![\"USflag.jpg\"](\"https:\/\/blogs.nature.com\/spoonful\/files\/USflag.jpg\")
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— Bring in the enforcements: The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA<\/span>) might soon have third-party inspectors<\/a> monitoring Genzyme\u2019s factory in Allston, Massachusetts. After a few manufacturing problems at the company, the FDA<\/span> might issue a consent decree<\/a>, establishing an inspectorate to oversee quality control. (FiercePharma<\/a>)<\/p>\n — Are we there yet? No, wait a little longer. According to a review<\/a> of clinical trials, those that are stopped early \u2014 often because the benefits of treatment are already seen \u2014 underestimate a given treatment\u2019s risks. Study authors compared 91 shortened trials with more than 400 trials that ran their full course, and found that truncated trials underestimate relative risk by 29%, on average.<\/p>\n — Researchers have looked at stratified segments of the US population such as \u2018black middle America\u2019 and \u2018Northland low-income rural whites\u2019 to get a better picture of life expectancy. According to the study<\/a>, southern rural blacks seem most affected by the four risk factors analyzed: smoking<\/a>, high blood pressure<\/a>, high blood sugar<\/a>, and high body fat<\/a>.<\/p>\n — A little test, come too late? The FDA<\/span> has approved IntelligentMDx\u2019s molecular diagnostic test for H1N1<\/a>, which the company claims<\/a> is the first of its kind to make it through. The approval, however, comes under emergency authorization, and the pandemic\u2019s emergency status is set to expire April 26, according to the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company. (Xconomy<\/a>)<\/p>\n Image by happysweetmama<\/a> via Flickr Creative Commons<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" — Bring in the enforcements: The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) might soon have third-party inspectors monitoring Genzyme\u2019s factory in Allston, Massachusetts. After a few manufacturing problems at the company, the FDA might issue a consent decree, establishing an inspectorate to oversee quality control. (FiercePharma) — Are we there yet? No, wait a little longer. According to a review of clinical trials, those that are stopped early \u2014 often because the benefits of treatment are already seen \u2014 underestimate a given treatment\u2019s risks. Study authors compared 91 shortened trials with more than 400 trials that ran their full course, … Read more<\/a> Continue reading