JURIST - Paper Chase: USDA nixes proposed regulation to test all US cattle for mad cow

In Monday's administrative law and agencies news, the US Department of Agriculture has responded coolly to US Senator Barbara Boxer's letter to USDA Secretary Ann Veneman suggesting that the USDA should invoke its emergency regulatory powers to require all cattle to be tested for mad cow disease at USDA expense. New mad cow-related regulations that included a ban on downer cattle entering the food supply were announced by Veneman on December 30, 2003. Read the USDA press release concerning the new regulations here. The Imperial Valley Press has more.... The Federal Trade Commission says that it is closing its investigation of Genzyme's Corporations 2001 acquisition of Novazyme Pharmaceuticals. Since both corporations were involved in research on enzyme-replacement treatment for Pompe disease, the investigation focused on the potential impact the transaction would have on the scope and pace of research into the development of a treatement for the disease. Read FTC Chairman Timothy J. Muris' statement here [PDF].