Category: Regulations
-
FDA Approves HIV Drug in Combination Treatment
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved today the drug Edurant (rilpivirine) as a treatment for HIV infection in adults, when used in combination with other antiretroviral drugs. Edurant is manufactured by Tibotec Therapeutics, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, in Raritan, New Jersey. FDA approved the drug for the treatment of HIV-1 — the…
-
So-Called Legal High Drugs on Internet Found Phony, Illegal
A chemistry professor in the U.K. has found many drugs sold as “legal highs” on the Internet do not contain the ingredients they claim, and some contain controlled substances, for which Internet sales are illegal. Mark Baron, lecturer in chemistry at University of Lincoln published his findings online in the journal Drug Testing and Analysis…
-
Regulatory Agency Funding Increases in Federal Budgets
A new report from researchers at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri and George Washington University in Washington, DC describe increases in funding and staff at federal regulatory agencies over the two most recent fiscal years. Fiscal Stalemate Reflected in Regulators Budget: An Analysis of the U.S. Budget for Fiscal Years 2011 and 2012, by…
-
Silver Nanoparticles Generated in Natural Environment
A team of university and government chemists have found that given a source of silver ions, naturally occurring humic acid can synthesize stable silver nanoparticles. The researchers published their findings last month in the journal Environmental Science and Technology (paid subscription required). Nanoscale silver particles — one nanometer equals one-billionth of a meter — are…
-
FDA Approves Staph Bacteria Resistance Test
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today cleared the first test for Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus) infections that can identify whether the bacteria are methicillin resistant (MRSA) or methicillin susceptible (MSSA). The KeyPath MRSA/MSSA Blood Culture Test is made by Microphage Inc. of Longmont, Colorado. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, MRSA is…
-
One Nation, Under Geeks
Review: Geek Nation by Angela Saini. Hodder & Stoughton (3 Mar 2011). Science writer Angela Saini describes the rise of science and engineering in India in her new book Geek Nation. But if you’re looking for a triumphant Indian victory march you may be disappointed. The book instead offers a sophisticated and nuanced analysis of…
-
California Supporting Embryonic Stem Cell Clinical Trial
The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) awarded a $25 million grant to support the first FDA-approved clinical trial based on human embryonic stem cells. The award to Geron Corporation in Menlo Park, California, will support the company’s early phase trial, already underway, for people with spinal cord injury. CIRM, the state’s stem cell agency,…
-
Unregulated Drug Market Hurting TB Public Health Efforts
The campaign against tuberculosis is generally considered a public health responsibility, but a new study indicates that private, unregulated TB drug sales may be hurting rather than helping those efforts. Results of the study appear in the new issue of the journal PLoS ONE. The research, conducted by the organization TB Alliance and health care…
-
FDA Approves Type 2 Diabetes Treatment
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Tradjenta (linagliptin) tablets, which when used with diet and exercise, can improve blood glucose control in adults with Type 2 diabetes. Tradjenta is marketed by Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals in Ridgefield, Connecticut, and Eli Lilly Company in Indianapolis, Indiana. People with Type 2 diabetes do not produce or…
-
Grant Funds Cross-Border Illegal E-Waste Tracking
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has awarded a $2.5 million grant to help international efforts that curb improper disposal of hazardous electronic waste. EPA estimates that only about five percent of the more than 40 million metric tonnes of annual global e-waste are being recovered. The five-year grant to the United Nations University (UNU)…