Medical Letter on the CDC and FDA

Antimicrobials - Antimicrobial resistance trends in health care facilities

Drug Safety - Internet pharmaceutical products fall short of U.S. standards

Epidemiology - Report summarizes surveillance of rabies in U.S. during 2004

Food Safety - Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin was found in baby food made from chicken fed ball clay

Obesity Surgery - Costs and complications of weight loss surgery are focus of review

Acute Peripheral Arterial Occlusion - Alfimeprase receives U.S. FDA fast track status for acute peripheral arterial occlusion

Allergy & Immunology - TLR9 regulates Th1 responses and cooperates with TLR2 in mediating optimal MTB resistance

Avian Influenza - U.S. Department of Agriculture conditionally approves avian flu type A antigen test

Avian Influenza - Vaccine provides 100% protection against avian flu virus in animal study

Avian Influenza Vaccine - Virus-like particles of H9N2 influenza virus induce protection

Blood Pressure - Blood pressure cuff size selected based on new height and weight tables

Business Update - Strategic realignment lets company focus on Provenge BLA and commercialization

Cancer Therapy - Joint effect of BSD-2000 system with NCI-endorsed cancer treatment being researched

Cardiology - Cardiac resynchronization devices are the focus of review

Cell Therapy - Whole-blood leukodepletion filters are a source of CD34+ progenitors for cell therapy

Chickenpox - Report describes a case of sudden death in childhood due to varicella pneumonia

Clinical Trials - Experts to address use of patient-reported outcomes in clinical trials

Clinical Trials - Patients enrolled in trial of subcutaneous anticancer drug Genasense with solid tumors

Clinical Trials - U.S. FDA approves first clinical trial for second-generation cervical artificial disc

Collaborations - Alliance formed for the development of Fodosine

Cord Blood - IL-21 induces differentiation of naive and memory B cells into Ab-secreting plasma cells

Diagnostics - IgG avidity assays distinguish acute and chronic West Nile virus infections

Diet & Nutrition - Low-dose vitamin C does not improve diabetic endothelial dysfunction and insulin resistance

Diet & Nutrition - New U.S. FDA findings underscore safety of canned tuna

Diet & Nutrition - Role of vitamin D in chronic inflammation and insulin resistance in diabetes is reviewed

Drug Development - IND submitted to U.S. FDA for trastuzumab-DMI effective

Drug Development - Phase III trial for antidepressant initiated

Drug Development - U.S. FDA grants review of NDA for once-daily formulation of analgesic tramadol

Drug Development - U.S. FDA joint advisory committee recommends approval of weight loss drug for OTC use

Drug Development - U.S. FDA tentatively approves ANDA for augmented betamethasone dipropionate skin lotion

Drug Development - U.S. IND filing for HIV/AIDS therapeutic is delayed

Finance - Neurocrine Biosciences reports net loss of $23.9 million for fourth quarter

Finance - Pharma company announces $5 million milestone payment from Serono for R763

Finance - ScinoPharm reports active pharmaceutical ingredient sales of US$31 million in 2005

Foot-and-Mouth Disease - Noncapsid proteins identify foot-and-mouth disease viral circulation

Generic Drugs - Tentative U.S. FDA approval granted for three additional strengths of generic heart failure drug

Genetics & Genomics - Directions identified to prevent, diagnose, and cure tuberculosis

HIV/AIDS Occupational Injury - Work-related injury rates increased among HIV-infected gold miners