Health Buzz: Psoriasis Drug's Approval Delayed Again and Other Health News

Psoriasis Drug's Approval Pushed Back Again

The Food and Drug Administration is taking an additional 3 months to review Johnson & Johnson's psoriasis drug Stelara, Reuters reported Tuesday. When the drug was up for approval last June, the FDA asked for more information on its risks. The drug company responded in January to the FDA's request, but the agency wants more time to evaluate Stelara. The FDA didn't ask for further clinical testing on the experimental drug, which was tolerated well in two large trials with only mild side effects, according to Reuters. Psoriasis is a skin condition that causes red, scaly patches that can itch and bleed.

Last month, Genentech's psoriasis drug Raptiva was pulled from the U.S. market after it was linked to a rare brain infection. After getting FDA approval in 2003, Raptiva was used to treat close to 46,000 patients worldwide.

Consider these doctors' guidelines to psoriasis treatment.

Health Reform: More Detail Needed

President Obama's healthcare reform promises Americans affordable, high-quality healthcare with the freedom to choose whatever doctor or health plan they want. The Senate Finance Committee is crafting legislation and has begun to let the public in on some of its handiwork by issuing three white papers on policy options that might or might not make it into the final bill.

U.S. News's Dr. Bernadine Healy voices concern about how the proposed healthcare policies would be implemented. Healy discusses privacy issues surrounding the use of electronic medical records, comparative effectiveness studies aimed at balancing treatment benefits with their cost, and the public health insurance option that would compete with private insurance plans.

One of the white papers—perhaps the most provocative—describes ways to pay for comprehensive health reform, Healy writes. Income-tax breaks designed to encourage healthcare coverage are high on the list for reduction or elimination. Deductions that individuals and families can take for major out-of-pocket medical expenses and the tax benefit for funding health savings accounts are other things that could take a hit.

Healy wrote in February about the privacy and electronic medical records debate. Here's more on what comparative effectiveness treatment guidelines could mean for patients.

Girls With Sexy Online Alter Egos Face Greater Risks

If your daughter's online alter ego has a sexy image, it's a cue for you to start an offline chat about how she's portraying herself and why. Jennie Noll, a psychologist from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, asked 173 teenage girls ages 14 to 17 to make avatars, or online characters, then rated their provocativeness by assessing whether the avatars had traits such as skimpy clothing, body piercings, and exaggerated curves. Girls who created provocative avatars were more likely to get sexual come-ons online and were also more apt to agree to an in-person encounter with someone they met online. The girls who chose provocative avatars were also more likely to be preoccupied with sex—and, Noll speculates, they might be more likely to try on the role. "Parents should be interested and aware of how their children are presenting themselves online," Noll says. She says parents should be prepared to talk with their girls about "the implications of presenting themselves as a sexual being online." Her study appears in the current issue of Pediatrics.

Here's how to manage your kids' use of social media, including MySpace and Facebook. And learn how to keep your kids safe from sexually explicit media.

—Megan Johnson

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