Archive by date | August 2008

Biden on bird flu

Biden on bird flu

The world is watching US SenatorJoe Biden today. The the new hopeful for vice president will speak tonight at the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Through his previous legislative proposals, though, he has already said volumes about what global health issues he views as important.  Read more

The best defense against biowarfare

The best defense against biowarfare

The recent suicide of vaccine researcher Bruce Ivins, the FBI’s prime suspect in the fatal anthrax mailings following the 9/11 attacks, has brought bioterrorism back to the forefront of the national consciousness. Many people are pondering out loud: Is the US prepared to respond to a bioweapons attack? Probably not, according to recent media reports. The government has invested some $50 billion in biowarfare research since 2001, which has gone into creating new labs, building up stockpiles of antibiotics and smallpox vaccines, and devising strategies for large-scale distribution of these medicines. Yet despite considerable progress, there is still work to be done; we still don’t have a suitable anthrax vaccine, for example.  Read more

United we disclose

United we disclose

The relationship between pharmaceutical makers and physicians has come under close scrutiny lately. In recent weeks Congressional leaders have accused Harvard physicians of failing to properly disclose large payments from drug companies; meanwhile, other reports have highlighted the industry ties of certain experts who helped write the American Society of Pediatrics’ new recommendations for managing childhood cholesterol.  Read more