Bioethics & Health News
December 21

December 21, 2005

Group Sues to Halt Ill. Contraceptive Rule

A group founded by evangelist Pat Robertson is suing to stop Illinois from requiring pharmacies to fill prescriptions for emergency contraception, saying the rule violates a druggist’s right to refuse on religious and moral grounds.
(AP)

Umbilical Cord Databank to Be Established

President Bush on Tuesday signed legislation to establish a national databank of umbilical cord blood and bone marrow that would allow doctors to quickly find a match for patients who need a transplant.
(AP)

Original Cloning Claim Drawing Scrutiny

In a further blow to the credibility of the South Korean researcher who claimed to be the first to clone a human embryo, the journal Science said Tuesday it’s now investigating a 2004 study it published that first brought Hwang Woo-suk to prominence.
(MSNBC)

New Drug Points Up Problems in Developing Cancer Cures

Despite promising discoveries and multibillion-dollar investments, cancer research is quietly undergoing a crisis. Federal drug regulators will soon announce several initiatives that they hope will help salvage the field.
(New York Times)

One in Three U.S. Teens Physically Unfit

More than one in three American adolescents are physically unfit and have many of the risk factors for heart disease, researchers said on Tuesday.
(Reuters)

Study: Impotence Can Warn of Heart Disease

A large study of men age 55 and older adds to evidence that impotence can be a warning sign for heart disease.
(AP)