MASSDEVICE ON CALL — Former Global Laboratories Inc. owner Fredda Branyon pleaded guilty to 12 counts in connection with selling unapproved stem cells for nonresearch purposes.
Branyon, who also owned New Hope Medical Center in Scottsdale, Ariz., send cells derived from umbilical cord and cord blood tissue, making more than $311,000 in sales from April 2009 through February 2010, court records show.
The shipments, which were later used to treat patients with immune disorders, went to the same address in Brownsville, Texas, though the identify of the buyer was not disclosed, the Brownsville Herald reported.
Branyon, 57, faces up to three years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
Spare heart parts in five years
In other stem cell news, a researchers in the U.S. and Hong Kong teamed up to grow spare parts for the human heart. They’re aiming for clinical testing within five years, Ozarks First reported.
20 percent of malpractice suits lead to payout
Research spanning two decades found that one in five malpractice suits leads to a settlement or other payout, the Salt Lake Tribune reported.
A new vise-like tourniquet makes its way onto the battlefield
The Combat Ready Clamp made by Combat Medical Systems of Fayetteville, N.C., suppresses uncontrolled bleeding on the battlefield, helping stem hemorrhaging, which is the leading cause of preventable death during combat, according to a press release.
Acne antibiotic cuts catheter infections in dialysis patients
A common antibiotic generally used for fighting acne was able to cut catheter-related infections in dialysis patients by nearly three-quarters, according to a study published in the journal the American Society of Nephrology.
