The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Nplate (romiplostim), the first product that directly stimulates the bone marrow to produce needed platelets in patients with a rare blood disorder that can lead to serious bleeding.

Finalising a review of the safety of moxifloxacin-containing medicines for oral use, the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has concluded that these medicines should only be prescribed in the treatment of acute bacterial sinusitis, acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis and community-acquired pneumonia when other antibiotics cannot be used or have failed.

The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has recommended that the product information of all centrally authorised angiotensin II receptor antagonists be harmonised, regarding their use during pregnancy. Following a review of the safety of these medicines during pregnancy, the EMEA's Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP), at its April 2008 meeting, recommended that the product information should state that the use of angiotensin II receptor antagonists should be avoided in the first three months of pregnancy.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an alert today on the safe and correct use of Tussionex Pennkinetic Extended-Release Suspension in response to numerous reports of adverse events - including death - associated with the misuse and inappropriate use of this potent cough medication.

The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has been formally notified by Wyeth Europa Ltd of its decision to withdraw the application for a centralised marketing authorisation for the medicine Pristiqs (desvenlafaxine) 50mg and 100mg prolonged release tablets.

The European Medicines Agency (EMEA) has been formally notified by Actelion of its decision to withdraw its application for an extension of indication for the centrally authorised medicine Zavesca (miglustat).

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration licensed a treatment for hemophilia A, a rare, hereditary blood-clotting disorder that affects approximately 15,000 individuals, almost exclusively males, in the United States.