Ranbaxy settled an eight-year dispute with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday at the cost of $500 million.

Former director and global head of Research Information and Portfolio Management at Ranbaxy Laboratories, Dinesh Thakur, will go down in history as the man who brought down the Indian company in the United States’ most high-profile generic drug violation case in history. With the whistleblower’s help, the government was able to unravel years of falsified records and dangerous manufacturing practices within Ranbaxy, drawing attention to the need for better regulation of drugs sold in the U.S., regardless of where they are made. Thakur will receive $48.5 million for his efforts, according to Moneycontrol.com. More Ranbaxy Settles with FDA for $500 Million; Whistleblower to Get $48.5 Million

A new study published online in the journal Cancer shows a link between Agent Orange and lethal forms of prostate cancer.

During the Vietnam War, the chemical Agent Orange was used heavily and often contained the cancer-causing chemical dioxin. The study’s results show that Agent Orange was associated with a 52 percent increase in overall prostate cancer risk, a 75 percent increased risk of high-grade prostate cancer, and a nearly doubled risk of the most deadly forms of the disease. Researchers hope the data will help identity those Vietnam vets who are at the greatest risk for developing prostate cancer, according to HealthDay News. More New Study: Agent Orange Linked to Deadly Prostate Cancers

Cancer rates among 9/11 first responders are 15% higher than they are among people not exposed to the toxic debris at Ground Zero, a study found.

This increase was seen primarily in thyroid, prostate and blood cancers, including leukemia and lymphoma, according to researchers, as reported by the New York Daily News.

Researchers reviewed data from 20,984 participants in the World Trade Center Health Program from 2001 to 2008 and found 575 cases of cancer, compared with the 499 they had expected to see in the general population for that size sample, the Daily News said.

More Cancer Rates Among 9/11 First Responders Are 15% Higher

Around 60 former patients of a Tulsa, Okla., dentist accused of using dirty needles and instruments have tested positive for hepatitis and HIV. While the exact source of the infections remains unclear, the embattled dentist is slowly beginning to drown in lawsuits.

According to ABC News, more than 7,000 patients who used to visit W. Scott Harrington’s clinics were sent letters in late March warning them of the risk of infection as the result of poor sterilization practices; they were also informed about how to obtain free blood testing. To date, 3,122 patients have been tested by county health departments. Fifty-seven have tested positive for hepatitis C, three tested positive for hepatitis B, and one tested positive for HIV.

More At Tulsa-Based Dentist’s Office, 60 ex-Patients Test Positive for Hepatitis, HIV

A federal judge in California made a landmark verdict earlier this month when he ruled that federal authorities at the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) broke the law by leasing government-controlled land to natural gas and oil drilling companies without having proper environmental supervision and consideration of fracking risks.

The property, which was leased, features 2,700 acres of land in Monterey and Fresno counties. Citizens of Monterey County strongly opposed the lease when it was issued back in 2011. Along with local officials, citizens argued that fracking would place the municipal water supply at risk, planetsave.com said.

More Federal Judge Ruled Fracking Risks not Duly Considered in Government Leasing Agreement in California

Young children who live near asphalt sealed with coal tar are at an increased risk of developing cancer, a new study suggests. The study found that the risk is prevalent in people of all ages, but is greatest for children.

Coal tar is a basic ingredient in sealants that are used in the Eastern part of the United States to revive worn driveways and parking lots, Health Day said. However, study author Barbara Mahler, a research hydrologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Austin, Texas, said that the shiny black sealcoats are a rigorous source of cancer-causing chemicals known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs. Mahler said that when cars drive across this asphalt, the grinding action of the tires breaks it up into little particles and grinds them into a dust. That dust can be carried into homes on shoes or clothes. Rain can also wash it into surrounding soil and waterways.

More Risk of Developing Cancer Greater for Children who Live Near Asphalt That’s Sealed With Coal Tar

The husband of a woman who died from non-Hodgkin lymphoma has filed a lawsuit against the Whirlpool Corporation.

The lawsuit charges Whirlpool, which had a plant in Clyde, Ohio, with causing the death of Christina Largrou at the age of 22. According to the lawsuit, Largrou was a healthy 21 year old when she suddenly grew ill from cancer and died less than a year later in 2006. Since the mid 1990s, several people who live in or near Clyde have become sick, some fatally, from cancer. Questions continue to be asked regarding what is making the people sick and how it got there.

More Lawsuit Filed Against Whirlpool by Ohio Man Who Lost Wife to Cancer

Environmental scientists are praising the efforts of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in studying bisphenol A (BPA), a substance used everywhere, including in cash register receipts, and in the lining of foods cans.

The world’s health agencies insist that BPA is safe for humans and the environment, while some academic scientists argue that there is evidence that proves otherwise. Researchers administered BPA to various animals to try to determine if levels of the chemical are higher when administered certain ways. In particular, scientists want to know whether BPA affects developing fetuses and young children, and how it affects the body’s hormones, according to Forbes. More Environmentalists Praise FDA’s Studies on BPA

GE Healthcare has gained the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) approval for its new nuclear imaging agent, AndreView. It is an important win for the company, arriving after an Ohio jury ruled that the company had failed to warn doctors and patients about the risks associated with its Omniscan MRI imaging agent, particularly for those with kidney problems.

The company was ordered to pay $4.5 million to patient Paul Decker and $500,000 to his wife. Omniscan and many other imaging agents contain a metal known as gadolinium, which is considered toxic. Patients with kidney disease have an especially difficult time expelling gadolinium from their systems; gadolinium also can cause a rare disease called nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF).

The FDA banned the use of Omniscan in 2010 in individuals with severe kidney disease, and said that gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCA) were associated with a higher risk of NSF, and that screening for the disease needed to be improved. The agency encouraged doctors to report cases of the illness, according to MassDevice.com. More GE Healthcare Wins Approval of New Imaging Dye After $5 Million Judgement

In a Chicago courtroom yesterday, a surgeon and expert witness testified concerning a lawsuit filed against the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) subsidiary DePuy over its ASR XL hip implant device.

Orthopedic surgeon Tony Nargol confirmed that materials he prepared for his assistant’s use at conferences in 2007 indicated that, based on Nargol’s surgical experience, the ASR was safe and fit for continued use. Nargol is a former DePuy consultant who received funding from the company for his research. Nargol testified concerning the devices’ revision rates when implanted at an angle other than the suggested 45 degrees, according to Law360.com. More Surgeon and Expert Witness Called to Testify in Johnson & Johnson Lawsuit