’s benefits outweigh risks.

Wednesday, the FDA alerted the public that it has added to the “warnings and precautions” section of the shingles vaccine’s label language about an increased risk for a rare neuro autoimmune disorder called Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS).

The update came after a post-marketing observational study by federal health agencies noted the risk during the 42 days following vaccination with Shingrix. The FDA stressed that “available evidence is insufficient to establish a causal relationship,” and that the “benefits of vaccination with Shingrix continue to outweigh its risks.”

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously ruled against Ford Motor Co in a case in which the second-largest U.S. automaker had sought to bar two state courts from hearing product liability suits involving a pair of serious crashes.
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General Motors is recalling certain 2021 model-year Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Suburban and Tahoe, and GMC Yukon and Yukon XL vehicles with third-row seating.

The problem stems from outboard seat belts that may have been misrouted or trapped behind the folding apparatus for the third-row seats during vehicle assembly. This could result in damaged seat belts that can break during a crash, increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupant.

All of the affected models are from the 2021 model year and were built before Nov. 18, 2020.
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The founder of bottled-water maker Real Water has publicly apologized after five kids who drank its product came down with liver failure.

Real Water president Brent Jones issued the mea culpa amid a Food and Drug Administration probe of the alkaline water, which has been linked to several cases of hepatitis.

“We’d like to expressed our deepest sympathy and concern over the events that have led to the inquiry,” Jones said in a roughly two-minute video message released Tuesday.

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NEW YORK (Reuters) -Boston Scientific Corp agreed to pay $188.7 million to settle claims by most U.S. states that it deceptively marketed its surgical mesh devices to consumers.

The settlement with 47 states and Washington, D.
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Pfizer and Eli Lilly’s long journey to a potential FDA approval for tanezumab still looked rocky today after review documents from the regulator cast doubt over its safety.

Ahead of an outside expert committee meeting midweek, the FDA as always released its thoughts and discussion points on the drug, and, while finding strong evidence that it helps osteoarthritis patients, it says there are critical safety risks that may cost the partners a straight shot on goal.

The main safety worry is so-called rapidly progressing osteoarthritis, or RPOA, which the companies are aware of. They are looking to run the drug under the FDA’s Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) to try to keep a close eye on this issue.

New York (CNN Business) - Peloton is warning owners to keep their children away from their treadmills after an accident involving its Tread+ in which a child died.

CEO John Foley sent a letter to Tread+ owners Thursday, saying the warning comes after a "tragic accident involving a child and the Tread+, resulting in, unthinkably, a death."

He didn't reveal details of the fatal accident, but he did note Peloton is "aware of only a small handful of incidents involving the Tread+ where children have been hurt."

Overall, exercise equipment as a category can be particularly dangerous for children: 25,000 kids under the age of 10 are injured by exercise equipment each year, according to a 2014 study from the US National Institutes of Health. In 2019, the Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates U.
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Twelve years ago, the U.S. government introduced a powerful new tool to help people make a wrenching decision: which nursing home to choose for loved ones at their most vulnerable. Using a simple star rating — one being the worst, five the best — the system promised to distill reams of information and transform an emotional process into one based on objective, government-blessed metrics.

The star system quickly became ubiquitous, a popular way for consumers to educate themselves and for nursing homes to attract new customers.
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