FDA panel endorses Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine

A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory panel on Friday voted to endorse Johnson & Johnson’s coronavirus vaccine, clearing the way for FDA leaders to grant emergency use authorization amid the ongoing fight against COVID-19. The vote was 22-0, with all committee members voting in favor of endorsing the jab for emergency use approval.  The committee was charged… Read More »

Hospitals likely upcoding severity levels for Medicare patients, OIG says

Dive Brief: A new report by the HHS Office of Inspector General indicated that inpatient hospital stays have become more expensive to the Medicare program, even before the COVID-19 pandemic began to severely disrupt the U.S. healthcare system a year ago. HHS OIG analyzed Medicare Part A claims for inpatient stays from fiscal year 2014… Read More »

Transparency watchdog criticizes STAT’s non-disclosure on pro-Pharma op-ed

Should publications that post op-ed pieces tell us more about who wrote the op-ed and what their potential biases and conflicts of interest might be? I’m in the camp that answers a resounding YES. Till Bruckner is, too. He writes for Transparify, an organization that rates “the financial transparency of major think tanks.” He is… Read More »