McDonald back under Fire as VA Scandal Aftermath lack Firings

Technically as of today, not a single person has been fired for the Veterans Affairs wait time scandal from last year. That’s right, it bears repeating: technically, not a single person has been fired for the VA wait time scandal. Sorry, but that point needs to sink in. New VA Secretary Bob McDonald is already


Medtronic’s Preemption Win in the 10th Circuit – With An Interesting Twist

The Tenth Circuit issued an opinion on Tuesday, finding that state law claims asserted against Medtronic, manufacturer of the InFuse bone growth stimulator were preempted by FDA approval of the medical device under the Medical Device Act (“MDA”). Plaintiff in the case alleged that Medtronic representatives promoted an off-label, posterior surgical approach for the device,



Political Money Gone Wild

As the 2016 election season kicks off, the issue of money’s pervasiveness in the political process is gaining some steam. Democratic frontrunner, Hilary Clinton, recently announced that fixing a “dysfunctional” campaign finance system to be among her top priorities, and several prominent Republicans, including presidential hopeful, Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), have thrown their support toward


Food Safety Experts have done What with Big Tobacco?

In a landmark investigation released this week, the Center for Public Integrity (CPI) uncovered the alarmingly small and insular circle of experts who are used by food manufacturers to determine if a new ingredient is “Generally Regarded As Safe,” or GRAS. The investigation discovered that at least one of 10 particular consultants participated in over


Is the GRAS Food Safety process a Racket?

A 1958 law offers food companies who want to market new ingredients in their products a way to bypass extensive and costly FDA safety testing. The law provides the option for companies to demonstrate that the ingredient in question has been deemed “Generally Regarded As Safe” (GRAS) by a consensus panel of scientists and experts.