Surgery Studies Rarely Use Females

The Scientist, August 28, 2014: The Scientist article on lack of women in clinical trials quotes NCHR telling MedPage Today that FDA must increase incentives for companies to include more women, older patients, and people of color in clinical trials. The FDA urges diversity but approves drugs and implants that have not been evaluated on all the types of patients who will want to use the product.

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Johnson & Johnson Praised for Taking Uterine Surgery Tools Off Market

The New York Times, July 31, 2014. Johnson & Johnson, which has come under withering criticism for its response to problems with some of its medical devices, won cautious praise from critics on Thursday for its decision to withdraw three products used in uterine surgery because of a risk of spreading cancerous tissue, only months after the safety issue became widely known.

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Big Data Peeps at Your Medical Records to Find Drug Problems

NPR, July 21, 2014. No one likes it when a new drug in people’s medicine cabinets turns out to have problems — just remember the Vioxx debacle a decade ago, when the painkiller was removed from the market over concerns that it increased the risk of heart attack and stroke. To do a better job of spotting unforeseen risks and side effects, the Food and Drug Administration is trying something new — and there’s a decent chance that it involves your medical records.

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