The Food and Drug Administration annouced its approval of a new drug derived from the saliva of a poisonous lizard called the Gila monster.

Byetta, chemically called exenatide, is the newest option for Type 2 diabetics. The drug is the first of its kind, requires injections twice a day, and presently must be taken along with older diabetes treaments

For years, the U.S. government has said the best way to avoid mosquitoes carrying the potentially dangerous West Nile virus is using insect repellents with DEET, now that message is changing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are adding repellents containing the chemical picaridin or the oil of lemon eucalyptus, which they say offer "long-lasting protection against mosquito bites." Dr. Lyle Petersen, director of the CDC's division of vector-borne infectious diseases, says "Since West Nile virus is present across the entire country at this point and it's here to stay, we constantly need to be vigilant. It gives consumers a better option to protect themselves." Repellent makers have tried for years to market products with the two added chemicals, but to no avail. Other countries have used both chemicals since the 1980's. DEET has long been described as the most effective weapon against West Nile by federal, state, and local health agencies. The CDC are changing their recommendations based on new research saying, picaridin is "often comparable with DEET products of similar concentration" and oil of lemon eucalyptus provides protection time "similar to low-concentration DEET products in two recent studies." Officials say consumers prefer both chemicals because they don't have the strong odor many DEET products have. The CDC hopes more people will use insect repellents to protect themselves against potential exposure to West Nile. About 40 percent of people use insect repellents nationwide. In 2004, California had the highest number of reported cases (771 with 23 fatalities). Officials say, however, just 23-percent use insect repellent. A spokeswoman says, "That's a lot of people who are going out there unprotected." Registered with the Environmental Protection Agency in 1957, The U.S. Department of Agriculture developed DEET in 1946. Many users say DEET is unpleasant to the skin and smells bad. Some people also say DEET repellents damage fake fingernails and other plastics. There are also unconfirmed claims DEET might cause brain damage, but the EPA says proper use will prevent any harm. The first case of West Nile virus was in New York in 1999. In 2004, there were 2,470 cases and 88 deaths, but the highest number of cases in the United States was in 2003, when 9,682 people were infected with 264 fatalities

Two independent British studies have come to the same conclusion, that taking supplements of vitamin D and calcium, alone or together, to prevent broken bones is inneffective and likely a waste of time and money. The news is discouraging to senior citizens who struggle to fend off the devastating side effects of osteoporosis and debilitating fractures. In the first study, whose results are published in The Lancet April 27, split 5,292 subjects aged 70+, who had suffered a fracture in the previous 10 years, into groups that were given daily doses of vitamin D3, calcium, a combination of both or placebos. The test subjects were followed over two to five years to see if people getting the supplements had fewer new bone fractures. But the study concluded that there was no real difference in rate of new fractures between the groups. The study did not consider those who take calcium in combination with bisphosphonates. The second trial results, which are published in the British Medical Journal, examined 3,314 UK women aged 70+ with one or more risk factors for potential hip fractures. The women were followed for 18 to 42 months to see if one group had higher incidence of news hip fractures. The researchers found no statistically significant difference between the two groups

Lawyers representing drug company Merck asked a judge to throw out a wrongful death lawsuit, which claims pain reliever Vioxx was responsible for the death of a 42-year-old man. Attorney Mike Brock argued the medications Brad Rogers took did not leave the company until after his death in 2001, making a direct correlation between his death and the drug impossible. Lawyers for Cheryl Rogers say they have expert medical testimony showing Vioxx was indeed responsible for her husband's death. They also stated Cheryl and numerous other family members would testify they saw Rogers take Vioxx before he died. Circuit Judge John Rochester said he would give his ruling by the end of the week. Merck pulled Vioxx off the market last September after studies showed the pain reliever doubled the risk of heart attacks and strokes among those who used it for more than 18 months. Since then, over 2,400 lawsuits have been filed involving the drug. The Rogers case is the first to be heard in front of a jury. The trail date for the Rogers case has been set for May 23

Six patients are showing signs that their genetically modified tissue implants have been successful in slowing their Alzheimers. Between 2001 and 2002, the patients participated in a gene therapy experiment at San Diego's University of California. The tissue used in the experiment was designed to boost a naturally occurring protein that stops cell death and stimulates cell function. Professor Mark Tuszynski, the neurologist who led the research, said their latest follow up of these six patients suggested the treatment was working. Memory tests suggest the gene therapy has slowed cognitive decline by as much as 50%. brain scans also show that the patients' brains are more active than before. All studies conducted thus far have been to check that the technique is safe. Having safely taken the technique from animal to human use the researchers are now free to continue the study. Now that has been shown, further studies can be done to determine how effective the treatment is. Harriet Millward, deputy chief executive of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, said the research was very exciting, but cautioned that it would not be a complete cure for Alzheimer's