Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Antidepressant Risk For Kids May Be Lower

The risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior among young people taking antidepressants is lower than previously thought, according to a study being published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and elsewhere analyzed more than two dozen clinical trials of medications such as Prozac, Paxil and Zoloft, using a different statistical technique than the one used by officials at the Food and Drug Administration to assess much of the same data.

The FDA analysis resulted in a black-box warning being placed on the drugs in 2004. While both statistical techniques are valid, researchers at the University of Pittsburgh and elsewhere argued that their approach was better.

The FDA has not approved most antidepressants for use among children, but the authors said their analysis showed that the benefits of the drugs outweigh the risks.

A bird flu vaccine won federal approval yesterday for the first time as a stopgap measure against a potential pandemic until more effective vaccines can be developed.

The vaccine is the first to win Food and Drug Administration approval for use in protecting humans against the H5N1 influenza virus. It would be used if the strain mutated into a form that spread easily from person to person, sparking a pandemic.

The government plans to buy and stockpile enough bird flu vaccine for 20 million people, including emergency and health-care workers. The vaccine, made by Sanofi-Aventis, also could be given to military personnel before they are deployed.

In a clinical trial, the two-shot series appeared to provide protection for 45 percent of adults who received the highest dose. By comparison, seasonal flu shots, given singly, typically protect more than 90 percent of young, healthy adults.

-- From Staff Reports and News Services