Bloggers are bringing us lots of drug news this week:

• Abel Pharmboy at Terra Sigillata explains why a decision by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is devastating news for lymphoma patients – and possibly for all cancer patients (here, too).
• Ed Silverman at Pharmalot considers the drop in new drug approvals by the FDA.
• Maggie Mahar at Health Beat reports on the lavish inducements drug companies offer to doctors in developing countries.
• Revere at Effect Measure discusses the pharmaceutical-company maneuverings that threaten to keep doctors from prescribing effective, low cost treatment for macular degeneration.
• Lynn Harris at Broadsheet advocates for fixing a Deficit Reduction Act glitch that is putting hormonal contraceptives out of financial reach for many college students.
• Julia Kaye at Womenstake provides some context for the new study that finds that women who are on the birth control pill for long periods of time might have an increased risk of atherosclerosis.
• Roy M. Poses MD at Health Care Renewal describes astroturfing efforts by the makers of anemia drugs.

In not-so-drug-centric news:

Tara C. Smith at Aetiology has good news and bad news about infectious disease prevention.

Amanda at Enviroblog wonders who was really victorious in plantation workers’ lawsuit against Dole.

Tom Philpott at Gristmill reports on a new study that helps answer the question of whether industrial or organic agriculture is better able to feed the world.

Matt Madia at Reg Watch asks why officials at USDA and FDA are so reluctant to re-examine the safety of using carbon monoxide to make packaged meat appear red for longer periods of time.

Lisa Stiffler at Dateline Earth explains how volunteers are using human hair and mushrooms to clean up the oil spill in the San Francisco Bay.