Medical devices and equipment
As cyberthreats multiply, hackers now target medical devices | CNBCEarlier this month, Johnson & Johnson notified 114,000 diabetic patients that a hacker could exploit one of its insulin pumps. The J&J Animas OneTouch Ping could be attacked, disabling the device or altering the dosage. J&J said the risk is extremely low, but suggested ways users could mitigate that risk. Could other medical devices, like infusion pumps and pacemakers, be vulnerable to a malicious hacker?
Theranos faces growing number of lawsuits over blood tests | Bloomberg
Blood-testing startup Theranos is under legal siege. After being sanctioned by U.S. regulators, the company now faces at least eight lawsuits filed in federal courts in California and Arizona by patients who claim that faulty blood tests led to heart attacks or other issues. It's also facing fraud claims in state court in Delaware from one of its investors.
Pharmaceuticals
Clinton campaign questioned FDA commissioner's ties to pharma | STATAs criticism of the pharmaceutical industry was mounting last year, Hillary Clinton's campaign team debated whether to attack Dr. Robert Califf, who had been nominated to head the Food and Drug Administration, over his ties to drug makers, according to emails released by WikiLeaks.
FDA staff flag concerns about Allergan's urinary drug | Reuters
The proposed dosing for a drug being developed by Allergan to treat frequent urination at night has not been adequately studied in trials, a preliminary review by the Food and Drug Administration staff concluded.
West Virginia grapples with high drug costs | NPR
Skyrocketing prices for essential medicines like the EpiPen, are generating public outcry, congressional hearings and political promises for policy fixes. In the meantime, the increases continue to hit pocketbooks — even of people who don't rely on these expensive drugs. In a state like West Virginia, where dire budget shortfalls have been a problem over the last few years, the problem is especially pronounced.
