Weekly Roundup 9-30-11

Autumn began this week and we prepare to enter the last quarter of 2011.  The days of sitting on the back deck sipping iced tea or a favorite cocktail are but a memory as we begin to think about thick soups, wood for the fireplace and gearing up for dealing with the mountain of leaves that are to fall on the lawn and in fact, have already begun their descent.

In the meantime, here are a few things from the week that whizzed by:

  • CDC and FDA Hold Listeria Media Briefing – The breakout of listeria continues to spread even after the source has been identified.  This unique pathogen has the ability to continue growth while refrigerated and symptom onset can be delayed, meaning that it is likely that cases will continue to be identified.  The number of deaths has risen to 13, with 72 cases confirmed over a spread of states.  You can read a transcript of the briefing here.  In addition to that listeria outbreak, today there are new reports surfacing of another outbreak hghthis time in bagged lettuce.
  • Hamburg Speaks on Clinical Trial Recruitment and Minorities – This actually happened last week – on September 22, Dr. Hamburg delivered remarks at a symposium held by the Office of Women’s Health and the Society for Women’s Health Research on clinical trial recruitment and minorities.  She outlined progress made in closing the gender gap on participation in trials and assessing gender based differences, and also outlined the aspirations of the newly formed Office of Minority Health to help close the gap regarding minorities, though offering no specifics.  You can read a copy of the remarks here.
  • FDA Enters Consent Decree with Florida Drug Company – Following a warning letter in April 2009 in the wake of a 483 finding significant cGMP issues; another in August 2009, and a DDMAC Warning Letter from 2010, the FDA announced this week that it had entered a Consent Decree that would prevent a Florida drug company from putting “adulterated drugs” into the marketplace.

Enjoy this first weekend of autumn everyone.

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