(This story has been posted on The Wall Street Journal Online's
Health Blog at http://blogs.wsj.com/health.)
By Christopher Weaver
Roche Drug to Raise 'Good' Cholesterol Fails (WSJ): The drug's
failure in a large human trial spelled a setback for pharmaceutical
companies that see an opportunity in medicines that seek to ward of
heart disease by raising so-called "good" cholesterol. Competitors
Merck and Eli Lilly said they remain confident in late-stage drugs
in their pipelines that work similarly.
Study Examines Depression and Aging Brain (WSJ): The onset of
depression late in life can be an early warning of Alzheimer's
disease and other dementia later, according to a new study of
13,535 Kaiser Permanente members.
A Regime's Tight Grip on AIDS (New York Times): Cuba's AIDS rate
is only one-sixth that of the U.S., thanks in part to aggressive
tactics taken in the early years of the epidemic, such as forced
quarantines for people who tested positive for HIV.
F.D.A. Staff Raises Concerns About Arthritis Drug (New York
Times): Documents released ahead of a Food and Drug Administration
review Wednesday show regulators are concerned a new Pfizer
treatment for rheumatoid arthritis raised concerns of significant
side-effects.
Court Dismisses Vets' Suit on Mental Health Care (San Francisco
Chronicle): A San Francisco appeals court dismissed a five-year-old
suit by veterans groups accusing the Department of Veterans Affairs
of delaying needed mental health services.
Drug-Defying Germs from India Speed Post-Antibiotic Era
(Bloomberg): The widespread use of antibiotics in India is helping
cultivate new breeds of drug-resistant bacteria bred from otherwise
benign microorganisms.
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