Generic drugmaker Mylan is one of the companies reported to be the subject of a Justice Department investigation into pricing of generic drugs. The Justice Department is investigating the pricing practices of several generic drug manufacturers because the list prices of many older medications have risen in lockstep in recent years. That investigation could lead […]
Category: Medical
Cancer deaths anticipated to increase 60% by 2030 for Women
(CNN) — The number of women dying worldwide from cancer is expected to rise to 5.5 million by 2030, roughly the equivalent population of Denmark, according to a new report from the American Cancer Society (PDF). Those numbers would be an increase of almost 60% from cancer death rates in 2012, when 3.5 million women […]
Ballot initiatives 2016: Five more states may make pot legal
Either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump will be a winner on Nov. 8, but in a number of states, pot smokers may come out ahead as well. Election Day might be a major turning point for the marijuana reform movement because five states have ballot initiatives that would legalize cannabis for adult use, regulating and […]
Northeastern States Hold Key to Federal Legalization of Marijuana
BOSTON — Having proven they can win in the West, advocates for recreational marijuana hope the Nov. 8 election brings their first significant electoral victories in the densely populated Northeast, where voters in Massachusetts and Maine will consider making pot legal for all adults. Supporters believe “yes” votes in New England would add geographical diversity […]
Government Waste: Defense Department overspent 54 Million Dollars On EpiPens
It looks like taxpayers didn’t just overpay for EpiPens purchased through Medicaid. According to a new report, the Department of Defense has been paying almost full retail price for the expensive emergency allergy treatment. This is according to a Reuters analysis of available data, which found that many of the EpiPens paid for by the […]
FDA Bans Anti-Bacterial Soaps
The Food and Drug Administration is banning the sale of antibacterial soaps and body washes after manufacturers failed to prove that the products’ active ingredients are safe and effective. “Consumers may think antibacterial washes are more effective at preventing the spread of germs, but we have no scientific evidence that they are any better than […]
Sexually Transmitted Diseases at Record Highs
America still hasn’t learned to wrap it up — and that’s nothing to clap about. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, cases of sexually transmitted diseases syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea have hit record levels in the United States. Syphilis cases rose 19% from the year before. In 2015, there were 1.5 million […]
Insurance Companies Accused of Discriminating Against HIV Patients
Once-a-day HIV pills that combine multiple medicines, such as Truvada, are easier to take, but they can be more expensive than pills that contain only one active ingredient. The Affordable Care Act prohibits insurers from discriminating against people with serious illnesses, but some marketplace plans sidestep that taboo by making the drugs that people with […]
Bernie Sanders Continues Assault on Big Pharma
WASHINGTON – Two top lawmakers on Thursday demanded information from a drug company that has raised prices on a leukemia drug, calling increases of tens of thousands of dollars a sign the company puts profits before patients. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., the top Democrat on the House Oversight and Government […]
As Flint Suffers, Big Pharma Hikes Lead Poison Drug Price By 2,700%
Outrage is growing this week amid revelations that the pharmaceutical company Valeant raised the price for its critical lead-poisoning treatment by more than 2,700 percent in a single year. Before Valeant took control of the medication, known as Calcium EDTA, in 2013, the average price for a package of vials was stable at $950, the […]
Major Autism Research Foundation No Longer Seeking Cure
For the first time, the nation’s largest autism advocacy organization has revamped its agenda and one notable objective is no more. Autism Speaks’ board of directors voted in late September to modify the organization’s mission statement, marking the first such change since the nonprofit was established in 2005. The new iteration is shorter and strikes […]
Zika spreading to new areas
Public health officials in Florida have identified a new area in Miami-Dade County where the Zika virus is being spread by mosquitoes, according to a report by the Florida Department of Health. In total, five people — three people living in the area and two who either visited or worked in the area — are […]