WSJ BLOG/Health: A.M Vitals: "Good" Cholesterol Drug Fails; Alzheimer's and Depression Linked

(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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