HERBAL MEDICINES
New boss at EMA committee
Marisa Delbò, head of the Risk Management Office at the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA), has been elected the new chair of the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). HMPC is responsible for preparing the Agency's opinions on herbal medicines. Its work supports the harmonisation of procedures and provisions concerning herbal medicines in EU Member-States and the integration of these products in the European regulatory framework. Among the Committee’s future tasks is streamlining the review and revision process to keep EU harmonised standards up-to-date and improve the quality of documents.
LUNG TRANSPLANT
More breathing time
The length of time donor lungs can be preserved prior to transplant can safely be extended to over 12 hours — more than double the average 5/6 hours standard time, without jeopardising recipient outcomes, by using a combination of cold preservation and a new technique called ex-vivo lung perfusion (EVLP), whereby the lung is kept alive outside the body and supported by a supply of oxygen and nutrients. The new study, published in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine , found that patients who received a donor lung preserved for more than 12 hours had similar survival at one year post transplant to those who received lungs preserved for less than 12 hours.
AUSTRALIA RED FLAG
Caution on two drugs
Multani Kamini Vidrawan Ras tablets and Ayurvedant Kamini Vidravan Ras tablets pose a serious health risk and should not be taken, the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) said. The two products were found to contain substances that are prescription-only. Consumers were advised that the supply of Multani Kamini Vidrawan Ras and Ayurvedant Kamini Vidravan Ras tablets in Australia was illegal and customers may have bought the product online.
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