Attorney General Bill Lockyer said on Wednesday that he will file a lawsuit to block the Weldon amendment, a federal spending bill provision that could deny federal funds to any state that enforces state laws that safeguard women’s constitutional right to choose.
“This is an unacceptable attack on women’s rights and state sovereignty, and a back-door […]

A Phoenix resident filed a lawsuit against Merck & Company, alleging that the company purposely withheld information about the health risks associated with Vioxx.
The lawsuit, filed by Edward W. Wright in Arizona Superior Court, is the first statewide class action, according to his attorneys. Once certified by the court, the suit will represent any Arizona […]

Most of the shrimp that consumers buy and eat in the United States is imported from polluted ponds in tropical countries and may contain chemicals banned from shrimp farming in the United States, according to a new report by Public Citizen. The consumer group urged consumers to think twice when buying shrimp in the […]

The Food and Drug Administration asked a whistleblower, drug safety expert Dr. David Graham, to leave his position and move elsewhere in the agency, according to Congressman Bart Stupak (D-MI).
In a letter to the FDA Acting Commissioner Lester M. Crawford, Rep. Stupak and 21 congressional members have demanded assurance Dr. Graham will keep his job. […]

The “Powerful” arthritis drug Bextra from Pfizer will include a new warning about possible heart attack risk when used by patients who recently had heart bypass surgery, the Food and Drug Administration said on Thursday.
Bextra is part of the same family of drugs, COX-2 selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), as Celebrex also made by Pfizer […]

The Food and Drug Administration issued a warning on Wednesday about a Canadian recall of Carbolith (Lithium Carbonate) 150 mg capsules, a drug used in the treatement of manic-depressive illness distributed in Canada by Valeant Canada Limited.
Although Carbolith is not an FDA-approved product, FDA is investigating several websites advertising Carbolith for sale to U.S. consumers.
Valeant […]

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange County has reached a settlment with 87 victims of sexual abuse by priests and lay employees for a sum that reportedly would exceed the record $85 million paid by the Archdiocese of Boston last year.
The New York Times reported that the payment is at least 100 million. The record […]

President Bush goes to Canada on Tuesday and the very next day the Food and Drug Administration announced its latest action to curb the illegal importing of prescription drugs from Canada. The agency says the more affordable drugs from Canada may be “potentially unsafe” for American consumers.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York, […]