FDA News Digest for July 30, 2007

[FDA News Digest <fdanewsdigest@xxxxxxxxxx>]

FDA News Digest

July 30, 2007

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IN THIS WEEK'S ISSUE

 

»  News

    --  FDA Allows Restricted Use of Suspended Drug Zelnorm for Qualified Patients

    --  Agency Report on Nanotechnology Outlines Scientific, Regulatory Challenges

»  Safety Alerts/Recalls

»  Congressional Testimony 

»  Question of the Week

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NEWS

 

FDA Allows Restricted Use of Suspended Drug Zelnorm for Qualified Patients

FDA is permitting the suspended drug Zelnorm to be used to treat irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C) and chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC) in women younger than 55 who meet specific guidelines.

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01673.html

 

Agency Report on Nanotechnology Outlines Scientific, Regulatory Challenges

FDA has released a report recommending that the agency consider taking steps to address the benefits and risks of drugs and medical devices using nanotechnology -- the science of creating and using materials at the level of molecules and atoms (1/100,000th the width of a human hair).

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2007/NEW01671.html

 

To view an archive of past FDA news releases, go to

http://www.fda.gov/opacom/hpnews.html.

   

To access the RSS feed of FDA news releases, go to

http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/news/rssPress.xml.

[What is an RSS feed? See http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/news/newsfeeds.html.]

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SAFETY ALERTS/RECALLS

Food Recalls:

 

›  FDA has created a special page listing all the Castleberry's Food Company chili products subjected to a recent recall due to botulism.

http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/castleberry.html

 

Also being recalled:

 

›  Various whole wheat fresh bread products baked at Sara Lee's bakery in Meridian, Miss.

    Reason for recall: products may contain small pieces of metal

http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/saralee07_07.html

 

For a list of recalls, market withdrawals, and safety alerts involving FDA-regulated

products from the past 60 days, go to http://www.fda.gov/opacom/7alerts.html.

 

To access the RSS feed of FDA recalls information, go to

http://www.fda.gov/oc/po/firmrecalls/rssRecalls.xml

[What is an RSS feed? See http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/news/newsfeeds.html.]

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CONGRESSIONAL TESTIMONY

 

July 24 -- FDA Assistant Commissioner for Food Protection David Acheson, M.D., appeared before the House Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology

    Subject: FDA food defense activities

http://www.fda.gov/ola/2007/foodsafety072407.html

 

To view an archive of past testimony by FDA officials, go to

http://www.fda.gov/ola/listing.html

 

 

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

 

Does a doctor always have to refer a patient to a mammography facility?

 

No. A patient can have a mammography exam and receive the follow-up report without a doctor's referral (this is called a "self referral"). Before the exam, however, verify that the facility accepts self-referred patients because some facilities do not.

 

For more on mammography, see http://www.fda.gov/CDRH/MAMMOGRAPHY/

 

 

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