Our weekly round up of the latest news in the world of health.

This week we look at new safety standards for diabetes drugs, a new, DNA-based test for tuberculosis, and the U.S. government's investigation of a salmonella outbreak.
Stay well.

This Issue:

More Tests for Diabetes Drugs
New TB Test
Tomatoes and Salmonella

In the News:

More Tests for Diabetes Drugs

Diabetes drugs may face more scrutiny if the Food and Drug Administration accepts the recommendation of its expert panel. The panel this week voted 14-2 to require drug manufacturers to conduct longer studies to assess the heart risks from diabetes drugs. The new standard would allow drug companies to begin the five to seven years of safety testing before submitting drugs to the FDA for approval and conclude the studies after the drugs are released on the market. If the FDA adopts the recommendation, it could cost drug companies millions of dollars, which in turn could drive up the cost of medications, the Associated Press reports.

New TB Test

A DNA-based test for drug resistant tuberculosis will be made available in four African countries this year, the World Health Organization announced this week. The test is able to diagnose multi-drug resistant TB in a matter of hours; standard tests take two to four months. The test will be used in Lesotho, Ethiopia, the Ivory Coast and Congo. The test does not detect extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis, and it cannot be used in "sputum negative" patients who either cannot cough or have no bacteria in their sputum. The WHO aims to introduce the test in 16 African countries over the next four years, the Associated Press reports.

Tomatoes and Salmonella

While tomatoes are still the prime suspect in the salmonella outbreak that has sickened over 800 people in the United States, government investigators are looking into whether another ingredient or a contaminated warehouse could be the cause. In the meantime, the Food and Drug Administration is urging people to avoid raw red plum, red Roma or red round tomatoes unless they were grown in states or countries the FDA has cleared, the Associated Press said.

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