Health Highlights: July 29, 2008

July 30 -- Here are some of the latest health and medical news developments, compiled by editors of HealthDay:

FDA Experts Recommend Approval for Experimental Arthritis Drug

The experimental rheumatoid arthritis drug Actemra should be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, an expert panel advising the agency recommended Tuesday.

The advisors voted 10-1 in favor of approval, despite the drug's serious side effects including possible infections, liver damage and cancer, the Associated Press reported. Last week, the FDA posted documents on its Web site that said Actemra appeared effective in treating moderate-to-severe RA, including symptoms such as disabling joint damage and pain.

RA differs from typical age-related arthritis, which involves wear and tear on the joints as people get older. In RA, by contrast, the body's immune system actually attacks the joints. About 2.5 million Americans have the condition, and most people get it in early adulthood or middle age, the AP said.

While most arthritis medications are designed to relieve pain, Actemra is a genetically engineered drug that blocks a protein called IL-6, which has been linked to the body's inflammatory response.

Actemra is made by Hoffman-La Roche Inc.

The full FDA generally follows the suggestions of its advisory panels, though it isn't bound to do so.

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Global AIDS Deaths Declined Again in 2007

For the second year in a row, deaths worldwide from AIDS-related diseases fell in 2007, due mainly to increased distribution of anti-HIV drugs, says a UNAIDS report released Tuesday.

There were an estimated 2 million AIDS-related deaths last year, about 200,000 fewer deaths than in 2005, Agence France-Presse reported.

About 33 million people were living with HIV last year across the globe, compared with 32.7 million in 2006, according to UNAIDS. About 2.7 million people were newly infected with HIV in 2007.

The rate of people worldwide with HIV has remained around 0.8 percent since 2000. While this suggests the AIDS pandemic has stabilized, UNAIDS said more funding and a breakthrough in prevention are needed if progress against the disease is to continue, AFP reported.