The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Victrelis (boceprevir) to treat certain adults with chronic hepatitis C. Victrelis is used for patients who still have some liver function, and who either have not been previously treated with drug therapy for their hepatitis C or who have failed such treatment. Victrelis is approved for use in combination with peginterferon alfa and ribavirin.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced two new regulations that will help ensure the safety and security of foods in the United States. The rules are the first to be issued by the FDA under the new authorities granted the agency by the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), signed into law by President Obama in January. Both rules will take effect July 3, 2011.

Basel, May 5, 2011 - Novartis announced today that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Afinitor (everolimus) tablets for the treatment of progressive neuroendocrine tumors of pancreatic origin (PNET) in patients with unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic disease.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today launched two strategic plans aimed at reducing health disparities. The HHS Action Plan to Reduce Health Disparities outlines goals and actions HHS will take to reduce health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities.

Maternal cigarette smoking in the first trimester was associated with a 20 to 70 percent greater likelihood that a baby would be born with certain types of congenital heart defects, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released a new report showing that the Affordable Care Act provides states with significant flexibility and resources to improve health care benefits and protect consumers.

Researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health have identified a key step in the establishment of a pregnancy.

To speed implementation of an electronic health record (EHR) system in Canada, e-health policy must be closely aligned with the major strategic direction of health care reform.

States will see significant new federal support in their efforts to help move Medicaid beneficiaries out of institutions and into their own homes or other community settings now and in the near future.

People with addictions to stimulants tend to choose instant gratification or a smaller but sooner reward over a future benefit, even if the future reward is greater.