Science

Mixed Reports on FDA Efficacy

by Judith Siers-Poisson — June 11, 2008 - 2:24pm

The number of warning letters sent by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to corporations has dropped by 50% in the last decade. In 2002, the regulatory agency decided that all warning letters should go through the office of its chief counsel, a move "designed to strengthen the letters and make them legally consistent and credible." But the change may have just succeeded in slowing the process to a crawl.

Main Source: 
Wall Street Journal (sub req'd), June 7, 2008

Most Med Schools Not Making the Grade

by Judith Siers-Poisson — June 8, 2008 - 8:31pm

The American Medical Students' Association (AMSA) graded 150 medical schools on their conflict-of-interest policies and the influence that drug companies have with faculty and students. Only seven of the schools surveyed received an "A"; 60 got a failing grade, for not having sufficient policies or for not participating in the survey. AMSA president Dr. Brian Hurley called strong conflict-of-interest policies "incredibly important to protect the educational experience." Dr.

Main Source: 
New York Times, June 3, 2008

More Than You Bargained for in Your Chicken

by Judith Siers-Poisson — June 8, 2008 - 8:11pm

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has found that Tyson Foods routinely gave antibiotics to chicken it raised to sell as meat, and labeled it as antibiotic free.

Main Source: 
MSNBC.com, June 3, 2008

Shifting Focus, Anti-Abortion Groups Oppose Contraception

by Anne Landman — June 6, 2008 - 5:05pm

On June 7, the anti-abortion groups American Life League (ALL) and Pharmacists for Life launched a new national campaign called "Protest the Pill Day 08: The Pill Kills Babies." Their goal is to convince American women to stop using oral contraceptives, which they believe kill people.

Main Source: 
The Capital Times (Madison, Wisconsin), June 6, 2008

More Hot Air from Exxon?

by Sheldon Rampton — June 3, 2008 - 10:29am

The Center for Science in the Public Interest points out that ExxonMobil has just announced "for the second consecutive year" that it is cutting funding to groups which promote skepticism about global warming.

Main Source: 
Integrity in Science Watch, June 2, 2008

Thanks to Chantix, Quitting Smoking May Be Hazardous, Too

by Diane Farsetta — May 29, 2008 - 9:51am

The pharmaceutical company Pfizer "is preparing an advertising and public-relations campaign to counter concerns about its antismoking drug Chantix, once trumpeted as a potential billion-dollar-a-year blockbuster." So far, Pfizer has "run ads in five major newspapers in which its medical director explains Chantix's risk-benefit balance." The drug company will soon "start hosting round

Main Source: 
Wall Street Journal (sub req'd), May 29, 2008

Less Isn't Always More

by Judith Siers-Poisson — May 22, 2008 - 12:28pm

Comprehensive information about what chemicals are sprayed on food crops just got much harder to come by. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently announced that they will no longer conduct and publish annual national surveys of "which states apply the most pesticides and where bug and weed killers are most heavily sprayed to help cotton, grapes and oranges grow." The report is used extensively by farmers, environmental advocates, chemical companies and even the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Don Lipton, a spokesman for the American Farm Bureau, said "farmers will be subjected to conjecture and allegations about their use of chemicals and fertilizer. Given the historic concern about chemical use by consumers, regulators, activist groups and farmers, it's probably not an area where lack of data is a good idea." One fear is that information will only be available after there's been a problem. Steve Scholl-Buckwald of the Pesticide Action Network explained, "What we'll end up doing is understanding pesticide use through getting accident reports. And that's a lousy way to protect public health."

Main Source: 
Contra Costa Times, May 21, 2008

Yucca's Not Quite Dead Yet, but What's Plan B?

by Diane Farsetta — May 22, 2008 - 9:02am

Increasingly, people are coming to the conclusion that the proposed nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain, Nevada might never open. Former Louisiana Senator J.

Main Source: 
Las Vegas Sun (Nevada), May 21, 2008
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