The FDA wants more medical devices in your pocket

Dec 20, 2017
The agency is being led by a venture capitalist who is taking some cues from the tech industry.
The FDA is working with companies like Fitbit to streamline the approval process for health and medical software.
DAVID MCNEW/AFP/Getty Images

FDA to crack down on clinics illegally offering stem cell treatments

Aug 29, 2017
Some clinics claim to use stem cells to treat diseases like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's.
Stem cells, like these viewed at the University of Connecticut`s Stem Cell Institute, help repair injured tissues in the body.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images

Joy! Kinder Eggs are coming to America

May 22, 2017
The popular European treat is changing its packaging to comply with U.S. rules.
Kinder Joy is made up of two plastic halves of an egg. 
Ferrero International S.A.

As FDA pick nears confirmation, the agency grapples with nearly 1,000 vacancies

Apr 27, 2017
A key Senate committee is expected to vote Thursday on the confirmation of Dr. Scott Gottlieb to head up the Food and Drug Administration. If confirmed, which is expected, one of the headaches Gottlieb will inherit on Day 1: filling as many as 1,000 vacancies at the agency. Filling some of those jobs could speed […]

Why 23andMe wants your genetic data

Apr 19, 2017
CEO Anne Wojcicki hopes the collective power of health information will advance research.
"In some ways the world is just starting, but in some ways I think we've really driven a lot of change," said 23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki.
Kimberly White/Getty Images for Vanity Fair

FDA clears 23andMe to sell genetics tests for diseases

Apr 10, 2017
Consumers can get information to help them determine if they are at risk of developing Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and other diseases.
Anne Wojcicki is co-founder and CEO of 23andMe, a company that makes home DNA testing kits.
Photo by Brad Barket/Getty Images for Fast Company

For public good, not for profit.

The first HIV/AIDS drug was fast-tracked 30 years ago. Some lament that process.

Mar 20, 2017
It was 30 years ago this week that the Food and Drug Administration approved the first  treatment for HIV/AIDS, the drug AZT. At a time when the number of AIDS-related deaths was skyrocketing, AZT was rushed into the approval process. But some of the early advocates of the drug’s fast-tracking ended up lamenting that process. […]

The fight for the dairy aisle turns on the question: 'What’s milk?'

Mar 3, 2017
With the proliferation of products calling themselves milk (soy, almond, rice, coconut), dairy farmers are now lobbying Congress to limit the use of the word to the stuff that comes from lactating animals, namely cows.  And the makers of the plant-based drinks want to keep milking the term, so they’re pushing back. The Wall Street […]

New bill aims to improve sharing of electronic medical records

Dec 12, 2016
President Barack Obama is expected to sign legislation on Tuesday that should speed FDA approval of some drugs and devices, as well as making a significant investment in medical research. The measure – known as the 21st Century Cures Act – also should make it easier for patient data to move from the hospital to […]
U.S. Department of Agriculture/Flickr