WHO Drug Information articles from September 1999

WHO Drug Information archives from September 1999

Access to essential drugs.(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
September 22, 1999... Access to essential drugs is of importance to the World Health Organization whose longstanding aim is to ensure equity of access and rational use of essential drugs of quality. This underpins the fundamental right to health care by all people....

WHO's role in ensuring access to essential drugs.(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
September 22, 1999... Dr Michael Scholtz, Executive Director, Health Technology and Pharmaceuticals, World Health Organization It is agreed that essential drugs save lives and improve health yet there are millions of people who lack regular access to essential...

Access to medicines: an urgent need for solutions.(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
September 22, 1999... David Earnshaw SmithKline Beecham Brussels There is a multiplicity of dilemmas inherent in the quest for solutions to the problem of access to medicines. Though it might initially be uncomfortable for some, the problem is crying...

Amsterdam statement on access to medicines [*].(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
September 22, 1999... In the developing world, a lucrative or "viable" market for lifesaving drugs simply does not exist. But clearly what does exist is need. The market has failed both to provide equitably priced medicines and to ensure research and development for...

Influenza preparedness plan: antiviral drugs.(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
September 22, 1999... It is impossible to anticipate an influenza pandemic and, should a true influenza pandemic virus again appear as in 1918 -- or even epidemics such as those experienced in the United States of America in 1976 and Hong Kong in 1997, there can be...

Atovaquone and proguanil hydrochloride: a new antimalarial combination.(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
September 22, 1999... Atovaquone/proguanil has been shown to be effective for prophylaxis of falciparum malaria and for treatment of malaria caused by any of the four species of human malaria parasites, although the data on the efficacy for P. vivax, P. malariae and...

Roll Back Malaria.(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
September 22, 1999... The impact of malaria on world health is enormous: over 1 million deaths and in excess of 300 million clinical cases each year jeopardize the economic productivity and livelihood of the world's poorest populations. Complicated malaria can...

The Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV).(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
September 22, 1999... The Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) has now been launched as an independent non-profit foundation based in Geneva. Established on the initiative of WHO over the past two years, it forms a partnership between a number of public sector...

The Japanese alliance.(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
September 22, 1999... Within the UNDP/World Bank/WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), an alliance has been established between WHO, the Government of Japan and 12 Japanese pharmaceutical companies for discovery of new types of...

A new antimalarial donation programme.(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
September 22, 1999... Malarone(R), a fixed-dose combination antimalarial of atovaquone and proguanil hydrochloride, was first registered in the United Kingdom in 1996 for the treatment of multidrug-resistant falciparum malaria. It has subsequently been registered...

Roll Back Malaria in Europe.(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
September 22, 1999... The campaign to combat malaria launched in the late 1950s eradicated malaria in all countries of the WHO European Region, except for the Asian part of Turkey and residual foci in Azerbaijan and Tajikistan. By the 1980s, malaria was very nearly...

The WHO Antimicrobial Resistance Information Bank.(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
September 22, 1999... Despite the enormous advances in health care made during the last half-century, infectious diseases still account for 25% of mortality worldwide and 45% in low-income countries. Anti-infective drugs are critically important in reducing the...

Quality assurance and safety of biologicals.(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
September 22, 1999... Many of the items debated at the 50th meeting of the WHO Expert Committee on Biological Standardization (ECBS) [1] reflect the increasing complexity of biomedicines. It seems possible that within the next few years the number of new biological...

Influenza preparedness plan: vaccine production and availability.(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
September 22, 1999... Influenza virus vaccines can take a minimum of 8 months to produce from the moment that a pandemic is identified to availability of a new vaccine. For this reason, WHO has devised an Influenza Pandemic Preparedness Plan [1] which outlines the...

Thiomersal: theoretical risk leads to phasing out.(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
September 22, 1999... Thiomersal, or mercurothiolate, has been used since the 1930s to prevent bacteria and other organisms from contaminating vaccines, especially in opened multidose vials. With the possible exception of minor skin sensitivity reactions, no adverse...

Leflunomide: pancytopenia and skin reactions.(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
September 22, 1999... European Union -- Leflunomide (Arava(r) Hoechst Marion Roussel) was granted marketing approval by the European Commission on 2 September 1999 and has been marketed in the United States since 1998. It is indicated for the treatment of active...

Didanosine and pancreatitis.(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
September 22, 1999... The manufacturer of Videx(r) (didanosine), a nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase inhibitor indicated for the treatment of HIV-1 infection has reinforced the labelling to include a revised warning of fatal and non-fatal pancreatitis. ...

Sertraline for post-traumatic stress disorder.(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
September 22, 1999... United States of America -- The Food and Drug Administration has approved sertraline as the first drug treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, long recognized as an important clinical problem. The effectiveness of sertraline for...

Pemoline withdrawal following liver complications.(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
September 22, 1999... Canada -- Health Canada is advising patients taking pemoline to contact their physicians as soon as possible to discuss changing to alternative treatments. The manufacturer has recalled this product which has now been withdrawn from pharmacies....

Levetiracetam: new drug for epilepsy.(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
September 22, 1999... United States of America -- The Food and Drug Administration has approved levetiracetam for partial onset seizures in adults for use with other epilepsy medications. Unlike most epilepsy drugs, levetiracetam (as well as gabapentin) is not...

Methotrexate: monitoring essential.(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
September 22, 1999... United States of America -- The manufacturers of Rheumatrex(R) (methotrexate sodium) have advised of new information concerning product labelling. Rare reports have been received of bone and soft tissue necrosis following radiation therapy...

Methotrexate: care in prescribing.(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
September 22, 1999... Australia -- The Australian Adverse Reactions Advisory Committee has called attention to the risk of serious illness and death through medication errors involving methotrexate. Currently, different strengths of tablets ranging from 2.5 mg to 10...

Grepafloxacin withdrawal: severe cardiovascular events.(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
September 22, 1999... Glaxo Wellcome has announced that it is voluntarily withdrawing the oral fluoroquinolone antibiotic, grepafloxacin, with immediate effect. Since marketing in 1997, a small number of severe cardiovascular events have been reported. While this...

Reteplase incompatible with heparin.(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
September 22, 1999... European Union -- Reteplase (Rapilysin(R)) has been marketed in 15 European Union countries since 1996 for thrombolytic therapy of acute myocardial infarction for use within 12 hours of onset of symptoms. The European Medicines Evaluation...

Postmarketing system to be revised.(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
September 22, 1999... Japan -- The Ministry of Health and Welfare has announced a complete revision of the postmarketing surveillance system in early 2000. The rule that clinical experience investigations should cover a minimum of 3000 cases will be abolished....

Abacavir: hypersensitivity reactions.(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
September 22, 1999... European Union -- Abacavir was approved for sale within the European Union in July 1999 as an antiretroviral combination therapy for the treatment of HIV-infected adults. The European Medicines Evaluation Agency (EMEA) has now carried out a...

Initiative to curb illegal sale of drugs over the Internet.(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
September 22, 1999... United States of America -- A new initiative to protect consumers from the illegal sale of pharmaceuticals over the Internet has been proposed by the President of the USA. The initiative will include new Federal requirements for all Internet...

Unapproved HIV test kits available on the Internet.(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
September 22, 1999... United States of America -- The Federal Trade Commission and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have taken law enforcement action against the illegal promotion and sale of unapproved HIV test kits on the Internet. The tests have been...

V-King(R): unapproved use of sildenafil.(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
September 22, 1999... Canada -- Health Canada is warning consumers not to use V-King (Extra)(r) capsules. Promoted as natural health products, they may contain sildenafil citrate, a prescription-only drug approved for male erectile dysfunction. Inappropriate use of...

Miralex(R): undeclared corticosteroid.(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
September 22, 1999... Canada -- Health Canada is warning users of Miralex(r) cream to contact a health care provider as soon as possible. Promoted on the Internet as a naturally derived product, Miralex(r) has been found to contain clobetasol, a prescription-only...

Rules for dietary supplements finalized.(Statistical Data Included)(Brief Article)
September 22, 1999... United States of America -- The Food and Drug Administration has published its final rule defining the types of statements that can be made concerning the effect of a dietary supplement on the structure or function of the body. This rule...