Health Highlights: Feb. 24, 2006
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Health Highlights: Feb. 24, 2006

Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

Glaxo Blocks Generic Nasal Spray Sales

GlaxoSmithKline has obtained a temporary restraining order blocking the shipment and sales of the just-approved generic competitor to its Flonase nasal spray for allergies.

A federal judge in Baltimore granted the 10-day order late Thursday, GlaxoSmithKline spokeswoman Mary Anne Rhyne said Friday, according to an Associated Press report.

The order covers Roxane Laboratories Inc.'s Fluticasone Propionate Nasal Spray, which the Food and Drug Administration approved Wednesday, as well as Par Pharmaceutical Companies Inc.'s own generic version of Flonase, which GlaxoSmithKline authorized.

Par said in a statement that it would comply with the order. Roxane Laboratories spokeswoman Dawn Plante said her company also ceased shipments, which had begun the day it received FDA approval.

But Plante said she expected that the restraining order would be lifted following a March 6 hearing.

"The FDA determined that Fluticasone is bioequivalent to Flonase, and we're confident that once the court has the opportunity to review the facts, the suspension will be lifted," Plante said.

The court order, which expires March 6, comes one day after GlaxoSmithKline sued the FDA alleging the agency failed to follow its own regulations in approving the Flonase generic and failed to apply the same quality standards, Rhyne said. The company made the same arguments in petitions it filed with the FDA, which the FDA rejected.

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French Officials Awaiting Results of Turkey Bird Flu Tests

Bird flu has been found on a turkey farm in France, but officials said Friday that they're still awaiting test results to confirm whether it's the deadly H5N1 strain, Agence France Presse reported.

If confirmed, it would be the first outbreak of the virus in poultry stocks in France, which is the largest poultry producerer in the European Union (EU). The H5N1 virus has been found in wild birds in France.

So far, the virus has been confirmed in 10 European countries.

EU health ministers were scheduled to meet Friday with international health experts on how to deal with large-scale outbreaks of H5N1. It's expected the EU ministers will agree to launch a public education campaign to raise awareness about bird flu, AFP reported.

Since it first appeared in 2003, the H5N1 virus has devastated poultry flocks and killed 92 people. Experts fear it may mutate into a form that's easily transmitted between humans and spark a pandemic.

Meanwhile, a new poll shows that about 60 percent of Americans are concerned about bird flu, but fewer than a third believe it will show up in the United States this year. The poll of 1,043 adults also found that blacks are more worried about bird flu than whites, the Associated Press reported.

The poll also found that only 2 percent of the respondents had talked to their doctor about Tamiflu or other antiretroviral drugs that might be used to treat bird flu in humans. Even fewer reported that they'd obtained a prescription, the AP reported.

That seems to contradict reports that many Americans are trying to stockpile Tamiflu.

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Three More People Placed on Antibiotics in Anthrax Case

As officials widened their investigation into an anthrax case in New York City, three people at a Brooklyn residence were placed under medical observation and put on antibiotics, Newsday reported.

In total, seven people in New York exposed to raw animal hides being used to make drums have been placed on antibiotics, the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene said in statement.

A 44-year-old Greenwich Village man with inhalation anthrax is listed in stable condition in a hospital in Pennsylvania. It's believed that Vado Diomande, a dancer and drummer, contracted the potentially fatal bacteria from untreated goat hides he got in West Africa two months ago, Newsday reported.

He was diagnosed with anthrax after he collapsed following a performance he gave in Sayre, Pennsylvania.

This is an isolated incident that does not pose a threat to public health or safety and there's not a shred of evidence suggesting criminal or terrorist activity, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg emphasized.

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Youth Hooded Fleece Recalled Due to Strangulation Hazard

About 22,000 youth hooded fleece garments with a drawstring are being recalled due to a strangulation hazard, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) said Friday.

The drawstring in the garment, made by Next Marketing Inc. of Wabash, Ind., poses a strangulation hazard. The drawstring should be removed or cut in order to eliminate the hazard, or the garments can be returned to the store where it was purchased for help in removing the drawstring, the CPSC said.

There have been no reports of injuries. The garments were sold across the United States by college book stores, department stores, and Web retailers from September 2003 to December 10, 2005 for about $15. A sewn-in tag reads "Lil Fan" or "LF 2."

The garments were sold in a variety of colors and many have the names of colleges and universities printed or embroidered on them.

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Fire Hazard Grounds Toy Flying Saucers

A fire and burn hazard has prompted the recall of about 180,000 radio-controlled toy flying saucers.

The battery charger cord sold with the Pro Flying Saucer can overcharge and cause the toy to overheat and result in a fire, said the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

There have been 56 reports of overheating, smoking, melting, and fire, including eight reports of minor damage to furniture, carpeting or countertops. There have been seven reports of minor burns to hands and fingers.

The item number of the recalled flying saucers is M12037, which can be found on the product's packaging. The toys were sold by QVC Inc. across the United States from November 2005 through December 2005 for $27 or $30.

Consumers should stop using this product immediately. QVC Inc. of West Chester, Pa., said it will notify all purchasers of the product about the recall and instruct them to return the battery charger cord in order to receive a new cord.

For more information, consumers can contact QVC Inc. toll-free at 1-800-367-9444 anytime.

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Many Nursing Home Residents Need New Drug Benefit: Study

There's a greater than expected need for the new Medicare drug benefit in U.S. nursing homes, where 20 percent of residents lack prescription drug coverage, says a University of Maryland study in the March issue of the journal Medical Care.

Of the nursing home residents without prescription drug coverage, 37 percent have incomes below the federal poverty level and 35 percent have incomes between 100 and 200 percent of the poverty level.

The study authors concluded that "there is a much greater need for Part D drug coverage among nursing home residents than commonly thought." They also found that many nursing home residents would likely qualify for subsidized Part D coverage for those with low incomes.

The authors noted that 56 percent of nursing home residents on Medicare also qualify for Medicaid. This could leave them vulnerable to changes in access to drugs that they need as the system switches from Medicaid to Medicare drug benefits.

 

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