Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by the editors of HealthDay:
Development of Experimental Alzheimer's Drug Halted
Development of a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease has been halted after more disappointing results from a late-stage clinical study.
The experimental drug Dimebon (latrepirdine) was being developed to try to stop or even reverse the course of Alzheimer's. Just a few years ago, specialists had hoped the drug would be on the market this year, the Associated Press reported.
But drug makers Pfizer Inc. and Medivation Inc. said Tuesday that a study of about 1,000 patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's found that Dimebon did not significantly improve their cognitive ability, self-care or daily functions.
Last April, the drug companies said findings from another late-stage clinical trial showed that Dimebon failed to improve symptoms of the neurologic disorder Huntington's Disease, the AP reported.
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Porn Actors Must Wear Condoms: L.A. Council
Condoms must be worn by actors in porn movies filmed in Los Angeles, says a new regulation that was approved Tuesday by city council and now goes to the mayor for his signature.
But before it takes effect, council has told the city attorney, police officials and others to hold meetings to determine how the new rule can be enforced, the Associated Press reported.
The move is an exercise in political correctness that can't be enforced, according to adult entertainment executives.
"The only thing that the city could potentially achieve is losing some film permit money and driving some productions away, but you can't actually compel an industry to create a product that the market doesn't want," Christian Mann, general manager of Evil Angel Productions, one of the industry's biggest makers of porn films, told the AP.
Most consumers refuse to buy films in which condoms are used, he said.
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CDC Completes Probe Into Salmonella Outbreak Tied to Microbiology Labs
The investigation into a multistate salmonella outbreak associated with exposure to clinical and teaching microbiology laboratories has been completed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Between Aug. 20, 2010 and June 29, 2011, 109 people infected with strain X of Salmonella Typhimurium were reported in 38 states. The patients ranged in age from less than 1 year to 91 years old, and the median age was 21.
Twelve percent of the patients were hospitalized and one died, the CDC said.
The final update of the investigation appears on the agency's website.
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WHO Weighs in On Faulty Breast Implants
Women with faulty French-made breast implants should seek medical advice if they have any concerns, the World Health Organization said Tuesday.
It's the first time that the UN's health agency has made a public statement about the breast implants believed to have been implanted in about 300,000 women in 65 countries, Agence France-Presse reported.
The implants were made by Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) of France, which has gone out of business.
"Persons with PIP or M-Implant prostheses should consult their doctor or surgeon if they suspect rupture, have pain or inflammation or any other concerns," WHO said in a "Global Alert and Response" statement issued on its website, AFP reported.
"Affected persons and physicians should take note of their national health authority recommendations and act accordingly," the agency said.
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