FDA’s top criminal investigator resigns amidst scrutiny. Terry Vermillion told the Food & Drug Administration that he would step down as head of the agency’s Office of Criminal Investigations, where he served for 18 years, about two months after a whistleblower made allegations about the alteration of internal agency reports and other ethical violations, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Massachusetts allows health insurance rate hikes. After rejecting double-digit increases earlier this year, Massachusetts regulators are allowing a more modest round of rate hikes to take effect in January for health insurance policies covering small businesses and individuals, according to The Boston Globe.
WalkMed issues recall of pole mount infusion pumps. Englewood, Colo.-based, WalkMed Infusion LLC is conducting a recall for its Triton pole mount infusion pumps. The reason for the recall is that the pump’s door open alarm does not always alert the user that the door is open. “In this state, the pump can still run even though the pump door may be open and could result in a free flow perfusion, and may cause serious injury or death,” according to the FDA.
Republican version of health insurance reform. What if a Republican governor and a Republican legislature implemented their version of health insurance reform for which the federal government would pay? It’s a great idea. A bill has already been introduced in the Senate by Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Scott Brown (R-Mass.), writes Health Care Policy and Marketplace Review blog.
Researchers reverse age degeneration in mice. Scientists restored the sense of smell and fertility and reversed brain disease in prematurely aged mice. The achievement could mean treating humans for age-related disorders in just around the corner, reports The Wall Street Journal.
CT scan usage soars. The number of annual emergency room visits that included CT scans increased by 500 percent — from 2.7 million to 16.2 million– between 1995 and 2007, according to a new study in the Nov. 29, issue of Radiology, according to ModernHealthcare.
Now the time to replace long-term care safety net? Medicaid could be on the fiscal chopping block, writes Howard Gleckman, senior research associate at the Urban Institute, in a Kaiser Health News opinion. Now may be the right time to replace the tattered long-term care safety net.
Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi part of UAE growth. The United Arab Emirates is on a breakneck growth agenda dubbed Plan Abu Dhabi 2030. The tiny emirate has six hotels opening in 2011 and already hosts three PGA-standard golf courses. But the focus of economic development is on less glamorous projects, like a $5.7 billion aluminum plant, the development of a healthcare center with help from Johns Hopkins University and the Cleveland Clinic, and a host of energy projects, according to eMoneyDaily.
Scott Hamilton bounces back (again). Olympic figure skater Scott Hamilton is bouncing back from surgery at the Cleveland Clinic to remove an aneurysm resulting from benign brain tumor surgery at another institution, according to People magazine. Hamilton, who overcame testicular cancer and a pituitary gland tumor two years ago, lost two-thirds of the vision in his right eye — a risk of the aneurysm surgery.
J&J unit plagued by manufacturing flaws. Months after Johnson & Johnson’s (NYSE:JNJ) McNeil Consumer Healthcare unit recalled millions of bottles of Tylenol and other over-the-counter drugs, the division still is plagued with manufacturing flaws, according to the FDA, The New York Times reports.
Colorectal cancer vaccine starts with tumor. Dartmouth researchers have found that could treat colorectal cancer with a vaccine that uses the patient’s own tumor, according to EmaxHealth blog.
Material from MedCity News was used in this report.
