House Hearing On Fetal Tissue Research Gets Heated Amid An Ever-Intensifying Debate Over The Issue
Since September, the Trump administration has been performing an audit on federally funded research that uses fetal tissue, which has reignited a debate on the issue that after simmering quietly on the back burner for months.
The Washington Post:
House Republicans Amp Up Pressure To Halt Funding For Research Using Fetal Tissue
House conservatives long opposed to medical research using fetal tissue applied fresh pressure on the Trump administration to end government funding for such work at a hearing Thursday spotlighting antiabortion scientists who contend alternatives exist. The hearing before subcommittees of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee grew testy at times over whether cells from sources other than aborted fetuses are as useful as fetal tissue in advancing therapies and possible cures for diseases from HIV to cancer. (Goldstein, 12/13)
In other national health care news —
The Wall Street Journal:
FDA Withdraws Proposed Rule That Would Have Exposed Generic-Drug Makers To Liability
The Food and Drug Administration gave a year-end gift to the generic drug industry by backing off a proposal that would have opened up generic companies to possible product-liability lawsuits over drug safety. The FDA had proposed a new federal rule in 2013 that would have allowed people to hold generic-drug companies legally liable for the side effects of medicines. Thursday’s action by the agency withdrew the proposed rule, and keeps generic companies largely impervious to lawsuits. (Burton, 12/13)
The New York Times:
N.I.H. To Scrutinize Private Donations To Scientific Research Projects
Six months after halting a study of moderate drinking that was underwritten by donations from the alcohol industry, the National Institutes of Health outlined a series of steps to prevent similar conflicts of interest and to safeguard the integrity of its research and its reputation. In a report issued on Thursday, N.I.H. officials said its 27 institutes must evaluate all current research projects that receive private donor support for conflicts of interest of the kind that compromised the alcohol trial. The institute directors are to report their findings to Dr. Francis Collins, director of N.I.H., early next year. (Rabin, 12/13)
The New York Times:
Mapping The Brain’s Genetic Landscape
For the past two decades, scientists have been exploring the genetics of schizophrenia, autism and other brain disorders, looking for a path toward causation. If the biological roots of such ailments could be identified, treatments might follow, or at least tests that could reveal a person’s risk level. In the 1990s, researchers focused on genes that might possibly be responsible for mental distress, but then hit a wall. Choosing so-called candidate genes up front proved to be fruitless. In the 2000s, using new techniques to sample the entire genome, scientists hit many walls: Hundreds of common gene variants seemed to contribute some risk, but no subset stood out. (Carey, 12/13)
CNN:
Restricting Abortion Access
Access to abortion services is a contentious issue in the United States. Clinics in many states are at risk of shutting down and operate with heightened security. Doctors can be hard to find in states with restrictive laws around abortion clinics, so some doctors travel in from out of state to provide care. (12/11)
CNN:
Gun Deaths In America Reach Highest Level In Nearly 40 Years, CDC Data Shows
Gun deaths in America have reached a record high. Nearly 40,000 people in the United States died by guns last year, marking the highest number of gun deaths in decades, according to a new analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's WONDER database. A similar analysis was first conducted by the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence, a non-profit gun policy advocacy group. (Howard, 12/13)