COMPASSIONATE CARE: Rick Pazdur, the FDA’s Cancer Czar, discusses the agency’s take on compassionate use of medicines — when patients want access to unapproved drugs as last-resort treatments. The issue comes up frequently for drug companies, and some have compassionate use programs, while others don’t. It can create media firestorms for companies, like for BioMarin last year, when a dying cancer patient wanted access to its experimental drug for breast and ovarian cancer. Several states have recently passed “Right to Try” bills that would give terminally ill patients the ability to try experimental drugs without the go-ahead from the FDA. Watch
SEXISM: Arianna Huffington slams “double standard” in sexism. Read more
GM WALKUP: U.S. Attorney Anton Valukas is expected to release the results of his investigation into the faulty ignition switches that have been tied to at least 13 deaths this week. Read more
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