For those who thought that this week's Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia would be a tea and crumpets affair compared to last week's Republican National Convention in Cleveland, think again. Disenchanted supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders are planning to make a stink, literally (NPR). And several news sources are citing Walter Tsou, MD, a leader in Physicians for Social Responsibility, as a supporter of the protest.
And it didn't take long for Hillary Clinton's VP pick to attract some negative coverage: Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) accepted more than $160,000 in gifts (all legal and all reported) when he served as that state's governor. Among the gifters? Barr Pharmaceuticals, which gave Kaine a free ride in a private jet when the company was lobbying Kaine "over issues related to drug sales." (The New York Times)
Check MedPage Today all week for DNC coverage by Joyce Frieden, Shannon Firth, and Greg Laub.
Scientists are "scouring the globe" seeking a cure for a drug to kill the "brain-eating amoeba" Naegleria fowleri that breeds in rivers and streams. (STAT)
The Russian Olympic team is not being barred from participation in the upcoming Rio Olympics, but the Olympic governing board said all the athletes were tainted by the doping scandal, so the only way that athletes will be permitted to participate will be to convince the individual governing bodies of their specific sports that they are innocent. (The New York Times)
Johnson & Johnson will pay an $18-million fine to settle a charge that its Acclarent unit distributed an unapproved device to surgeons for use in sinus surgeries, which resulted in the surgeons submitting "false claims" to Medicare, according to the Justice Department.
Vox asked 270 scientists and researchers what is wrong with science, and here are are what those scientists say are the "7 biggest problems." (Spoiler alert: the subject of money comes up).
One reason that BMI doesn't tell the whole health story: defects in the body's ability to store fat can lead to conditions such at diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and heart disease, even in people who have not an ounce of visible fat, the NYT's Gina Kolata writes.
AbbVie and Bristol-Myers Squibb say they will collaborate in a clinical trial of Rova-T (Abbvie) and Opdivo+Yervoy (BMS) for treatment of relapsed extensive stage small cell lung cancer. (MarketWatch)
Tanya Feke, MD, says doctors who are willing to prescribe opioids to chronic pain patients are likely to be rewarded with higher patient satisfaction scores, a backdoor financial incentive. (via KevinMD)
Morphochem, a German pharmaceutical company, said the FDA designated its C. difficile IV antibacterial candidate, MCB3837, as a Qualified Infectious Disease Product and gave it fast track status.
New York City reports its first baby born with a Zika-related defect. (New York Times)
A study suggests that one in 10 Americans suffer from tinnitus -- ringing in the ears -- and that estimate predates the current political season. (Reuters)
The "Precision Medicine Initiative" can't be all that precise without more data, as Robert Pear explains: Uncle Sam wants your genetic and lifestyle information. (New York Times)
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