Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:
U.S. Taps Drugmaker for Bird Flu Vaccine Development
The U.S. Department of Health and Services said Wednesday it has contracted with drugmaker MedImmune Inc to develop a series of nasal spray vaccines against bird flu.
Scientists have long warned of a possible human pandemic if the bird flu virus mutates and becomes more easily passed between people. So far, the H5N1 strain of the virus has led to the deaths of more than 50 people in Southeast Asia and the slaughter of millions of birds.
MedImmune has devised a technique of using a weakened live virus in its nasal spray vaccines, while killed viruses are used in flu vaccines that are injected. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) wants to test if the company's technique is effective against bird flu. There are 16 known subtypes of bird flu, and MedImmune will start the process of systematically creating a vaccine for each one, beginning with the strains considered most dangerous, NIAID said in a statement.
MedImmune currently produces a nasal vaccine called FluMist to combat the annual strains of human flu.
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Chemotherapy Drug May be Contaminated
American Pharmaceutical Partners is recalling the chemotherapy drug Fluorouracil, which may be contaminated with microscopic particles of glass, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Wednesday on its Web site.
Affected vials of the injected product bear the code 101710, the company said in a letter to physicians. The document said prescribing doctors can use affected supplies but should filter the liquid to sift out any glass particles.
Fluorouracil can be used against certain cancers, including those of the bowel, breast, and stomach.
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Lipitor Approved for Diabetics With Heart Risks
Use of the popular cholesterol drug Lipitor has been widened to include diabetics who have risk factors for heart disease.
Pfizer announced Tuesday that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had approved the broader use of the drug that helps cut the risk of stroke and heart attack.
The manufacturer also said the FDA approved Lipitor to reduce the chance of stroke in people without diabetes but who have multiple other risk factors, the Associated Press reported.
People considered at higher risk for stroke include those who are 55 or older, smoke, are obese or have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, a family history of stroke, or diabetes.
A study of 2,800 patients with type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the condition, near normal cholesterol, and at least one other risk factor for stroke showed that patients on Lipitor suffered 50 percent fewer strokes than those taking a placebo, Pfizer said. Another study of people with multiple risk factors for stroke found that Lipitor reduced the risk of stroke by 26 percent compared to those taking a placebo, the company added.
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Acid Reflux Treatment Sales Suspended
Sales of the Enteryx injection treatment for acid reflux disease have been suspended after more than two dozen reports of patient problems, according to the drug manufacturer, Boston Scientific Corp.
The company insists Enteryx is safe, but says some patients have been harmed because of improper use by doctors, including puncturing the wall of the esophagus, the Associated Press reported.
Some patients have suffered swelling, leakage and ulcers in the esophagus. One patient died last year after a doctor injecting Enteryx accidentally hit the wall of the patient's aorta.
Enteryx is a liquid polymer that's injected directly into the walls of the esophagus. After being injected, Enteryx thickens into a permanent spongy lump meant to help prevent stomach acid from flowing into the throat.
The treatment received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval in 2003 and has been used in about 3,800 patients, the AP reported. Boston Scientific issued a safety alert about Enteryx in July 2004.
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Letter Warns About Drug Mix-Ups
Serious health problems have resulted from mix-ups in prescriptions of three drugs with similar names, pharmacists and doctors were warned in a letter released Tuesday by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The three drugs are: Toprol-XL, also known as metoprolol succinate; Topamax, also known as topiramate; and Tegretol, also known as carbamazepine. Toprol-XL is used to treat hypertension, chest pain and some kinds of heart failure; Topamax is used to treat epilepsy and to prevent migraines; and Tegretol is used to treat certain kinds of seizures and a nerve disorder than causes severe head pain.
The letter from drug maker AstraZeneca asks doctors and pharmacists to take extra care in prescribing the three drugs, the Associated Press reported.
Patients who've received the wrong drugs have suffered recurrences of seizures, hallucinations and hypertension, the letter states. At least one patient who mistakenly received Toprol-XL suffered a dangerous drop in heart rate and at least one suicide attempt was possibly linked to a prescription mix-up, the AP reported.
The letter urges doctors to write legible prescriptions that include both the brand and generic names of the drugs. It also asks that pharmacist double-check drug names against prescriptions.
