The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the Johnson & Johnson drug Invokana, following data that showed it had been effective in reducing the blood sugar in patients who have Type 2 diabetes, which is the most common type of the disease. Five postmarketing studies have been asked for by the FDA for the newly approved drug, including a trial for cardiovascular outcomes, a program for enhanced pharmacovigilance, a study for bone safety and two studies for pediatrics. Invokana is estimated... 

In China, two people have died after they were infected with the avian influenza H7N9, a subtype that previously was not transmitted to humans, said government officials Sunday. In February, a Shanghai man who was 87 years old fell ill and died March 4. Another man who was 27 became ill February 27 and on March 10 died, said a government website. A woman who is 35 years of age and lives in Anhui, an eastern province, became sick March 9 and is currently listed as being in critical condition. Each... 

A recently released study says that excessive vaccines are not linked to a higher risk of developing autism. Researchers analyzed the records of more than 1,000 children. Their research showed that there was not a tie between being exposed to antigens and the later development of autism. The new study adds to increasing evidence that has been received through different studies over a period of a number of years that shows vaccines during childhood are not a cause of developing autism, despite the... 

The U.S. Justice Department announced it had reached an agreement for $40 million Friday to settle charges against UPS that the giant shipping company had done business with Internet pharmacies that were illegal. U.S. officials agreed as part of the settlement not to file prosecution charges against UPS in exchange for UPS handing over the $40 million the company received from its business dealings with the illicit pharmacies operating online. Another requisite of the deal is that UPS implement a... 

The Department of Health in Tulsa, Oklahoma is warning more than 7,000 patients from a dentist that they might have been exposed to Hepatitis B or C or HIV from poor practices of sterilization. Dentist and oral surgeon Dr. Wayne Harrington a practices in Tulsa and is currently under investigation by the dental board of Oklahoma; the bureau of narcotics for the state; and the DEA because of recent patient that had been at his dentist office had tested positive for HIV and hepatitis C. After hearing... 

When attempting to study human conditions and diseases, mice have been the species of choice for decades. However, now researchers are reporting evidence that using mice to model human conditions has failed or been totally misleading for at least three major conditions; sepsis, burns, and trauma. Because of the misleading nature of the mouse model, many years and billions of dollars have been wasted following false leads. The study was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The... 

Tecfidera, a new drug, has been given approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat adult patients that have relapsing forms of the disease multiple sclerosis. The U.S. regulatory agency’s approval was based upon results of two trials that showed patients taking Tecfidera capsules had fewer relapses of MS than those who only received inactive placebos. One of the two clinical trials also indicated that a MS-related disability that was worsening, occurred less in patients who were taking... 

A recent study shows that men and women who are seniors and living apart from family and friends were at a 26% higher risk of death over a seven year period. The risk of death was higher even if the people living alone did not think of themselves as being lonely. The researchers said those people were dying of usual causes, but their isolation was strongly influencing their deaths. People that live alone are over 25% of the households in the U.S., and the number of people in the U.S. who said they... 

The Food and Drug Administration in the U.S. released a warning on Tuesday against a practice that college students are engaging in during their vacations. The dangerous practice is not drinking to excess or using too much tanning oil and not sunscreen. The dangerous practice is receiving a temporary tattoo. The tattoos usually will last from four days up to several weeks. The tattoos are made of a dye such as henna that tints the skin but does not pierce beneath its surface, as does a permanent... 

According to a new study published in the journal Neurology, there will be 13.8 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s disease by 2050. This is a significant increase from the 4.7 million living with the condition in 2010. A substantial, aging baby boomer population of 78 million and increasing lifespans are responsible for the anticipated ballooning of the number of people with Alzheimer’s. Data covering 10,802 African Americans and whites in Chicago who were age 65 and older was...