Biologist Renee Wegrzyn Chosen As ARPA-H’s First Director
Wegrzyn, President Biden's choice for the role, formerly worked as a scientist at DARPA. Separately, the Boston Globe reports on efforts by local power brokers to attract the new new health research agency to be based in Massachusetts. Meanwhile, in FDA news, funding negotiations are heating up.
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Former Government Scientist Appointed First Leader Of ARPA-H
President Joe Biden plans to appoint longtime biologist and former government scientist Renee Wegrzyn as the first director of the nascent Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health. (Owermohle, 9/12)
The Boston Globe:
Mass. Business, Political Leaders Ramp Up Efforts To Win New Federal Health HQ
On Monday, this group of power brokers is announcing the name of the coalition they’ve formed to attract this agency to Massachusetts: The Coalition for Health Advances & Research in Massachusetts (aka CHARM). They also unveiled a website that aims to highlight all the reasons the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, or ARPA-H, should come here — including the concentration of research hospitals, life sciences companies, and top-tier universities in Greater Boston. (Chesto, 9/12)
In FDA news —
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FDA Funding Negotiations Heat Up Ahead Of September Deadline
Negotiations are intensifying over massive, multibillion-dollar legislation to fund the Food and Drug Administration, with just weeks left before the current agreement expires, four sources following the talks said. (Cohrs, 9/9)
USA Today:
Skin Lightening Products Are A 'Regulatory Black Hole,' And The FDA Is Warning Against Using Them
The FDA has launched an initiative warning about over-the-counter skin lightening products after receiving reports of side effects. The agency's Skin Facts! Initiative, announced last week, is aimed at promoting safe use of skin care products, urging people to be aware of non-prescription products marketed to lighten or bleach the skin. (Hassanein, 9/10)
In USDA news —
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USDA Cracking Down On Companies That Ship Animals Without Inspections
Earlier this year, a leading animal rights group asked U.S. authorities to investigate medical research labs for allegedly violating federal law after finding numerous instances where nearly 2,000 monkeys were shipped between facilities without required veterinary inspections. (Silverman, 9/9)
