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Bioethics news.

Exclusive: Behind the front lines of the Ebola wars
How the World Health Organization is battling bullets, politics and a deadly virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Nature, 09/18/2019
Scientists Create A Device That Can Mass-Produce Human Embryoids
Scientists have invented a device that can quickly produce large numbers of living entities that resemble very primitive human embryos. Researchers welcomed the development, described Wednesday in the journal Nature, as an important advance for studying the earliest days of human embryonic development. But it also raises questions about where to draw the line in manufacturing “synthetic” human life.
National Public Radio, 09/17/2019
Purdue Pharma Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
The filing is a centerpiece of an agreement to settle thousands of cases against the company for its role in the opioids crises. But it is expected to be vigorously contested by a group of 26 states.
The New York Times, 09/16/2019
Chinese Scientists Try to Cure One Man’s HIV With Crispr
For the first time, a patient got treated for HIV and cancer at the same time, with an infusion of gene-edited stem cells. The results? Mixed.
Wired, 09/15/2019
Pentagon seeks ‘ethicist’ to oversee military artificial intelligence
The Pentagon is looking for the right person to help it navigate the morally murky waters of artificial intelligence (AI), billed as the battlefield of the 21st century.
The Guardian, 09/14/2019
China’s grip on pharmaceutical drugs is a national security issue
If you take a pill every day to treat high blood pressure or high cholesterol, you probably don’t spend much time thinking about where those drugs come from or what you would do if your pharmacy suddenly couldn’t fill your prescription. But when it comes to the sources of their prescription drugs, what Americans don’t know can hurt them.
The Washington Post, 09/12/2019
Share of Americans With Health Insurance Declined in 2018
The drop, despite a strong economy, was the first since 2009 and at least partly caused by efforts to weaken the Affordable Care Act.
The New York Times, 09/12/2019
Telepsychiatry Helps Recruitment And Patient Care In Rural Areas
It used to take at least nine months for a patient to schedule an initial appointment with a psychiatrist at Meridian Health Services in Indiana. Now, it takes days, thanks to a program that allows doctors to connect over the Internet with patients, reaching those even in remotest corners of the state.
National Public Radio, 09/12/2019
Who’s Missing From Breast Cancer Trials? Men, Says the F.D.A.
Men do get breast cancer, but they account for fewer than 1 percent of patients and often receive inadequate care.
The New York Times, 09/11/2019
Juul Violated Federal Rules by Marketing Vaping Products as Safer Than Cigarettes, F.D.A. Says
The agency sent a warning letter to the company. In a separate letter, it also requested more information about the company’s outreach to students, health insurers, employers and Native American tribes.
The New York Times, 09/10/2019
Johns Hopkins Opens New Center for Psychedelic Research
The research center, with $17 million from donors, aims to give “psychedelic medicine” a long-sought foothold in the scientific establishment.
The New York Times, 09/09/2019
California Again Considers Making Abortion Pills Available At Public Colleges
State lawmakers are expected to pass a bill requiring campus health centers to provide pills used for medication abortions. If the measure becomes law, it will be the first of its kind in the U.S.
National Public Radio, 09/08/2019
Get Vaccinated or Leave School: 26,000 N.Y. Children Face a Choice
Religious exemptions for vaccinations are no longer available. With the start of the school year, some parents face a reckoning.
The New York Times, 09/07/2019
Many Genes Influence Same-Sex Sexuality, Not a Single ‘Gay Gene’
The largest study of same-sex sexual behavior finds the genetics are complicated, and social and environmental factors are also key.
The New York Times, 09/06/2019
Is Dying at Home Overrated?
A palliative care physician struggles with the complex realities of dying at home, and the unintended consequences of making it a societal priority.
The New York Times, 09/05/2019
The Hospital Treated These Patients. Then It Sued Them.
Most hospitals do not frequently take patients to court over medical debt. But since 2015, Carlsbad Medical Center, in New Mexico, has filed lawsuits by the thousands.
The New York Times, 09/04/2019
Getting Your Medical Records Through an App? There’s a Catch. And a Fight.
Americans may soon be able to get their medical records through smartphone apps as easily as they order takeout food from Seamless or catch a ride from Lyft. But prominent medical organizations are warning that patient data-sharing with apps could facilitate invasions of privacy — and they are fighting the change.
The New York Times, 09/03/2019
On the Job, 24 Hours a Day, 27 Days a Month
A home health aide for a 77-year-old man serves as social worker, diaper changer, dietitian, day planner, warden and more — all at dismal wages.
The New York Times, 09/02/2019
Organoids Are Not Brains. How Are They Making Brain Waves?
Clusters of living brain cells are teaching scientists about diseases like autism. With a new finding, some experts wonder if these organoids may become too much like the real thing.
The New York Times, 09/01/2019
Hastings Partners on Unprecedented Genetics Resource Hub
The Hastings Center is a collaborator on a major new federally funded center – the Center for ELSI Resources and Analysis — that will fill a void in genetics research by collecting and sharing information about its ethical, legal, and social (ELSI) implications. This resource hub, the first of its kind, will enable people grappling with these issues to...
The Hastings Center, 08/31/2019
The $6 Million Drug Claim
New treatments for rare diseases are changing the lives of patients, but the price can reach millions of dollars for a single person.
The New York Times, 08/30/2019
Johnson & Johnson Ordered to Pay $572 Million in Landmark Opioid Trial
Oklahoma pursued the first case against a drug manufacturer for the national public health disaster, and the ruling may point to what lies ahead in 2,000 more lawsuits.
The New York Times, 08/29/2019
Zika Was Soaring Across Cuba. Few Outside the Country Knew.
The mosquito-borne virus spread through the island in 2017, but global health officials failed to sound the alarm.
The New York Times, 08/26/2019
Malnutrition Case Stirs Debate About Vegan Diets for Babies
A judge in Australia said a couple had left their baby “severely malnourished” on a strict vegan diet. Yet, experts say that, with proper guidance, children can be on a totally plant based diet.
, 08/25/2019
New York Subpoenas Banks and Financial Advisers for Sackler Records
The state claims that the Purdue Pharma owners transferred billions of dollars from the company and hid them in offshore partnerships and other entities.
The New York Times, 08/24/2019
Scientists Discover New Cure for the Deadliest Strain of Tuberculosis
Once, a diagnosis of extensively drug-resistant TB meant quick death. A three-drug regimen cures most patients in just months.
The New York Times, 08/23/2019
MDMA, Or Ecstasy, Shows Promise As A PTSD Treatment
Scientists are testing how pharmaceutical-grade MDMA can be used in combination with psychotherapy to help patients who have a severe form of PTSD that has not responded to other treatments. Unlike street drugs, which may be adulterated and unsafe, researchers use a pure, precisely dosed form of the drug.
NPR Health Shots, 08/22/2019
More parents give dietary supplements to kids. But experts warn about their potential danger.
Physicians, others argue that just because such products are on store shelves doesn’t mean they’re safe for your children.
The Washington Post, 08/21/2019
As mass shootings rise, experts say high-capacity magazines should be the focus
Limiting the number of bullets in gun magazines won’t stop mass attacks, but it could bring down their death tolls, experts say. The odds that Congress or state legislatures will act still appear relatively remote.
The Washington Post, 08/19/2019
Ohio family using DNA kit learns dad and daughter not related, sues fertility clinic
An Ohio family using a home DNA test found that their 25-year-old daughter is not related to her father, according to a lawsuit they filed against a hospital and two fertility practices. Joe Cartellone said his family made the discovery earlier this year after buying an Ancestry DNA kit to learn more about their Italian heritage, the family’s...
NBC News, 08/18/2019