Federal Trade Commission staff submitted a comment to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in support of its proposed rule that would clarify that VA health care practitioners may provide telehealth services to beneficiaries notwithstanding any contrary state licensing laws, rules, or requirements.

The number of reverse-payment patent settlements entered into by pharmaceutical companies in fiscal year 2015 declined from fiscal year 2014, marking a second annual decrease in such settlements, according to a new FTC staff report.

The American Diabetes Association (Association) announced the three recipients of the American Diabetes Association New England Cardiovascular-Metabolic Fellowship Awards supported by a grant from Pfizer Inc. These two-year fellowships provide support of up to $150,000 for studies focused on improving our understanding of the pathophysiology, treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in people with diabetes. In addition to expanding our understanding of CVD; one of the most dangerous and deadly complications experienced by people with diabetes"”these awards seek to increase the number of future independent diabetes researchers exploring treatments and potential cures for diabetes.

One of my highest priorities as the Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is to take whatever steps we can to reduce the scope and human tragedy created by the epidemic of addiction to opioids. At the FDA, we're especially focused on helping more patients struggling with current addiction receive appropriate care with proven treatments and reducing new cases of addiction. Lowering the rate of new addiction means also reducing overall exposure to opioids to prevent more people from becoming addicted to these drugs in the first place. In the setting of the President's declaration of a national public health emergency related to the crisis, I'm reaffirming the FDA's commitment to work across the full range of its authorities to address this epidemic.

The deadliest malaria parasite needs two proteins to infect red blood cells and exit the cells after it multiplies, a finding that may provide researchers with potential new targets for drug development, according to researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health. Their study appears in the latest issue of Science.

A new study published in the journal Neuron sheds light on the normal function of LRRK2, the most common genetic cause for late-onset Parkinson's disease. The study was supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the National Institutes of Health.