Taking an eighth of a developing embryo during IVF treatment to test for genetic diseases is “completely safe”, according to the largest study of babies born following the technique.Preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) can help doctors spot diseases like cystic fibrosis before deciding whether to

Cases of drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) in the UK have risen by over a quarter in the last year, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) has revealed.In 2011, 431 cases did not respond to antibiotic treatment compared to 342 in 2010, the HPA said. About 550 more cases of TB were disgnosed in 2011.The a

(Reuters Health) – There’s more evidence that the new formulation of OxyContin, the time-release version of oxycodone, is discouraging abuse of the powerful drug.But the reformulation, introduced in August 2010 to make it harder to crush the medicine into powder, limiting the ability to snort, injec

(Reuters) – Pharmaceutical companies selling drugs in parts of the San Francisco Bay area would be required to submit plans for incinerating or safely disposing of unused medication under a plan advanced by county officials this week.The measure, billed by supporters as the first of its kind in the

Scientists have assembled a “timeline” of the unseen progress of Alzheimer’s before symptoms appear.A team at Washington University School of Medicine looked at families with a genetic risk of the disease.Writing in the New England Journal of Medicine, they say signs appeared up to 25 years before t

(Reuters Health) – For people conscious about their heart health, a new study suggests it may be best to eat fish instead of taking individual omega-3 fatty acids in supplement form.After reviewing information on the habits and fatty-acid blood levels of more than 20,000 male doctors, researchers fo

To learn how best to prescribe powerful drugs to children, Congress passed a law in the 1990s that rewarded drug makers for conducting clinical studies involving children. Among the incentives for cooperating companies was a possible six-month extension of protection from generic competition after a

The Food and Drug Administration has agreed to give priority status to its review of three new uses for the anticlotting drug Xarelto, Johnson & Johnson announced Monday.The company is asking the agency to approve the drug to treat deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, and to prevent recu

PrePex, a bloodless circumcision device for adults, will be tested in at least nine African countries in the next year, according to the backers of the tests.The device, above, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in January, and World Health Organization approval is expected soon. No su

In the largest settlement involving a pharmaceutical company, the British drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline agreed to plead guilty to criminal charges and pay $3 billion in fines for promoting its best-selling antidepressants for unapproved uses and failing to report safety data about a top diabetes drug, f