Here are some of the latest health and medical news
developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:
High Court Rules on Generics' Labeling
Companies that make generic drugs can't be held responsible for
not having label warnings about potential dangers of their drugs
when the equivalent brand-name drug doesn't do so, the U.S. Supreme
Court ruled Thursday.
In a 5-4 decision, the high court ruled against a woman who sued
PLIVA Inc. and other generic drug makers after she allegedly
developed the neurological movement disorder tardive dyskinesia
after taking metoclopramide, which is often used to treat
heartburn, the
Associated Press reported.
Her lawsuit focused on the fact that the generic drug's
manufacturers and distributors did not include warnings about
tardive dyskinesia on the label. The brand-name equivalent Reglan
did not carry a warning about the condition.
In other news, the Supreme Court also ruled Thursday that states
can't limit drug makers' use of data about which prescription drugs
doctors tend to choose for their patients, the
AP reported.
The high court voted 6-3 to strike down a Vermont law that seeks
to increase the use of generic drugs by controlling the flow of
information about brand-name drugs. Similar rules in Maine and New
Hampshire may be affected by the ruling.
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One-Fourth of Same-Sex Couples in U.S. Raising Children
Children are being raised in about one-quarter of same-sex
households in the United States, 2010 U.S. Census data
suggests.
This is the first time the census has counted same-sex couples
and their children and data release so far shows that the
percentage of same-sex couples raising children is 27 percent in
Hawaii, 23 percent in Alabama, 28 percent in Wyoming, 21 percent in
California, 19 percent in Delaware, 26 percent in Kansas, and 20
percent in Pennsylvania,
ABC News reported.
The figures are being released as New York legislators prepare
to vote on a bill that could legalize same-sex marriage in the
state. The bill is one vote away from being passed, which would
make New York the sixth state to legalize same-sex marriage.
It's currently legal in Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, Vermont and the District of Columbia,
ABC News reported.
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Whooping Cough Vaccine Recommended for Pregnant Women
Pregnant women who were not previously vaccinated against
whooping cough should get the vaccination, the U.S. Advisory
Committee on Immunization Practices recommends.
The vaccine would be given in the third trimester or late second
trimester, the
Associated Press reported.
The recommendation was approved by the advisory panel on
Wednesday.
Currently, children in the U.S. begin a series of whooping cough
shots at two months and most infant deaths and hospitalizations
caused by whooping cough occur in the first two months of life.
Some studies have found that when a pregnant woman is vaccinated
against whooping cough, she passes some immunity to her newborn,
the
AP reported.
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New Wrinkle Treatment Approved by FDA
A new therapy that uses a person's own skin cells to create an
injectable substance to smooth out laugh lines has been approved by
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The approval of laViv, marketed by Pennsylvania-based Fibrocell
Science, was based on the results of two clinical trials of 421
patients who received either laViv or a placebo in three treatments
about five weeks apart,
Agence France Presse reported.
In one study, 57 percent of patients who received laViv saw an
improvement compared to 30 percent of those in the placebo group.
In the other study, 45 percent of patients in the laViv group saw
an improvement compared with 18 percent in the placebo group,
according to
The New York Times,
AFP reported.
But improvements among patients receiving laViv were seen by
only 33 percent of doctors involved in one study and 19 percent of
doctors in the other study.
Redness, pain, and swelling or bruising at the injection site
were the most common side effects, according to Fibrocell,
AFP reported.
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Gel Fuel for Patio Firepots Recalled
Reports of burn injuries have prompted the recall of nearly half
a million bottles and jugs of gel fuel used in patio firepots, the
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says.
The recall covers 460,000 bottles and jugs of pourable gel fuel
distributed by Napa Home & Garden of Georgia and sold at a
number of stores, including Restoration Hardware and Bed Bath &
Beyond, the
Associated Press reported.
When poured on a firepot that is still burning, the gel fuel can
ignite unexpectedly and splatter onto people who are nearby, the
CPSC said.
The commission said Napa has so far heard about 23 burn injuries
caused by the gel fuel, the
AP reported.