Genzyme’s supplemental NDA for treating adult AML with Clolar to be discussed by the FDA

Genzyme Corporation (Nasdaq: GENZ) announced today that its supplemental New Drug Application for Clolar® (clofarabine) will be discussed Tuesday, September 1 at a public meeting of the FDA’s Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee in Silver Spring, Maryland. The panel is expected to consider the clinical trial results Genzyme submitted to support the approval and labeling of [...]

FDA approves Watson Pharmaceuticals’ ANDA for Levonorgestrel tablets

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE: WPI), a leading specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced that its subsidiary, Watson Laboratories, Inc., has received approval today from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for Levonorgestrel Tablets, 0.75 mg for over-the-counter use in women ages 17 and above, as well as [...]

September Is Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month

September is Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month, and The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) is making experts available to discuss the risks, treatment and prevention options surrounding the various forms of this disease. Gynecologic cancer is the growth and spread of cancer cells in the cervix, ovaries, uterus, fallopian tubes, vagina and vulva. According to [...]

Link Between Feelings Of Hopelessness and Stroke Risk In Healthy Women

Healthy middle-aged women with feelings of hopelessness appear to experience thickening of the neck arteries, which can be a precursor to stroke, according to new research out of the University of Minnesota Medical School.

Routine Circumcision Does Not Protect Against HIV For Men Who Have Sex With Men, CDC Study Finds

Although previous research in African countries has shown that circumcision helps reduce a man’s risk of contracting HIV through heterosexual intercourse, a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests the procedure does not provide protection for men who have sex with men — one of the groups most at risk for [...]

San Francisco Postpones Agency Cuts, Los Angeles AIDS Clearinghouse Closes

San Francisco health officials “have postponed cutting” contracts for HIV/AIDS programs “until mid-October in order to give the Board of Supervisors time to respond to” larger cuts to services made by the state, the Bay Area Reporter reports. Last week the California Office of AIDS

Charitable Donation of Pacemakers Harvested After Death Ramps Up in the US

Pacemaker reuse isn’t permitted within the US, but it is legal for Americans to donate devices with substantial remaining battery life after the patient dies for use in less affluent countries. It’s been happening on a small scale for years. A University of Michigan program is trying to make it common. Heartwire

Blood Tests May Facilitate Screening for Type 2 Diabetes in Obese Youth

A study shows that hemoglobin A1c and 1,5-anhydroglucitol are excellent predictors of type 2 diabetes in insulin-resistant obese children. Medscape Medical News

Diluted Bleach Bath Helps Reduce Atopic Dermatitis, Staphylococcus aureus

A study published in the May 2009 issue of Pediatrics looks at use of intermittent nasal mupirocin along with baths in dilute bleach. Medscape Pediatrics

Overweight and Obesity Linked to Lower Brain Volume

Excess body weight in the elderly has been linked to lower brain volume, reinforcing the hypothesis that what’s bad for the heart is also bad for the brain. Medscape Medical News