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• FDA panel backs first pill to block HIV infection

  May 10, 2012 8:53 PM

  SILVER SPRING, Md. (AP) - The first drug shown to prevent HIV infection won the endorsement of a panel of federal advisers Thursday, clearing the way for a landmark approval in the 30-year fight against the virus that causes AIDS. In a series of votes, a Food and Drug Administration... more »

• Listeria outbreak sparks food safety forum

  February 23, 2012 6:07 AM

  DENVER (AP) - The governor's forum on Colorado agriculture plans to feature discussions on food safety and how to reduce outbreaks. This year, the annual event comes after a listeria outbreak was traced to cantaloupes grown at Jensen Farms in Colorado. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the... more »

• Electronic health records need work

  January 27, 2012 10:13 AM

  WASHINGTON (AP) -- America may be a technology-driven nation, but the health care system's conversion from paper to computerized records needs lots of work to get the bugs out, according to experts who spent months studying the issue. Hospitals and doctors' offices increasingly are going digital, the Bipartisan Policy... more »

• FDA backs Vytorin for kidney disease patients

  October 31, 2011 12:41 PM

  WASHINGTON (AP) - The Food and Drug Administration says Merck's cholesterol drug Vytorin helps reduce heart attack, stroke and related problems in patients with kidney disease, a potential new use for the blockbuster drug. The agency's review also found no new safety concerns with Vytorin, which came under scrutiny... more »

• Tainted sprouts may have Salmonella

  December 25, 2010 11:12 AM

  Contaminated alfalfa sprouts may have made 89 people sick across the country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that fifteen states and the Washington D.C. area may have been affected by a salmonella outbreak. Their investigation shows a possible link to alfalfa sprouts. The Illinois Department of... more »

• FDA warns egg company to clean up or be shut down

  October 19, 2010 9:10 AM

  The Food and Drug Administration is warning an Iowa egg company that it could be shut down if it doesn't clean up its act after recalling hundreds of millions of eggs this summer. This month, the FDA sent a letter to the owner of Iowa's Wright County Egg, urging... more »

• New valve procedure would end open heart surgery

  September 24, 2010 10:21 AM

  An experimental procedure may someday be an option for older Americans who need a new heart valve, but are too frail to survive open-heart surgery. Heart valve replacement generally requires major open-heart surgery which includes cutting through the breast bone and stopping the heart. But a new device not... more »

• FDA gives approval for new MS drug

  September 22, 2010 1:04 PM

  U.S. government health regulators have approved the first pill to treat the underlying causes of multiple sclerosis, a debilitating nervous system disorder that has traditionally been treated with injectable drugs. The Food and Drug Administration approved Swiss drugmaker Novartis' treatment Gilenya to reduce relapses in patients with multiple sclerosis,... more »

• Genetically engineered salmon now on FDA's plate

  September 20, 2010 6:23 AM

  The Food and Drug Administration is starting two days of hearings on whether genetically engineered salmon should be sold in a store near you. If the answer is yes, this type of salmon could become the first genetically engineered animal approved for human consumption. The FDA already has said... more »

• FDA panel split on withdrawing diet pill Meridia

  September 16, 2010 10:51 AM

  Federal health advisers are split over whether to withdraw the diet pill Meridia due to evidence that it increases heart attack and stroke risks, worrisome signs that led European regulators to ban the drug earlier this year. A panel of Food and Drug Administration advisers voted 8-8 on whether... more »

• High fructose corn syrup name change: Corn sugar

  September 14, 2010 11:50 AM

  The makers of high fructose corn syrup want to sweeten up its image with a new name: corn sugar. The bid to rename the sweetener by the Corn Refiners Association comes as Americans' concerns about health and obesity have sent consumption of high fructose corn syrup, used in soft... more »

• FDA warns of fatal side effect with MRI imaging drugs

  September 10, 2010 12:05 PM

  U.S. government health regulators are warning doctors that a class of injectable drugs used in MRI medical imaging scans can cause a rare and sometimes fatal condition in patients with kidney disease. The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday it is adding its strongest warning label to imaging agents... more »

• FDA commissioner: cook your eggs

  August 23, 2010 10:37 AM

  An over-easy egg should make you uneasy -- according to the head of the Food and Drug Administration. Margaret Hamburg says consumers should strictly avoid runny yolks, as investigators continue their probe of a salmonella outbreak that has sickened 1,300 people. About a half billion eggs have been... more »

• FDA declares Gulf seafood safe to eat

  August 3, 2010 9:15 AM

  Seafood from some parts of the oil-fouled Gulf of Mexico has been declared safe to eat by the government, based in part on human smell tests. But even some Gulf fishermen are questioning whether the fish and shrimp are OK to feed to their own families. Some are turning... more »

• Pfizer halts testing of back pain drug tanezumab

  July 19, 2010 8:10 PM

  Drugmaker Pfizer Inc. is stopping tests of an experimental drug for two types of pain at the request of federal regulators. Pfizer was testing tanezumab in patients with chronic low back pain and with painful nerve damage from diabetes complications. The move comes four weeks after Pfizer halted... more »

• Breast cancer drug Avastin not showing the same results as two years ago

  July 16, 2010 2:45 PM

  Federal health scientists say follow-up studies of the breast cancer drug Avastin show it did not slow tumor growth to the same degree as reported in earlier studies or extend patient lives. The Food and Drug Administration gave Roche's blockbuster drug conditional approval two years ago based on early-stage... more »

• FDA panel narrowly sides against weight loss pill

  July 15, 2010 4:03 PM

  A Food and Drug Administration panel has voted 9-7 against Vivus Inc.'s Qnexa citing the experimental obesity treatment's negative side effects. Federal health advisers say the negative effects on concentration and memory outweigh its ability to help patients lose weight. The vote deals a major setback to the Mountainview,... more »

• Diabetes pill controversy shows rift in FDA ranks

  July 13, 2010 4:02 PM

  The diabetes pill Avandia has been used by millions of patients and racked up billions in sales in more than a decade on the market. This week the Food and Drug Administration is trying to answer a seemingly simple question: Does it cause heart attacks? It's the type of... more »

• FDA to review first of 3 new weight loss drugs

  July 12, 2010 10:06 AM

  The first of a trio of new weight loss drugs will be unveiled this week, carrying hope of success where others failed -- safely delivering significant weight loss. With U.S. obesity rates nearing 35 percent of the adult population, expectations are high for the first new prescription drug therapies... more »

• New hope for patients with macular degeneration

  July 8, 2010 12:15 PM

  To combat the leading cause of blindness in the elderly, the Food and Drug Administration has approved use of a telescope that's implanted directly into the eye. The implantable miniature telescope is placed in the center of one eye to help with loss of central vision that affects patients... more »

• FDA concerned about too much medical radiation

  June 14, 2010 8:30 AM

  The Food and Drug Administration is taking a hard look at medical radiation because of evidence that Americans get too much of it from tests. The average American's dose has grown sixfold in the past few decades. Americans get the most medical radiation in the world, accounting for... more »

• FDA looks hard at DNA testing for hereditary diseases

  June 11, 2010 11:47 AM

  The Food and Drug Administration is issuing regulatory letters to five genetic test makers, the first sign that the government is cracking down on companies that claim to use DNA samples to predict inheritable diseases. The FDA letters notify each company that their tests are considered medical devices and... more »

• FDA stepping up oversight of nation's produce

  June 9, 2010 8:37 AM

  It's the little things that often make food unsafe. And now, the government is looking to tighten the oversight of produce. Worker hygiene, undetected animal contact and runoff from animal manure are often difficult to identify as the sources of food-borne illness -- something that's frustrated health authorities for... more »

• Report says FDA struggles to keep food safe

  June 8, 2010 10:03 AM

  A new report says the Food and Drug Administration is stretched thin and needs to reorganize to better keep the nation's food safe. The report released by the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council Tuesday says the agency needs to become more efficient and better target its... more »

• Safety warnings for weight loss drugs Alli and Xenical

  May 27, 2010 11:48 AM

  The FDA is updating the label of a popular weight loss drug after receiving reports of liver damage. There have been 13 cases of severe liver injury linked to the weight loss drug Alli, and the prescription version of the drug called Xenical. Three patients needed liver transplants... more »

• FDA approves swine flu test for permanent use

  May 24, 2010 3:39 PM

  The Food and Drug Administration says it has approved the first diagnostic test for 2009 swine flu under its traditional approval system. The FDA previously cleared several tests on a limited basis for use during the declared public health emergency related to swine flu. The new Simplexa Influenza... more »

• E. Coli probe focuses on lettuce from Arizona

  May 7, 2010 8:14 AM

  Two people briefed on the probe say the FDA is focusing its investigation on lettuce grown in Arizona as a possible source for an E. coli outbreak. At least 19 people in Ohio, New York and Michigan have been sickened, including students on three college campuses, prompting a recall... more »

• FDA probes diabetes risk with prostate cancer meds

  May 3, 2010 1:25 PM

  The Food and Drug Administration is looking into data suggesting a group of prostate cancer drugs increase the risk of diabetes and heart disease. The drugs are used to suppress the hormone testosterone, which fuels the growth of prostate cancer tumors. Occasionally the drugs are used by women to... more »

• FDA investigates recall of children's medicine

  May 1, 2010 11:57 AM

  The Food and Drug Administration says it is investigating after a health-care company recalled more than 40 over-the-counter infant's and children's liquid medication s. McNeil Consumer Healthcare issued the voluntary recall late Friday in the United States and 11 other countries after consulting with the FDA. The recall involves children's... more »

• FDA investigating recall of children's medicine

  May 1, 2010 11:49 AM

  The Food and Drug Administration says it is investigating after a health-care company recalled more than 40 over-the-counter infant's and children's liquid medications. McNeil Consumer Healthcare issued the voluntary recall late Friday in the United States and 11 other countries after consulting with the FDA. The recall involves children's versions... more »

• FDA warns Pfizer for lax oversight of drug study

  April 20, 2010 1:19 PM

  Federal regulators say the drugmaker Pfizer has failed to correct problems with its testing procedures that resulted in overdoses for more than two dozen patients during a company trial. The Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning letter saying Pfizer is not properly monitoring physicians testing an experimental... more »

• Report: FDA should force rollback in salty foods

  April 20, 2010 11:19 AM

  An independent group that advises the government on health matters is urging the Food and Drug Administration to regulate the amount of salt in food, and the FDA says the idea is under consideration. Americans eat about 1½ teaspoons of salt daily, more than double what they need for good... more »

• FDA warns against drinking raw milk

  March 26, 2010 1:19 PM

  The Food and Drug Administration has said it more than once, and they'll say it again: Don't drink raw milk. The FDA says there are 12 confirmed cases of illness in Michigan after consumers drank raw milk from Forest Grove Dairy in Middlebury, Ind. According to the agency, raw... more »

• Pfizer says FDA OKs updated infection vaccine

  February 24, 2010 12:23 PM

  Pfizer says the Food and Drug Administration has approved an updated version of its best-selling infection vaccine for children. Prevnar 13 is intended to reduce the risk of infection by 13 varieties of pneumococcal disease, which causes ear infections, meningitis and pneumonia. The new vaccine adds protection against six additional... more »

• FDA flags heart risk with HIV drug combination

  February 23, 2010 12:15 PM

  The Food and Drug Administration is warning about potential heart risks of combining two anti-HIV drugs. The agency says preliminary data suggest Roche's Invirase and Abbott Laboratories' Norvir can effect the electrical activity of the heart when used together. The FDA is reviewing data submitted by Roche on heart activity... more »

• NJ drug company agrees to pay $3.5 settlement

  February 22, 2010 5:50 PM

  Federal prosecutors say a New Jersey pharmaceutical company has agreed to pay $3.5 million to settle allegations that it claimed its heart drug was eligible for Medicaid reimbursement. The U.S. attorney's office in Boston said Monday that Eon Labs Inc., a subsidiary of Swiss company Novartis AG, submitted false... more »

• FDA warning against over-use of certain asthma drugs

  February 21, 2010 10:24 AM

  The food and drug administration is warning against over-use of certain asthma drugs. The medications are in the class of long-acting beta agonists, or LABA's. the FDA says the drugs should be used for the shortest time possible to control asthma. Officials say research has shown the medications may... more »

• FDA warning against over-use of certain asthma drugs

  February 21, 2010 10:18 AM

  The food and drug administration is warning against over-use of certain asthma drugs. The medications are in the class of long-acting beta agonists, or LABA's. the FDA says the drugs should be used for the shortest time possible to control asthma. Officials say research has shown the medications may... more »

• FDA asks Amgen, J&J to discuss anemia drug risks

  February 16, 2010 12:22 PM

  Amgen and Johnson & Johnson will do more to publicize the safety risks of their anemia drugs for cancer patients, under an agreement reached with government regulators. The risk management plan developed with the Food and Drug Administration is the latest government action to target the blockbuster biotech drugs. Amgen... more »

• Colorado Springs man convicted in steroid smuggling case

  February 3, 2010 8:54 AM

  The former owner of a Colorado Springs pharmacy has been convicted of illegally importing and distributing anabolic steroids and Chinese-made human growth hormones. A federal jury deliberated for parts of three days before convicting Thomas Bader on 31 counts Tuesday. The charges included conspiracy and the distribution of human... more »

• FDA announces recall of 2 million defective needles

  January 26, 2010 3:15 PM

  Federal health officials are announcing a recall of 2 million needles because of a risk they can push bits of silicone into patients' bodies. The Food and Drug Administration said Miami-based Nipro Medical Corp. has voluntarily recalled its Exel/Exelint Huber needles manufactured between January 2007 and August 2009. ... more »

• Group urges recall of drug for fibromyalgia

  January 20, 2010 11:27 AM

  A consumer advocacy group is asking government regulators to recall a drug they approved last year for a little-understood pain ailment, saying the pill can lead to dangerously high blood pressure. A letter Wednesday from Public Citizen calls on the Food and Drug Administration to pull Savella off the market,... more »

• FDA debates tougher cancer warning on tanning beds

  January 18, 2010 12:56 PM

  The government is considering tougher warnings for users of tanning beds. The Food and Drug Administration says they're putting themselves at risk of skin cancer. Before spring, it will hold a public hearing to consider stricter tanning bed regulations, including stiffer warnings. A specialist on UV radiation -- the same... more »