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• Diet soda as a treatment for kidney stones? A study in the June 2010 issue of the Journal of Urology reports that a number of commonly consumed diet sodas—including Diet Sunkist Orange, Diet 7Up, Sprite Zero, Diet Canada Dry Ginger Ale, Sierra Mist Free, Diet Orange Crush, Fresca, and Diet Mountain Dew—have a citrate content at least as great as that of a homemade lemonade beverage commonly used to treat hypocitraturic calcium nephrolithiasis. Citrate is a known inhibitor of calcium stone formation. (J Urol. 2010;183:2419-23.)
• The FDA is collaborating with Drugs.com to expand access to the agency’s consumer health information. A joint resource on the Drugs.com Web site will feature FDA Consumer Update articles, videos, and slideshows. The partnership also will provide access to FDA health information on the Drugs.com mobile phone platform.
• Lansoprazole (Prevacid 24HR) and omeprazole (Prilosec OTC) will be on the agenda when the FDA Pediatric Advisory Committee meets on June 21, 2010, to discuss pediatric-focused safety reviews. Nonprescription use of these proton pump inhibitors currently is limited to adults 18 years of age or older; it is not clear whether the FDA is considering changing that indication.
• Reversing an earlier decision, Walgreens announced that its stores will not sell the Pathway Genomics Genetic Health Report, a home-use saliva collection kit. The announcement came after the FDA informed Pathway Genomics that the personal genetic test kit appears to meet the definition of a medical device and thus requires premarketing approval. The test kit was to have been available in Walgreens stores beginning in May 2010.