The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, which was established by Congress as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, has drafted a national agenda for research to improve the quality of healthcare, expand access to care, and…

The GoozNews blog notes the annual cost of new chemotherapeutic agents that received FDA approval during 2011 ranges from $44,000 to $216,000. Part of the problem, according to the pharmaceutical industry, is that FDA’s cautious approach in reviewing new drugs encourages companies to…

The New York Times ran a story last week about the discovery of artemisinin. A GoozNews post from 2007 explored the clinical development of the drug in depth.

FDA’s Office of Pediatric Therapeutics is offering a public workshop examining the need for pediatric research to inform the development of public health strategies. The workshop will take place February 15-16, 2012, in Rockville, MD. More information is available on…

A recent New York Times article describes the difficulties some pharmaceutical manufacturers are facing as they attempt to bring drugs to market that rely on specialized diagnostic testing to determine which patients may benefit.

The low rate of participation by healthy volunteers in clinical trials poses significant challenges for vaccine research. In the latest issue of its bioethics journal Virtual Mentor, the American Medical Association asks whether governments should mandate clinical trial participation or establish…

The US Department of Health and Human Services is currently accepting public comments on the Draft Framework for the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease. The comment period will end on February 8, 2012. More information is available at the National Alzheimer’s Project…