Scientists have discovered a simple gene test to help doctors identify patients at risk of rare side effects before they take the cholesterol-lowering drug statins.

Scientists at University of Oxford are hoping the test can help identify patients at increased risk of myopathy (severe muscle pain and weakness) and enable higher doses of statins to be safely prescribed to patients without the risk of the condition

A study has found that people who take cholesterol-lowering statin drugs for more than six months cut their lung cancer risk by 55 percent. A Veterans Administration study suggests that the same is applicable to smokers who took the drugs for four or more years thus cutting their lung cancer risk by 77 percent.

The findings, first reported in 2005, come from an analysis of nearly half a million patient records collected from 1998 to 2004 in eight southern states. The statins include Zocor, Lipitor, Pravachol, Crestor, Lescol, and Mevacor

On Wednesday, tests conducted by the Food and Drug Administration revealed that fake versions of Lipitor and other widely used prescription drugs are available on the Internet through Web sites linked to a Canadian pharmacy.

The FDA cautioned consumers who bought drugs through the 10 Web sites and said they should not use the medications because they may not be safe. The sites include rxnorth.com, canadiandrugstore.com and rxbyfax.com

The Food and Drug Administration is advising consumers not to purchase prescription drugs from Web sites that have their orders filled from Canadian companies reportedly selling counterfeit medications.

The FDA is investigating reports that Mediplan Prescription Plus Pharmacy or Mediplan Global Health in Manitoba, Canada sold fake drugs to U.S. consumers.

It is coordinating its efforts with international law enforcement authorities

Abbott Laboratories (a United States [U.S.] pharmaceutical company) and AstraZeneca (a British drug giant competitor) announced Wednesday their collaboration plans to create and market an all-in-one pill that will have a combined positive effect on all three blood lipids (i.e., LDLs, HDLs and triglycerides). The new pill will not only lower the LDLs (or "bad" cholesterol), but it will raise the HDLs (or "good" cholesterol), while also reducing triglycerides (fats that form in the bloodstream).

Abbott currently sells the cholesterol treatment, Tricor, and AstraZeneca currently sells the cholesterol-lowering drug, Crestor. The joint venture to develop the combination drug treatment will aid in lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease, which is known as the number one killer of both men and women