Medical Letter on the CDC and FDA

Outbreaks - Marburg virus was linked to large hemorrhagic fever outbreak in Angola

Rotavirus Epidemiology - Rotavirus results in significant number of hospitalizations in U.S.

Streptococcus Genetics & Genomics - Streptococci from children in Nepal share genetic relatedness with isolates from other countries

Virology - Real-time quantitative PCR assays to detect virus-specific DNA have been developed

Addiction Medicine - Severity of Dependence Scale indicates cannabis dependence in adolescents

Alcohol Use - Gabapentin does not alter effects of alcohol

Alcohol Use - Single question about drunkenness can detect college students at risk for injury

Allergy & Immunology - Effect of gastric digestion on food allergy is focus of review

Antimicrobial Resistance - Accuracy of antibacterial and antifungal susceptibility tests is reported

Avian Influenza Vaccine - Reverse-genetics-produced H5N1 bird flu vaccine protects ferrets

Bioterrorism - Method to retrospectively identify ricin in animal tissues has been developed

Breast Cancer - Albumin-bound paclitaxel is the focus of review

Burn Therapy - Burn-cooling blanket reduces evaporative water loss without causing hypothermia

Business Update - Corgenix submits U.S. FDA Premarket Notification of AspirinWorks Test Kit

Business Update - CytoCore engages Beaufort Advisors as U.S. FDA consultants for trials and product manufacturing

Business Update - Lupin announces approval of Meloxicam Tablets

Cancer Diagnosis - Workshop was conducted on biomarker validation for cancer diagnosis

Cancer Gene Therapy - Pseudovirion gene delivery of a toxin treats human adenocarcinomas

Cancer Prevention - Effect of long-term raloxifene on estradiol may enhance its use as cancer-preventive agent

Cancer Therapy - Cancer, quackery and meanings of hope in 1950s America are examined

Cardiac Medical Devices - Spectranetics enrolls first patient in trial of laser ablation device in arterial blockage

Cardiac Medical Devices - SynCardia receives CE mark to market artificial heart with 20-pound portable drive unit

Cardiac Medical Devices - U.S. FDA approves St. Jude Medical's devices for treating heart arrhythmias, heart failure

Chickenpox Vaccine - Live varicella vaccine benefits HIV-infected children with depressed CD4+ T cell counts

Child Abuse - Anxiety Disorder Interview Schedule IV is inadequate for detecting childhood maltreatment

Clinical Trials - U.S. FDA cancels meeting on proposed clinical trial for blood substitute product

Collaborations - Whatman to screen for parasites in produce, water supply under collaboration with U.S. FDA

Colon Cancer - Intracel gets SPA from U.S. FDA for pivotal Phase III study of OncoVAX colon cancer vaccine

Complementary & Alternative Medicine -  Panax notoginseng attenuates LPS-induced pro-inflammatory mediators

Contraception - U.S. FDA approves Implanon 68 mg, first and only single-rod implantable contraceptive

DNA Vaccine - Toll-like receptor adaptor molecules enhance immune responses against influenza and tumors

Diabetes Medical Devices - U.S. FDA approves Medtronic's continuous glucose monitoring system for diabetes management

Diabetes Pathogenesis - M₃ muscarinic acetylcholine receptors play key role in regulating insulin and glucose

Diarrhea Surveillance - Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli most frequently isolated pathogen in U.S. military in Egypt

Diet & Nutrition - Community-based program to manage malnutrition was effective in Ethiopia

Diet & Nutrition - U.S. FDA warns consumers about danger of "dietary supplements" promoted for sexual enhancement

Down Syndrome - Down syndrome survival data among infants in Metropolitan Atlanta is presented

Drug Delivery - BioDelivery Sciences International submits two Emezine study designs to U.S. FDA

Drug Delivery - U.S. FDA grants premarket approval to Milestone to sell computer controlled infusion pump

Drug Development - Cortex issues CX717 Clinical Hold update

Drug Development - Crucell announces suspension of Aerugen clinical development

Drug Development - Recombinant human alpha-1 proteinase inhibitors are reviewed

Drug Development - Somaxon Pharmaceuticals updates development program for doxepin Hc1 treatment for insomnia

Drug Safety - Sindbis virus is tool for quality control of viral inactivation of plasma-derived products

Ebola Virus - Reverse genetic generation of Ebola viruses attenuates virus growth

Environmental Health - Method to identify contaminant sources in water distribution systems has been developed

Epidermolysis Bullosa - Cambrex and Ortec submit to U.S. FDA Humanitarian Device Exemption application for OrCel

Finance - Sinovac Biotech reports fiscal year 2005 sales increase of 33.4% to $8,608,000 over 2004

Food-Borne Illness - Front-face fluorescence spectroscopy method to monitor egg freshness has been developed

Gastroenterology - Wyeth, Progenics report methylnaltrexone for postop ileus gets U.S. FDA fast track status

Generic Drugs - Teva announces final U.S. FDA approval of AB-rated generic equivalent arthritis drug

Generic Drugs - U.S. FDA grants tentative approval for generic Didanosine chewable tablets for AIDS

HIV/AIDS Diagnostics - CD4 count, CD4%, and HIV viral load are correlated with HIV symptoms

HIV/AIDS Therapy - U.S. FDA approves first once-a-day three-drug combination tablet for treating HIV-1

HIV/AIDS Vaccine - HIV-1SF162-derived envelope gp140 proteins do not protect against SHIV

HIV/AIDS Vaccine - Vaccination preserves CD4 memory T cells during acute SIV challenge

Head & Neck Cancer - Head and neck cancer chemotherapy options reviewed

Healthcare Access - Effects of state parity laws on mental health care are examined

Healthcare Access - State Medicaid policies present obstacles for obtaining chemical dependency treatment

Hematology - Abbott receives U.S. FDA clearance for Cell-Dyn Ruby hematology instrument

Hepatitis B Virus - Abbott receives U.S. FDA approval for automated blood screening tests for hepatitis B

Hepatitis B Virus - Neutralization epitope is responsible for hepatitis B virus protection

Imaging - Fetal structures in multiple perspectives in real time were examined by direct 4-D imaging

Immunology - Interferon-beta contributes to immune activation induced by double-stranded DNA

Influenza Vaccine - Immunoglobulin mucin-1 antibodies and inactivated influenza enhances cross-strain reactivity

Influenza Vaccine - Multifaceted roles for CD4+ T cells in protective immunity to influenza are reviewed

Influenza Virus - Features of fatal influenza in U.S. children during 2003-2004 are presented

Influenza Virus - U.S. FDA issues complete response letter to MedImmune's new formulation of FluMist

Lung Cancer - Overdiagnosis in lung cancer screening persists

Malaria Vaccine - TNF-alpha was associated with fetal death in malaria during pregnancy

Medical Devices - Alphatec Holdings announces U.S. FDA clearance of adjustable bridge product

Medical Devices - Biolase gets U.S. FDA clearance for Oculase MD Laser System for ophthalmology