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Roche To Present Major Advances With Targeted Cancer Medicines At ASCO
More than 500 scientific abstracts to be presented across 20 types of

Hormonal Therapies Offer Effective Solutions For Many Adult Women With Acne
Although acne traditionally has been considered a disease of teenagers, it is also extremely common in adult women. Studies show that acne affects more than 50 percent of women between the ages of 20-29 and more than 25 percent of women between the ages of 40-49 (1). In fact, after age 20, women are far more likely to report having acne than men. While there is no cure for acne, dermatologists are finding that hormonal therapies can help some women fight bothersome acne that occurs in adulthood.
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CDC Prioritizes H1N1 Vaccinations For Pregnant Women
When the H1N1 flu vaccine becomes available in the fall, pregnant women should be among the first groups vaccinated because of their high risk for serious complications, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expert panel said on Wednesday, the Washington Post reports. The 15-member committee advises CDC on vaccine policy. The priority list also includes caretakers of infants, health care workers, children and young adults, and older people with chronic conditions. Anthony Fiore, a physician and epidemiologist at CDC, told the committee that about 6% of H1N1 deaths and hospitalizations are among pregnant women (Brown, Washington Post, 7/30). According to a CDC study published online Wednesday in the journal Lancet, pregnant women who contract the H1N1 virus -- also known as "swine flu" -- are at least four times more likely to be hospitalized than other people with the virus, the AP/Google reports. The study analyzed the first 34 U.S. cases, including six deaths, in pregnant women from April to mid-June of 2009. Although it is not clear if pregnant women are more susceptible to the virus, they have a higher risk of complications after becoming infected. The study"s authors said pregnant women suspected of having H1N1 should be administered Tamiflu as soon as possible, prior to the completion of diagnostic testing. CDC"s Denise Jamieson, the lead author of the study, said that Tamiflu appears relatively safe for pregnant women, despite limited safety data on its use in that population.Most pregnant women who contract H1N1 have mild flu symptoms like a cough or fever, according to the World Health Organization. Jamieson said that CDC does not recommend specific precautions for pregnant women but that doctors should act quickly -- preferably within 48 hours -- if a pregnant woman shows symptoms. She added that the pregnant women who died were basically healthy, and nearly all had viral pneumonia before experiencing acute respiratory problems prior to their death (Cheng, AP/Google, 7/29).CDC"s priority groups include about 159 million people out of a total U.S. population of more than 300 million, the Chicago Tribune reports. The agency expects to have about 120 million doses of the vaccine by the end of October. Officials are confident there will be enough for their target groups because only 20% to 50% of those recommended to receive seasonal flu vaccines seek them out. However, if supplies of the vaccine are unexpectedly restricted, the panel recommended that a smaller group -- about 41 million of the most susceptible to adverse side effects from infection or most likely to spread the virus -- be given priority for the vaccine. This smaller group also includes pregnant women (Maugh, Chicago Tribune, 7/30).
Mental Health

Supply Shortages Of Cerezyme And Fabrazyme - Priority Access Forpatients Most In Need Of Treatment Recommended

The European Medicines Agency"s (EMEA) Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has recommended that patients who are in greatest need of treatment are given priority access to Cerezyme (imiglucerase) and Fabrazyme (agalsidase beta) during the expected supply shortage of these two medicines over the next few months. Cerezyme and Fabrazyme are both used to treat rare, inherited enzyme-deficiency disorders. Cerezyme is used in patients with Gaucher disease, a disease in which patients do not have enough of an enzyme called alglucerase. Fabrazyme is used in patients with Fabry disease, a disease in which patients do not have enough of an enzyme called alpha-galactosidase A. The supply shortage is caused by the shutting down of Genzyme"s production site in Allston Landing, in the United States of America, where both medicines are produced. The company found a viral contamination (calicivirus of the type Vesivirus 2117) and has shut down the production facility for a sanitization of the bioreactors. The virus is not known to cause disease in humans, but it may affect the quantity, but not the quality, of the enzymes produced in the bioreactors. An in-depth investigation of the cause of the contamination is ongoing. While the facility is shut down, no new stocks of Cerezyme and Fabrazyme can be produced. All batches manufactured prior to the detection of the contamination were tested and the Agency confirmed that they are suitable for release. To ensure that existing stocks last as long as possible until new batches can be produced, the European Medicines Agency has agreed to some temporary changes to the way these medicines are prescribed proposed by the company. These changes should be implemented immediately. * For Cerezyme, priority is given to infants, children and adolescents, and adults with active disease progression. These patients can continue to receive Cerezyme at the standard dosage schedule of one infusion every two weeks. However, adult patients without clinical evidence of active disease progression should receive Cerezyme at a reduced dose (half a dose once every two weeks) or at a reduced infusion frequency (once a month at their current dose). * For Fabrazyme, priority is given to children and adolescents, and adult male patients, who should continue to receive Fabrazyme as one infusion every two weeks. However, adult female patients, in whom the disease is less severe, may receive Fabrazyme at a reduced dose. These are temporary recommendations and do not change the currently approved Product Information for either Cerezyme or Fabrazyme. It is expected that these changes will need to continue until the end of the year. Notes 1. More information is available in a question-and-answer document. 2. More information on Cerezyme, including the currently approved Product Information, is available in the European Public Assessment Report. More information on Fabrazyme, including the currently approved Product Information, is available in the European Public Assessment Report. European Medicines Agency


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