NEWS - Warning given on use of four popular asthma drugs, but debate remains

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Warning Given on Use of 4 Popular Asthma Drugs, but Debate Remains

By GARDINER HARRIS

The New York Times

Published: December 5, 2008

WASHINGTON — Two federal drug officials have concluded that asthma

sufferers risk death if they continue to use four hugely popular

asthma drugs — Advair, Symbicort, Serevent and Foradil. But the

officials' views are not universally shared within the government.

The two officials, who work in the safety division of the Food and

Drug Administration, wrote in an assessment on the agency's Web site

on Friday that asthma sufferers of all ages should no longer take the

medicines. A third drug-safety official concluded that Advair and

Symbicort could be used by adults but that all four drugs should no

longer be used by people age 17 and under.

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Read the rest of the article here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/06/health/policy/06allergy.html

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