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The United States Justice Department has fined British drug company GlaxoSmithKline $3 billion for failing to accurately report safety data related to two of its most popular drugs, Wellbutrin and Paxil.  The fine is divided – $2 billion to resolve the largest fraud settlement in U.S. history and $1 billion […]

On August 2, 2011, the FDA reopened the public comment period on its proposed gluten-free labeling rule.  After the 60 day comment period, the FDA will issue a final rule that defines “gluten-free” for labeling food products.  The original rule was published on January 23, 2007. By establishing a standard […]

I just heard about a really cool idea.  If you join in, you can help the world without really trying and without spending a dime.  Interested?  Keep reading. How many times have you spent the night at a hotel, taken one shower and had your soap thrown away with 90% […]

I am familiar with Shakespeare’s quote from Henry VI, “The first thing we must do is kill all the lawyers.”  Although, one should note, the quote is often used to malign attorneys when Shakespeare actually meant it as a compliment – the characters in his play were planning a revolution […]

When my 47-year old friend from my college days had to have her hip replaced last year, because of wear and tear on the joint, I doubt very much that anyone said to her, “I’ve got some good news and some bad news.  The good news is the state-of-the-art in […]

Twelve years ago, the medical and scientific community was rocked when Lancet, the leading medical journal in the United Kingdom, published the results of a study led by Andrew Wakefield which had concluded that there was a direct link between autism and the childhood vaccine for mumps, measles and rubella […]

Those sneaky cancer cells lurking in blood work, which for years have gone undetected, are now directly in the cross-hairs of a new blood test invented by Boston-based scientists. The test is said to be able to detect one cancer cell in billions of cells from a typical blood test.  […]

The FDA recently approved Botox, a wrinkle-smoothing injection, for the treatment of migraine headaches. Drug maker Allergan has now been given the go ahead to market its drug to patients with a serious history of migraines. This announcement comes just one month after Allergan agreed to pay more than $600 […]

Recalls for about 10 million Fisher-Price toys were announced yesterday by the company and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Health Canada. The recalls were announced jointly by the two safety commissions and Mattel, the parent company of Fisher-Price. The recalls involve four different products manufactured by Fisher-Price, a […]

A joint announcement by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) concerning baby sleep positioners advises parents and caregivers to immediately stop using the products. Despite claims that the baby sleep positioners protect infants from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), the use of the positioners […]