Categories
Cardiovascular
Diagnostics
Endocrinology
Health Insurance
Medical Devices
Mental Health
Nutrition
Oncology
Public Health
Sexual Health
Popular Articles

Healing Wounds With Lasers
Researchers from around the world will present the latest breakthroughs in electro-optics, lasers and the application of light waves at the 2009 Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics/International Quantum Electronics Conference (CLEO/IQEC) May 31 to June 5 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore.
generic viagra online
Singer Elton John Calls For Increased HIV/AIDS Education, Care
Singer Elton John on Tuesday at the 2009 Bio International Convention in Atlanta called for renewed efforts to fight HIV/AIDS, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. John, founder of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, addressed an audience that included CEOs of organizations working to develop HIV/AIDS therapies and vaccines. He called on governments and institutions to increase their focus on education, especially among young people; access to medical treatment; and needle-exchange programs (Poole, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 5/19)."There are long-standing stereotypes and prejudices that inhibit our efforts to combat AIDS," John said, adding, "I am asking for your leadership." According to John, CDC estimates that one in every three new HIV cases occurs among people younger than age 30, a statistic that he said has not received adequate attention. "It is unfathomable and unconscionable that we are not making a bigger effort to educate this demographic about HIV/AIDS with creative materials and up-to-date information," John said, adding, "Our failure to do so is costing lives" (Turner, AP/PennLive.com, 5/19). John also noted a recent report by the Kaiser Family Foundation, which found that the number of Americans who believe HIV/AIDS is an urgent health problem has declined to 6% currently from 44% in 1995. Bob McNally, CEO of GeoVax Labs, said John"s message is that "just not enough is being done" and that "people continue to die from the disease." He added that John "spurred the audience towards being advocates" (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 5/20).
News of the day
University Of Illinois Researcher Warn Cancers Set To 'Explode' In Latino/a Populations
The Latino/a population in the United States is expected to triple by 2050, according to projections from the U.S. Census Bureau. And along with that growth, says University of Illinois professor Lydia Buki, will come a rise in the number of individuals from that population who are diagnosed with cancer.
Mental Health

European Medicines Agency Recommends Withdrawal Of Dextropropoxyphene-containing Medicines

Finalising a review of the safety and efficacy of dextropropoxyphene-containing medicines, the European Medicines Agency"s Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) concluded that their risks, particularly the risk of potentially fatal overdose, are greater than their benefits. The Committee therefore recommended that the marketing authorisations for these medicines be withdrawn across the European Union. The withdrawal will be gradual to allow time for the safe transfer of patients to appropriate alternative therapies, in line with national recommendations. Dextropropoxyphene is a painkiller used to treat acute and chronic pain. It has been available as a prescription-only medicine for about 40 years, either on its own or in combination primarily with paracetamol, as tablets, capsules, suppositories and solutions for injection. There have been concerns over intentional and accidental fatal overdose with dextropropoxyphene-containing medicines for some years and a number of Member States had carried out independent safety reviews of these medicines authorised in their territories. These reviews have led to different conclusions, with some Member States withdrawing dextropropoxyphene-containing medicines from, and others maintaining them on, their markets. In order to provide for a harmonised level of protection of public health across the European Union, the European Commission asked the European Medicines Agency, in November 2007, to carry out a full assessment of the benefits and risks of combination-medicines containing dextropropoxyphene and paracetamol. This assessment was to determine whether the marketing authorisations for these medicines should be maintained, varied, suspended or withdrawn. Later, the procedure was extended to medicines that contain dextropropoxyphene as the only active substance. The available data have not provided evidence that dextropropoxyphene-containing medicines are more effective than other alternative painkillers. However, data from forensic centres and national mortality statistics from several Member States showed a significant number of deaths associated with overdose. Because no other adequate measures could be identified to minimise these risks sufficiently, the CHMP recommended that these medicines should be withdrawn from the market. The Agency"s recommendation has been forwarded to the European Commission for the adoption of a legally binding decision. Note 1. More information is available in a question-and-answer document. 2. The review was initiated by the European Commission under Article 31 of Directive 2001/83/EC, as amended. This type of procedure may be initiated in specific cases where the interest of the Community is involved. The expression "Community interest" has a broad meaning but it refers particularly to the interests of the public health in the Community, for example following concerns related to the quality, efficacy and/or safety of a medicinal product or new pharmacovigilance information. 3. Medicines containing dextropropoxyphene on its own are authorised in 10 Member States (Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Spain, Finland, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Sweden) and medicines containing dextropropoxyphene combined with paracetamol (sometimes with caffeine) are authorised in six Member States (Belgium, Cyprus, France, Luxembourg, Malta, and Portugal) and Norway. EMEA


Add your comment:
Name:
Site address: http://
Your message:
Enter today\\\\'s date, 2 digits
(spam protection):

© Copyright 2009