NEW YORK — The Food and Drug Administration says it confirmed three new cases of a potentially lethal brain inflammation linked to the multiple sclerosis drug Tysabri.

There have been 13 reported cases of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, or PML, since mid-2006. The reports are the first confirmed new cases since June. While the disease is rare, the FDA says the risk appears to increase as patients remain on Tysabri.

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PARIS — Sanofi-Aventis SA will begin delivering the first doses of its new swine flu vaccine in the United States by mid-October, the head of France’s largest pharmaceutical company said Monday.

In an interview with French daily Le Figaro, Chris Viehbacher said deliveries of the vaccine in France could begin by late November, after approval by European drug regulators.

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BASEL, Switzerland — Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche Holding AG said Monday that it has had reports of 13 cases of pandemic swine flu becoming resistant to Tamiflu, which it calls a very low percentage.

A good sign is that the people who had the resistant strain have not passed the disease on to other people, said David Reddy, leader of Roche’s Tamiflu pandemic task force. And the resistant variety has been like the widespread version of the virus in that it typically produces only mild symptoms.

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ATLANTA — The first doses of swine flu vaccine may all be the nasal spray version, government health officials said Friday.

The government has said a trickle of vaccine will be available in early October, but on Friday they defined the size of that trickle — an estimated 3.4 million doses.

Currently it looks like all of them will be a nasal spray vaccine that is approved only for healthy people ages 2 to 49, said Dr. Jay Butler, an official with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Health authorities in Massachusetts have indicated that they will impose quarantines and mandatory vaccinations in the event of the H1N1 virus mutating into a lethal germ, but that forcible injections are not on the agenda for the swine flu outbreak as it stands.

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ATLANTA (AP) - Most people who get swine flu don’t need prescription flu drugs, nor do the “worried well,” government doctors said Tuesday as they issued new guidelines for medicines in big demand. The drugs Tamiflu and Relenza should only be used to treat people who are sick and at high risk for complications, federal health officials said.

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ATLANTA — Most people who get swine flu don’t need prescription flu drugs, nor do the “worried well,” government doctors said Tuesday as they issued new guidelines for medicines in big demand.

The drugs Tamiflu and Relenza should only be used to treat people who are sick and at high risk for complications, federal health officials said.

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Today, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies IFRC launches a worldwide communications effort to better prepare communities for the influenza A H1N1 pandemic. Entitled , this campaign focuses on five personal protection steps that everyone should take: Wash your hands, cover your mouth, keep your distance, separate your sick and dispose of your…

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Haggard also shared with the 600 worldwide pork industry executives that - months after the initial outbreak - 21 percent of those surveyed still believe they can catch the H1N1 virus by eating pork.

Haggard made his comments at the Fifth International Meat Secretariat (IMS) World Conference in Qingdao, China.

Источник: brownfieldagnews.com

BARCELONA, Spain — Swiss drugmaker Novartis said Thursday one of its swine flu vaccines may work with just one dose, rather than two as previously expected, a finding that could potentially boost global supplies.

In early results from human tests on one of its swine flu vaccine candidates, Novartis AG said one shot of its vaccine provided enough protection against the virus, as set out by criteria by U.S. and European drug regulators.

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