The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first drug of its kind (Soliris [generic name, eculizumab]) to treat a rare blood disorder called paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH).

Only about one in a million persons are diagnosed with PNH. However, this rare disorder that usually develops in adults is characterized by abnormally developed red blood cells that can lead to disability and premature death

The FDA is warning doctors to be more careful when prescribing anemia drugs. The agency says such drugs can lead to problems in patients with cancer and kidney disease and increase the chance of death.

Studies have found a link between overuse of the drug Epogen and two other drugs to an increased risk of death, blood clots, strokes and heart attacks in patients who have chronic kidney failure

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday has issued a new "black-box warning" - the strictest of all the warnings for information and labeling of three drugs used to treat anemia. FDA has blamed the drug manufacturers for misguiding consumers with false claims that the drugs that recommended the lowest possible dose to slowly raise the hemoglobin will avoid the need for a blood transfusion.

The drugs affected, known as erythropoiesis-stimulating agents or ESAs, are darbepoetin alfa (brand name Aranesp) and two epoetin alfa brands (Epogen and Procrit). All three brands are made by Amgen Inc of Thousand Oaks, California. Procrit is also marketed and distributed by Ortho Biotech LP, a subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson

British scientists have discovered a new gene PALB2, which if damaged in women, can make them prone to the risk of breast cancer. The scientists from the Institute of Cancer Research discovered that faulty PALB2 causes about 100 cases of breast cancer in Britain each year.

Additionally, two damaged copies of the gene also appear to cause a serious blood disorder in children

As health officials and food distributors attributed a farm in California as the likely source of contaminated green onions linked to the E.coli outbreak at Taco Bell restaurants. Reports of illness have emerged for the first time from New York City, Delaware, South Carolina and Utah.

With most of the affected cases reported in Long Island and New Jersey, the outbreak has widened considerably to include at least 169 people as of Thursday