New way to kill malaria mosquitoes

Mosquitoes that landed on surfaces coated with the antimalarial compound atovaquone were completely blocked from developing Plasmodium falciparum (P. falciparum), the parasite that causes malaria, according to new research led by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Atovaquone an active ingredient in medication that’s commonly used in humans to prevent and treat malaria can be absorbed through mosquitoes’ tarsi (legs) and prevents the insects from developing and spreading the parasite.

Treating bed nets with atovaquone or similar compounds would be an effective way to reduce the burden of malaria while significantly mitigating the growing problem of insecticide resistance.

MacLeods Company in US Recalls Tainted BP drug Losartan

Macleods Pharmaceuticals Limited in USA has recalled one lot of losartan potassium and hydrochlorothiazide combination tablets (100 mg/25 mg) due to detection of the probable carcinogen N-Nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA) above interim acceptable daily intake levels in the active pharmaceutical ingredient (losartan) manufactured by Hetero Labs Limited. In India MacLeod brand is czartan. Till now there is no information about withdrawl of the drug in india.

Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults(Part 3)

Analgesics/anti-inflammatory agents

Gastrointestinal antispasmodics

• Dicyclomine (H)
• Hyoscyamine (H)
• Propantheline (H)
• Belladonna alkaloids (H)
• Clidinium-chlordiazepoxide (H)

Hormone agents

• Methyltestosterone (H)
• Estrogen (L)

Laxatives

• Bisacodyl (H)
• Cascara sagrada (H)
• Mineral oil (H)
• Neoloid (H)

Muscle relaxants

• Carisoprodol (H)
• Chlorzoxazone (H)
• Cyclobenzaprine (H)
• Metaxalone (H)
• Methocarbamol (H)
• Orphenadrine (H)
• Oxybutynin (H)

Nutritional supplements

• Ferrous sulfate >325 mg/day (L)

Oral hypoglycemics

• Chlorpropamide (H)

Sedatives

• Barbiturates (except phenobarbital) (H)

Stimulants/anorexic agents

• Amphetamines (H)
• Phenylephrine stimulants (H)
• Pseudoephedrine (H)
• Methylphenidate (H)