The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is reviewing new data from two studies that provide further evidence of the risks of anemia drugs known as erythropoiesis-stimulating agents, or ESAs.

The studies show that patients with breast or advanced cervical cancers who received ESAs to treat anemia caused by chemotherapy died sooner or had more rapid tumor growth than similar patients who didn't receive the anemia drug

China has approved importing a new drug for HIV patients.

China's State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) on Friday announced the country's approval of importation of a new drug, which was developed by United States-based pharmaceutical giant Abbott Laboratories to treat patients infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)

Half of the new tuberculosis cases in sub-Saharan Africa are now HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) co-infected, the Forum for Collaborative Research reported on Thursday.

The research noted the dual epidemic are threatening the lives of millions of people in the region, especially in slum areas where both TB and HIV are rife

Three scientific institutes in Singapore have jointly developed a palm-size device that can quickly and cheaply test saliva or stool sample from humans and poultry for signs of the bird flu virus H5N1, the CBC News reported on Monday.

CBC News said the gadget can detect within 28 minutes the presence of the fatal virus at a cost of only 20 to 50 cents. Other test methods takes up to four hours to return results and cost $20 to $50 per kit

Researchers from Japan have achieved a breakthrough in the field of vaccines by developing a type of rice that can carry a vaccine for cholera. The new discovery is seen as a revolutionary way to ease delivery of vaccines in developing countries, where storage is difficult due to lack of refrigeration.

The new rice vaccine, which is tested only in mice, causes immune reactions both systemwide in the body and in mucosal tissues such as in the mouth, nose and genital tract. Standard vaccines delivered by needle do not cause immune responses in the mucosal areas