The American College of Cardiology is holding its annual convention this week in New Orleans. A big deal at the convention is Innovation in Intervention “an annual meeting for practicing cardiovascular interventionists” co-sponsored by the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions. “Intervention” is the key word here. [Read more…]

Yesterday’s San Francisco Chronicle carried a brilliant essay by John Carroll, one of the newspaper’s daily columnists. His topic was Angel Raich, the woman recently denied access to medical marijuana. His column is about the stupidity of marijuana laws, the politicians who create them, the prosecutors who enforce them, and the judges who uphold them. It’s also about arrogance: when legal expertise for its own sake prevails over science and compassion. [Read more…]

The pharmaceutical company Merck is promoting a vaccine called Gardasil, used to immunize against HPV, human papilloma virus. HPV causes cervical cancer. After FDA approval last June, Merck launched a marketing campaign to convince the CDC and state legislatures to make vaccination of pre-teen girls mandatory. The CDC didn’t bite but at least 12 states, including California, did.

At $300 a pop, Merck stands to make a boatload of money. [Read more…]