Industry puts building Big Biotechs, attracting 2,000 Big Pharma discovery scientists on wish list for U.K. government

November 30, 2017 John Bell of the University of Oxford wrote the government-commissioned report in consultation with representatives of the life sciences sector.  The result is an ambitious list of goals and sketches about how to achieve them.  Having worked closely with members of the government while drafting the report, Bell expects most of the … Read more

Building a Strong FDA Workforce to Bring Scientific Advances to Patients

November 28, 2017 As a result, FDA continually faces the challenges related to building and maintaining a diverse, talented, and dedicated professional workforce.  However, we are committed to doing what is necessary to tackle these challenges and maintain a strong FDA — one that attracts and preserves world-class talent. Most recently, I have requested a … Read more

Statement from FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., on National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report on pain management and prescription opioid abuse

In March 2016, the FDA asked the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) to outline the state of the science regarding prescription opioid abuse and misuse, as well as the evolving role that opioids play in pain management.  We greatly appreciate all the work done by NASEM over the past year to produce the comprehensive report released in July, which includes recommendations for the FDA and others on this important issue.

Pain-free microneedle patch could help boost flu vaccination rates

Lagging flu vaccination rates in the U.S., especially among children, have scientists working to take the “Ow!” out of immunization.  Enter an experimental patch with dissolvable microneedles.  A phase 1 study shows that a dissolvable microneedle flu patch is safe and can elicit an immune response as robust as an intramuscular injection.

Why can’t some people stop eating? The hungry brain may be to blame

Most people of normal weight do not crave a cheeseburger right after they eat a full meal.  However, some people who struggle with obesity are still just as ravenous after they have chowed down as they were before.  Now scientists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) believe they have discovered why the process of feeling too full to eat any more goes awry in some people — and the culprit, they say, lies deep in the brain.