Latest California Healthline Stories
Lawmakers Reintroduce Legislation To Allow FDA To Regulate Tobacco Products
Sens. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) and Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) on Thursday reintroduced a bill that would allow FDA to regulate the sale, marketing and advertising of tobacco products, the AP/Raleigh News & Observer reports.
The Orange County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a contract with the sheriff’s deputies union that will allow supervisors to regulate the union’s allocation of $13.3 million in county health care contributions, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Acting FDA Commissioner Lester Crawford on Thursday at a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee confirmation hearing on his nomination as permanent commissioner said that he would consider the establishment of an independent prescription drug safety office at the agency, the Los Angeles Times reports.
NIH Director Elias Zerhouni Discusses Congressional Effort To Reauthorize Agency at House Hearing
NIH Director Elias Zerhouni during a House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing on Thursday discussed a congressional effort to reauthorize the agency, the Washington Post reports.
Sens. Ortiz, Runner Introduce Constitutional Amendment for Stem Cell Initiative
Sens. Deborah Ortiz (D-Sacramento) and George Runner (R-Lancaster) on Wednesday proposed a constitutional amendment that would alter the governing regulations for the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the AP/San Jose Mercury News reports.
Current Obesity Rates Among Children Could Lower Life Expectancy, Study Finds
The prevalence of obesity among children in the United States could lead to a surge in heart disease, stroke, diabetes and cancer and shorten the lifespan of the current generation of children by up to five years, according to a study publish Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine, the Boston Globe reports.
PhRMA Launches Web Site to Help Low-Income State Residents Obtain Discounts on Prescription Drugs
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America on Wednesday launched a Web site and toll-free hotline — part of a program called Rx Help for Californians — in an attempt to help low-income state residents obtain a number of prescription drug discounts offered by pharmaceutical companies, the Oakland Tribune reports.
NIH Relaxes New Ethics Rules for Temporary Research Fellows
NIH this week announced that it would avoid placing an “undue burden on employees” by exempting temporary agency researchers from a “new and more restrictive conflict-of-interest policy” that would require employees to divest stock holdings in biomedical companies, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Senate Vote on Medicaid Amendment Expected To Be Close
A vote Thursday on an amendment by Sen. Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) that would remove $14 billion in proposed Medicaid cuts from the Senate’s fiscal year 2006 budget resolution and create a commission to study Medicaid is “expected to be close,” the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports.
Cities Enter Bids To Become Headquarters of Stem Cell Institute
California cities on Wednesday submitted proposals to the state Department of General Services to become the headquarters for the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine, the Sacramento Bee reports.