By Aleeza Hashmi
- The Cellectis Group, a biotech company based in Paris, is now offering a “bank” to store and transform adult cells into stem cells for the general public. The company claims this will allow for a personal deposit to fuel regenerative medicine in the future.
- On Tuesday, President Michael D. Higgins of the Republic of Ireland signed the Protection of Life during Pregnancy Act, which permits abortion in cases where there is a threat to the life of the mother.
- Today, August 1, marks the start of World Breastfeeding Week, “a time when organizations and communities bring attention to the benefits of breastfeeding and offer moms support and encouragement to be successful at breastfeeding.” On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that rates of breastfeeding in the United States have increased over the past 10 years and breastfeeding could save more than $2 billion in annual medical costs.
- According to new research from the Institute on the Environment at the University of Minnesota, agricultural efficiency could increase by shifting croplands used for animal feed and biofuels to food exclusively for human consumption. An estimated 4 billion people could be fed, based upon the willingness of farmers and consumers to change their current practices.
- The FDA, with the assistance of international agencies from 99 other countries, took action this week to close down over 1,600 illegal online pharmacies selling counterfeit drugs and dangerous supplements. Many of these online pharmacies claimed to be operating out of Canada. The FDA stated that this was the largest internet-based enterprise of its kind.
- British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline has been troubled by weeks of accusations of bribery and corruption at its operations in Shanghai. Last Saturday, Chinese news sources revealed that several Glaxo employees confessed to bribing doctors with gifts, travel, lectures fees and cash bonuses to persuade them to prescribe more of the company’s drugs.