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Panel advocates bird flu vaccine as a stopgap

By TIMES WIRES
Published February 28, 2007

WASHINGTON

It's better than nothing, federal health advisers said Tuesday in urging approval of the first bird flu vaccine as a stopgap against a potential pandemic until more effective vaccines can be developed. The panel said in a 14-0 vote that the Sanofi Aventis SA vaccine was effective, despite evidence it wouldn't protect most people against the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu. The recommendation now goes to the Food and Drug Administration, which usually follows the advice of its advisory committees. In a clinical trial, the vaccine appears to provide protection to just 45 percent of adults who received the highest dose.

Antioxidants may shorten longevity

Some supplements do not boost longevity and appear to actually increase the risk of dying, according to the most comprehensive study of whether popular antioxidants help users live longer. The analysis, which pooled data from 68 studies involving more than 232,000 people, found no evidence that taking beta carotene, vitamin A or vitamin E extends life span and, in fact, indicated that the supplements increase the likelihood of dying by about 5 percent. Vitamin C and selenium appeared to have no impact either way on longevity. Based on the findings, published in today's issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, the researchers warned that consumers should be cautious about taking supplements containing the nutrients. At least 150-million Americans regularly take dietary supplements that often include antioxidants. The findings do not necessarily apply to antioxidants found naturally in food, researchers stressed. Representatives of the vitamin industry, as well as some other researchers, disputed the findings, criticizing the study for, among other things, including people who were already sick.

LOS ANGELES

Two new drugs hailed in HIV fight

In what some are hailing as the most important development in HIV therapy in a decade, two new classes of drugs have been found to block virus replication in patients who have become resistant to existing drugs, researchers said Tuesday. The two new classes, called integrase inhibitors and CCR5 inhibitors, doubled the number of patients in a group of studies whose infections could be brought under control, researchers said. The two drugs could be approved for marketing later this year.

ATLANTA

Salmonella cases rise to 370

The number of illnesses resulting from salmonella contamination in peanut butter jars has climbed to 370, up from 329, federal health officials said Tuesday. The outbreak has been linked to ConAgra Foods Inc.'s Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter.

[Last modified February 28, 2007, 01:12:46]