Note: This week's issue of FDA News Digest was delayed two days because of the Presidents' Day holiday Feb. 17 and the Feb. 18 closing of the federal government due to the recent snowstorm. FDA News Digest February 19, 2003 ___________________________________________________ New Test Can Help ERs Rule Out Heart Attacks as Cause of Chest Pain FDA has cleared for marketing a new laboratory blood test that will significantly increase the ability of doctors to rule out a heart attack when a patient goes to the emergency room with severe chest pains. The test is intended for use with two other tests--an electrocardiogram and a blood test for troponin, a protein present in blood after a heart attack. If all three tests give normal readings, doctors can say with greater confidence that the patient is not having a heart attack. http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/ANSWERS/2003/ANS01200.html __________________________________________________________________ FDA Seizes Dietary Supplements Determined to Be Unapproved Drugs At FDA's request, U.S. marshals seized 450 bottles and 57,000 bulk capsules worth nearly $19,000 from a Florida company after the agency determined that the products made unapproved claims to treat a variety of medical conditions. Included in the seizure were nearly 20 different products sold through retail booths and by mail order under the names Vitamin Hut and Rx for Health. http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2003/NEW00871.html __________________________________________________________________ Video Stream of Jan. 29 Bioterrorism Act Meeting Available Online A video recording of a Jan. 29 FDA public meeting and satellite broadcast that discussed two provisions of the Bioterrorism Act of 2002 is available on FDA's website. The recording is available in English (with or without captions), French, or Spanish. FDA held the meeting to help explain proposed regulations regarding registration of food facilities and prior notice of imported food shipments. http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~comm/vltbtact.html __________________________________________________________________ RECENT SPEECHES FDA Commissioner Mark B. McClellan, M.D., to the Generic Pharmaceutical Association (Jan. 29) http://www.fda.gov/oc/speeches/2002/gpha.html FDA Deputy Commissioner Lester M. Crawford, D.V.M., to: --the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (Feb. 3) http://www.fda.gov/oc/speeches/2003/nasda0203.html --the American Society for Microbiology (Feb. 7) http://www.fda.gov/oc/speeches/2003/asm0207.html __________________________________________________________________ PUBLIC MEETINGS For a list of upcoming FDA meetings, seminars, and other public events, go to http://www.fda.gov/opacom/hpmeetings.html __________________________________________________________________ Thanks for subscribing to the FDA News Digest. Our next posting will be February 24. To leave this list at any time, send an e-mail to LISTSERV@LIST.NIH.GOV In the body of the message, write SIGNOFF FDA-NEWSDIGEST-L
