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California Senate happy to allow groups to distribute condoms to prison inmates

The California Senate on Thursday voted 22-16 to approve a bill (AB 1677) that would allow not-for-profit or public health organizations to distribute devices - such as condoms or dental dams - that can protect against sexually transmitted infections to the state's 162,000 prison inmates, the AP/San Jose Mercury News reports (Young, AP/San Jose Mercury News, 8/24).

30 Aug 2006

Cellegy ends phase III microbicide trial in Nigeria

Cellegy Pharmaceuticals on Monday announced that it has ended phase Phase III clinical trials in Nigeria on its microbicide Savvy, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports (Loyd, Philadelphia Inquirer, 8/29).

30 Aug 2006

Officials of the Christian Science Church seek recognition of faith healing under Massachusetts law requiring health care coverage

The Boston-based Christian Science Church is concerned that the Massachusetts law passed earlier this year requiring employers to provide health insurance to workers might not recognize the church's insurance plans that cover faith healing, the Boston Globe reports.

30 Aug 2006

Nurses in New Jersey begin strike over health plan in proposed contract

Almost all of the 1,300 nurses at the 584-bed Robert Wood Johnson Hospital in New Brunswick, N.J., on Thursday began a strike over a fee that they would have to pay for medical procedures performed outside of their health plan network under a proposed contract, the New York Times reports.

30 Aug 2006

FDA advisory panels almost always recommend approval for new drugs and devices

Eleven randomly selected FDA advisory committees recommended approval for 79% of prescription drugs and medical devices that they considered during a seven-year period, according to a study released on Monday by the National Research Center for Women & Families, Bloomberg/Houston Chronicle reports.

30 Aug 2006

Number of uninsured residents in Massachusetts has dropped 19% over the past two years

The number of uninsured residents in Massachusetts has dropped 19% over the past two years, according to results from a state survey released on Monday, the Boston Globe reports.

30 Aug 2006

U.S. Senator Obama takes public HIV test during visit to Kenya

U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-Ill.), who for two weeks as part of a congressional delegation is traveling throughout Africa, on Saturday publicly took an HIV test to help combat the stigma surrounding the virus, the Chicago Sun-Times reports (Sweet, Chicago Sun-Times, 8/27).

30 Aug 2006

New York Times profiles Clinton's role in fight against HIV/AIDS

The New York Times on Tuesday profiled former President Clinton's role in the fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa, as well as in the rest of the world.

30 Aug 2006

Wall Street Journal examines increased popularity of Medicare Advantage Plans

The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday examined how hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries have begun to enroll in Medicare Advantage plans, which offer "traditional benefits without the usual restrictions on access to doctors and hospitals" and some additional benefits.

30 Aug 2006

Neuropsychopharmacology editor resigns after failure to disclose conflict of interest

Charles Nemeroff has decided to resign as editor of the journal Neuropsychopharmacology after he co-authored a favorable article on a chest implant that treats depression and did not disclose his financial ties to Cyberonics, which manufactures the device, the Wall Street Journal reports.

30 Aug 2006