Volume 25 Issue 7

Dr. Thomas E. Colonna

Editor-in-Chief

Contents:

CDC Launches New Homepage and Other Website Improvements

MedWatch Warning (1)

MedWatch Warning (2)

Special thanks to our sponsor Aventis Pasteur

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CDC Launches New Homepage and Other Website Improvements:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) unveiled a new look for the homepage and major topic pages of its website. The changes are designed to make it easier for people to find health information and resources quickly. The CDC website address is www.cdc.gov. Among new features on the homepage:

Health and safety information is now grouped in broad, easy-to-browse topic areas.

Additional new features provide better access to data and statistics, recent news, tools and resources, and new publications.

A new Google-based search engine provides more relevant search results.

An interactive features area at the top of the new home page highlights a number of current issues, events and health topics with relevant photographs or videos. This feature enables CDC to better display health recommendations, guidelines and upcoming events.

A "Top 20 at CDC.gov" section allows visitors to quickly view a list of the most popular health topics, and access each directly from the homepage.

CDC’s new website improvements were guided by Internet industry studies, analyses of CDC website visits, information about how visitors use the CDC website and research conducted with a wide range of CDC.gov users. In the user studies, CDC employees, members of the public and individuals from groups that frequently use the CDC website (e.g., health professionals) were brought in to test the previous CDC.gov site to identify problem areas and to test different home page designs and potential features. For more information and a tutorial about the changes to the CDC website, visitors can take a virtual tour at: www.cdc.gov/vrtour.html. Additional information and images can also be found at: www.cdc.gov/Other/about_cdcgov.html.

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MedWatch Warning (1):

FDA informed healthcare professionals and consumer that the Agency ordered twenty firms to stop marketing unapproved drug products containing ergotamine tartrate. Ergotamine tartrate products are used to treat vascular headaches, including migraines. Unapproved drugs pose real risks to the American public because they have not been subject to FDA review, and the safety, effectiveness, and quality of such products are unknown. This action does not affect FDA-approved products containing ergotamine. Consumers who are using ergotamine products and have questions or concerns are urged to contact their health care provider. Read the complete MedWatch 2007 Safety summary, including links to the FDA Press Release and Warning Letters regarding this issue at: www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety/2007/safety07.htm#Ergotamine.

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MedWatch Warning (2):

Acorda Therapeutics and FDA informed healthcare professionals of changes to the CONTRAINDICATIONS and WARNINGS Sections of the product labeling for Zanaflex, a drug used to treat spasticity, In pharmacokinetic studies where tizanidine was coadministered with either fluvoxamine or ciprofloxacin (CYP1A2 inhibitors), the serum concentration of tizanidine was significantly increased and potentiated its hypotensive and sedative effects. Although there are no clinical studies evaluating the effects of other CYP1A2 inhibitors on tizanidine, coadministration of tizanidine with other CYP1A2 inhibitors (zileuton, other fluroquinolones, antiarrythmics, cimetidine, famotidine, oral contraceptives, acyclovir and ticlopidine) should be avoided. Read the complete MedWatch 2007 Safety summary, including a link to the manufacturer’s Dear Healthcare Provider Letter regarding this issue at: www.fda.gov/medwatch/safety/2007/safety07.htm#Zanaflex.

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