Drugs

DoJ Launches Fraud Task Force

The Department of Justice has launched a Task Force on Market Integrity and Consumer Fraud authorized under an Executive Order signed by President Trump to focus on combating fraud against consumers — particularly the elderly, service members, and veterans — and corporate fraud that victimizes the general public and the government. Deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein says that fraud committed by companies and their employees “has a devastating impact on American citizens in the financial markets, the healthcare sector, and elsewhere…. Healthcare fraud cheats taxpayers and victimizes vulnerable citizens. We will do everything we can to root it out and ensure that wrongdoers are punished appropriately.”

Rosenstein says the president’s order directs the task force to invite participation from law enforcement partners at many departments and agencies. “By working together,” he says, “we can achieve more effective and efficient outcomes. Drawing on our pooled resources, including subject-matter expertise, data repositories, and analysts and investigators, we can identify and stop fraud on a wider scale than any one agency acting alone…. One of our first goals will be to survey our partner agencies to identify areas of vulnerability and ensure that we devote appropriate resources to address them.”

Gupta Raises Concerns About Overton’s Independence, Ideology

FDA commissioner nominee Heidi Overton’s responses on vaccines, contraception and abortion medication during her 9/24 Senate confirmation hearing raise concerns that ideology could influence her decision-making if she takes over the agency, MSNBC senior medical analyst Dr. Vin Gupta said Friday. Gupta was particularly critical of Overton’

Overton Confirmation Remains Uncertain After Senate Hearing

FDA commissioner nominee Heidi Overton emerged from her Senate confirmation hearing Thursday (see earlier story) without resolving questions about whether she has enough Republican support to advance — and with a rapidly narrowing window for confirmation before the midterm elections. The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee hearing provided few

FDA Classifies Boston Scientific Imager II Catheter Recall as Class I

FDA has classified Boston Scientific's recall of its Imager II Angiographic Catheters as Class I because a manufacturing problem could cause catheter tips to degrade and detach, potentially resulting in life-threatening complications. The agency announced the Class I classification 9/25, updating an Early Alert it issued

FDA Approves Gazyva for Childhood-Onset Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome

FDA has approved Roche’s Gazyva (obinutuzumab) for reducing the risk of relapse in adults and children aged 2 and older with frequently relapsing or steroid-dependent, childhood-onset idiopathic nephrotic syndrome who are in remission. The expanded approval covers the use of the CD20-directed antibody beyond its existing

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Gupta Raises Concerns About Overton’s Independence, Ideology

Overton Confirmation Remains Uncertain After Senate Hearing

FDA Classifies Boston Scientific Imager II Catheter Recall as Class I

FDA Approves Gazyva for Childhood-Onset Idiopathic Nephrotic Syndrome