Helen Palmer

Latest Stories (187)

Repairing the Red Cross

Oct 30, 2006
Stung by criticism of how it handled Hurricane Katrina and the 9/11 attacks, the American Red Cross today announced plans for a major overhaul that includes slashing its 50-member board. Helen Palmer reports.

Vioxx heads to court . . . again

Oct 30, 2006
Merck's arthritis drug Vioxx is back in court today as an 11th case goes to trial, but the legal landscape of the ongoing litigation has changed considerably. Helen Palmer reports.

Predicting better cancer treatments

Oct 23, 2006
A new test appears to be 80% accurate in predicting which drugs would be most effective in treating a particular patient's cancer. Is it the next big breakthrough? Helen Palmer reports.

A model for universal health care?

Oct 12, 2006
About 46 million Americans don't have health insurance. Some states have stopped waiting on the federal government and put universal health care measures on their ballots. Leading the way: Massachusetts. Helen Palmer reports.

Pfizer goes shopping for new drugs

Oct 11, 2006
Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has made a relatively small purchase with some big implications. Helen Palmer explains why buying a small British vaccine company could be a shrewd move.

Easing up the war on Canadian drugs

Oct 4, 2006
It's still illegal to import them, but starting next week U.S. Customs agents will no longer routinely seize packages of prescription drugs arriving by mail from Canada. Helen Palmer reports.

Maybe there's some benefit to Medicare plan

Sep 29, 2006
When Medicare launched its new drug benefit a year ago, critics predicted horror story scenarios. But new details released by the Bush administration have Medicare officials doing a victory dance. Helen Palmer reports.

Recalling the term 'recall'

Sep 29, 2006
Doctors and manufactures are lobbying health regulators to discontinue use of the word "recall" when issuing advisories on faulty heart devices. Helen Palmer reports.

Wal-Mart's urban strategy

Sep 28, 2006
The world's largest retailer opened its first store in Chicago yesterday, advancing a strategy to try to cash in on urban hipsters. But being the low-cost leader doesn't guarantee success, Helen Palmer reports.

Industry embraces FDA reform

Sep 26, 2006
Many in the food and pharmaceutical industries support reforming the FDA. Their bottom lines are very much at stake, Helen Palmer reports.