FDA committee considers Gardasil for anal cancer prevention

The human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil moved closer to an indication for anal cancer prevention after a meeting of the Food and Drug Administration’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee on Nov. 17.

The vaccine, manufactured by Merck & Co. Inc., is

New chemotherapeutic agent approved for use in late-stage breast cancer

On November 15, 2010, the US Food and Drug Administration announced the approval of Halaven (eribulin mesylate) for the treatment of patients with metastatic breast cancer who have received at least 2 prior chemotherapy regimens for late-stage disease.

Extending zoledronic acid regimen maintains bone density

Patients who continued annual treatment with zoledronic acid for 6 years had significantly better bone mineral density and fewer morphometric vertebral fractures than did patients who received 3 years of treatment and then stopped, in a controlled study with

FDA approves trastuzumab for HER2-positive gastric cancer

The Food and Drug Administration has approved trastuzumab, along with chemotherapy, to treat metastatic HER2-positive gastric cancers in people who have not been previously treated for metastatic disease.
The agency’s decision, announced

Aspirin dose, not duration, tied to GI bleeding risk

Men who took more than 14 aspirin per week were more than twice as likely to report upper gastrointestinal bleeding as were men who reported no aspirin use, but increased duration of use did not appear to raise the risk of GI bleeding, Dr. Edward Huang said

Tai chi boosts quality of life in heart failure patients

Patients with chronic systolic heart failure who were enrolled in a 12-week tai chi program experienced significant improvements in quality of life, mood, and exercise self-efficacy, compared with patients who were