Anyone in the United States who wants to know if she has mutations in two breast cancer genes has little choice of where to be tested. One company alone has patents on the genes, and that company pretty much controls the market. Heidi Rehm, HMS assistant professor of pathology at Brigham and Women's Hospital, is quoted.

The US Food and Drug Administration issued a harsh warning on Thursday against energy drinks and supplements containing dimethylamylamine (DMAA) telling consumers to stay away from it while adding that the agency was “using all available tools at its disposal” to ensure that it’s no longer sold on the marketplace. Pieter Cohen, HMS assistant professor of medicine at Cambridge Health Alliance, is quoted.

While modern medicines do help us manage pain and live with chronic illnesses, Americans are taking more prescription medication than ever before, leading medical ethicists to ask whether we are taking too many pills for our own good. Jerry Avorn, HMS professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, is quoted.