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Vietnamese HIV/AIDS Department Announces Funding For Prevention Efforts
Vietnamese officials announced recently that about 678 billion dong, or about $38.7 million, will be allocated for HIV/AIDS prevention efforts in the country in 2009, the VNA/VietnamPlus.com reports. The announcement was made during a press briefing earlier this week held by the Department for HIV/AIDS Prevention and the Vietnam Journalists Association to review Vietnam"s HIV/AIDS efforts in 2008. Health officials at the briefing said that more than 27,000 people living with HIV/AIDS received treatment through one of the 207 district-level clinics put in place last year and that about 6,000 peer educators and health workers distributed information about the disease to 53.8% of the country"s districts.The new funding will help provide antiretroviral treatment to an estimated 32,000 people living with HIV/AIDS. It also will be used to provide post-exposure prophylaxis to health workers. In addition, the funding will allow up to 90% of HIV-positive pregnant women to receive antiretroviral treatment and information about preventing mother-to-child transmission. Last year, 20,260 new HIV cases were reported in Vietnam, of which 7,452 had progressed to AIDS, according to the HIV/AIDS department. The city of Ho Chi Minh reported the largest number of HIV cases with more than 34,000, accounting for more than 25% of the total number of cases in Vietnam (VNA/VietnamPlus.com, 5/12).
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Study Examines Efficacy Of Merck Drug On HIV Reservoirs
Patients who added Merck"s HIV drug Isentress to their regular daily HIV drug regimen "fared no better than those who added a placebo to the mix," as the drug failed to "reduce low-level reservoirs of HIV," in the body, according to findings presented at the International AIDS Society conference in Cape Town, South Africa, Bloomberg reports. As part of the 53-participant study led by Harvard University, researchers looked at patients whose viral loads were at undetectable levels and "were given either Isentress or a placebo for 12 weeks, then switched to the alternate agent for an additional 12 weeks. The study found no difference in low levels of the virus between the two groups, using a highly sensitive test," the article states. "The results are a setback for doctors looking for ways to seek and destroy the last vestiges of HIV, which aren"t reached by currently available drugs. Eliminating these so-called viral reservoirs may potentially cure patients, allowing them to stop taking daily medicines," according to Bloomberg (Pettypiece, 7/22).
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Can Inflammatory Arthritis Be 'Worse Than Death'?
Patients with inflammatory arthritis completing a health-related quality of life questionnaire report levels of pain that result in their health being rated as "worse than death" by members of the general population.
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FDA: Boxed Warning On Serious Mental Health Events To Be Required For Chantix And Zyban

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it is requiring manufacturers to put a Boxed Warning on the prescribing information for the smoking cessation drugs Chantix (varenicline) and Zyban (bupropion). The warning will highlight the risk of serious mental health events including changes in behavior, depressed mood, hostility, and suicidal thoughts when taking these drugs. "The risk of serious adverse events while taking these products must be weighed against the significant health benefits of quitting smoking," said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director, the FDA"s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. "Smoking is the leading cause of preventable disease, disability, and death in the United States and we know these products are effective aids in helping people quit." Similar information on mental health events will be required for bupropion marketed as the antidepressant Wellbutrin and for generic versions of bupropion. These drugs already carry a Boxed Warning for suicidal behavior in treating psychiatric disorders. Woodcock said health care professionals who prescribe Chantix and Zyban should monitor their patients for any unusual changes in mood or behavior after starting these drugs. She added that patients should immediately contact their health care professional if they experience such changes. The FDA"s request for the additional warnings is based on a review of reports submitted to the agency"s Adverse Event Reporting System since the time the products were marketed and on an analysis of information from clinical trials and scientific literature. The analyses revealed that some who have taken Chantix and Zyban have reported experiencing unusual changes in behavior, become depressed, or had their depression worsen, and had thoughts of suicide or dying. In many cases, the problems began shortly after starting the medication and ended when the medication was stopped. However, some people continued to have symptoms after stopping the medication. Also, in a few cases, the problems began after the medication was stopped. Neither Chantix nor Zyban contain nicotine and some of these symptoms may be a response to nicotine withdrawal. People who stop smoking may experience symptoms such as depression, anxiety, irritability, restlessness, and sleep disturbances. However, some patients who were using these products experienced the reported adverse events while they were still smoking. In addition to the Boxed Warning, the FDA also is requesting more information in the Warnings section of the prescribing information and updated information in the Medication Guide for patients that further discuss the risk of mental health events when using these products. Manufacturers also will be required to conduct a clinical trial to determine how often serious neuropsychiatric symptoms occur in patients using various smoking cessation therapies, including patients who currently have psychiatric disorders. The FDA"s review of adverse events for patients using nicotine patches did not identify a clear link between those medications and suicidal events. Chantix is manufactured by New York-based Pfizer Inc. Zyban is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, Brentford, Middlesex, United Kingdom. U.S. Food and Drug Administration


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