Headlines: July 2, 2010
by Meg Larkin
In legal news, the first court challenge to the federal health reform bill has been heard by a judge in Virginia. Federal District Judge Henry E. Hudson, a Bush Appointee, heard arguments in the case on Thursday and may rule on the matter by the end of the month. The States Attorneys General challenging the law have argued that Congress overstepped its Constitutional authority by mandating individual purchase of health insurance. The Federal Government has argued that the States Attorneys General lack standing sufficient to pursue the claim. While a decision for either side in Virginia will not have a direct impact on the litigation in other states, Judge Hudson’s reasoning could be considered by other judges as they make their decisions.
In regulatory news, the FDA is issuing new guidelines on the use of antibiotics in animal feed. The FDA expressed concern that overuse of antibiotics to spur growth in animals is leading to the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria that are a threat to humans. According to the Washington Post, “Joshua M. Sharfstein, the FDA's principal deputy commissioner, said antibiotics should be used only to protect the health of an animal and not to help it grow or improve the way it digests its feed.” As a first step, the Agency has opened draft guidance up for public comment, and has made clear that it is willing to promulgate regulations in the area if the industry does not begin to decrease the use of antibiotics. Legislation on the issue has been proposed by Rep. Louise M. Slaughter, who believes that FDA officials are not acting quickly enough.
In research news, scientists at Boston University have made a discovery that may allow researchers to test for longevity. According to the New York Times, “Scientists studying the genomes of centenarians in New England say they have identified a set of genetic variants that predicts extreme longevity with 77 percent accuracy. The centenarians had just as many disease-associated variants as shorter-lived mortals, so their special inheritance must be genes that protect against disease, said the authors of the study, a team led by Paola Sebastiani and Thomas T. Perls of Boston University.” Some scientists predict that the ability to identify the genes associated with longevity may lead to developments in fighting disease and preserving health in the general population.
Finally, a new meningitis vaccine could prevent outbreaks of the disease before they begin. While a meningitis vaccine has been used in developed countries for years, it has been largely ineffective at preventing outbreaks of the disease in Sub-Saharan Africa where meningitis is most prevalent. The old vaccine did not provide long-lasting immunity and was unable to be used in children, one of the populations most vulnerable to meningitis infection. Traditionally, health workers had only administered the vaccine to blunt an outbreak after it had started. The new vaccine will enable workers to prevent outbreaks and plan ahead. It was developed by a partnership between the WHO, “the Serum Institute of India, and PATH, an international nonprofit funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.”
Meg Larkin is a law student at Boston University. Please feel free to email her with any questions, comments, suggestions or concerns.
