Here are the most popular Bioethics News items from last week based on average clicks per day:
1. The genome as luxury item
(NYT) Personal genome sequencing is starting to draw the attention of the very rich. The current price tag for the service is about $350,000.
2. Placebos: you get what you pay for
(NYT) Behavioral economists report in JAMA this week that patients said a placebo worked better when they were told it cost more.
3. Prosecutors: Lilly hid risk of Zyprexa side effects
(NYT) The State of Alaska has sued Lilly seeking compensation for Medicaid patients who developed diabetes while taking the schizophrenia medication. Federal prosecutors and other states are also investigating the company’s conduct regarding the drug’s marketing.
4. Is it enough if a cancer drug provides a better, but not longer, life?
(Boston Globe) The FDA approval of Avastin for breast cancer has some asking whether it’s worth it to spend thousands of dollars on a drug that hasn’t been shown to extend patient lives — though it does seem to slow tumor growth.
5. Malaria vaccine study will infect volunteers with the parasite
(Scientific American) Researchers say they’ll only use a strain of malaria that responds to existing drugs. They say the testing in the US will help them better pick vaccine candidates to test in children in Africa.