— A law going into effect this January in Israel gives priority for organ transplants to those who sign donor cards. The program is family-friendly: first-degree relatives of those who sign cards will also receive priority. (BBC)

— A study of 47 embryonic stem cell lines currently used in research found little diversity, with nearly all lines of European and Middle Eastern origin. African and East Asian populations, in particular, were underrepresented. (BusinessWeek)

— Just after the US Senate’s rejection of prescription drug importation, a UK Department of Health report ranked US drug prices the highest in the world – and by a wide margin. In the indexing system, which places the UK’s prices at 100, the US came in at 252, while Germany had the next-highest prices, rating a 142. (FiercePharma)

— The Sacramento Bee published a scathing editorial on last week’s $150,000 pay raise for Art Torres, co-vice chairman of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. In light of the state’s budget crisis, Californians might prefer an institute to regenerate their economy. (Sacramento Bee)

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