Stories by Judy Stone

Today's news starkly juxtaposed this countries' priorities. First was news of the approval of yet another look-alike drug for erectile dysfunction, avanafil (Stendra).

Seeing a reminder that International Clinical Trials Day will soon occur, I wanted to recognize and thank the clinical research teams and volunteers that make this possible.

The initial fare at TEDMED 2012 whet my appetite for the sessions that followed. Howard-Yana Shapiro, a plant scientist wizard, focused on how to improve nutrition in crops, rather than just the volume of the yield, and the coming crisis in feeding the world's population.

Innovation. Story telling. Discovery. Connections. Beauty. Heartbreak. TEDMED 2012 had it all. What seemed initially like disparate sessions later proved to be a carefully planned series that wove together important themes for making a healthier future.

The recent presidential candidate debates, fights over insurance coverage for contraceptives, and the Virginia and Texas legislatures' imposition of intrusive, unnecessary ultrasounds prior to any abortions are highlighting the fundamental issue of the role of religion in health care and the separation of Church and State.

The struggle between conscience and refusal, or individual rights vs. that of the community good, goes far back, and is not limited to reproductive choices.

In my last post, I focused on flaws in the medical device approval process. The Union of Concerned Scientists' "FDA at a Crossroads" meeting also covered problems with drug approval.

I took a field trip to the big city last week, to attend the Union of Concerned Scientists' and George Washington University School of Public Health's conference, "FDA at a Crossroads." I have great respect for UCS and their efforts to keep science depoliticized, a topic that I have written and spoken about.

Pepper spray is all over the news, following the Occupy Wall Street protests, particularly following the widely disseminated images and videos of protestors being sprayed in NY, Portland, and UCDavis.

This past week, I was jolted out of my chair by news that a Pfizer-led group plans to buy access to patient data in hospitals. My initial reaction was anger, on a variety of levels: as a researcher, as one who is increasingly wary of the reach of huge corporations, and as an individual.

Just last week, I mentioned that Eli Lilly and Company, as a condition of approval for their blockbuster drug, was required to conduct post-marketing studies of Xigris.