1. Gardasil
From the “Tell Someone” ads running on TV, you might think there is an epidemic of cervical cancer. But it’s just Merck’s clever way of alerting people to the first vaccine, Gardasil, to fight a cancer. Cervical cancer, as the ads point out, is commonly caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV), which is most commonly spread during sexual intercourse. That’s why an advisory panel for the Centers’ for Disease Control (CDC) recommended last summer that Gardasil become part of routine immunization for girls between the ages of 11 and 12, a suggestion the agency is likely to accept.
2. Chantix
If quitting smoking is your New Year’s resolution, consider trying Chantix. It’s the first smoking cessation drug that’s designed to address the withdrawal symptoms that make kicking the habit so hard. Chantix works by mimicking nicotine, so smokers weaning themselves off cigarettes will still feel the satisfying effects of nicotine without its addictive qualities and damaging effects on the lungs and other organs. The 12-week program of pills alone may not be enough to quit, however; smokers who took Chantix while also participating in counseling were able to remain smoke-free longer than those who just popped the pills.
3. Plan B
Known as the ‘morning after’ pill, the contraceptive is now available over the counter for women 18 and older. It’s got the same ingredient found in birth control pills, but in a different dose. And don’t expect to see Plan B sold next to the condoms at the local convenience store. In order to ensure that girls 17 and under won’t have non-prescription access to Plan B, it will only be dispensed over-the-counter at retailers with pharmacy services — and a pharmacist who will check IDs for proof of age.
4. Atripla
Twenty five years after the first AIDS cases were reported in the U.S., and 19 years after the first AIDS drug was approved, patients finally have their first single-pill, once-a-day treatment against HIV thanks to Bristol-Myers Squibb and Gilead Sciences. Combining three potent anti-HIV drugs — efavirenz, emtricitabine and tenofovir — Atripla is a welcome respite for the hundreds of thousands of HIV-positive patients who have become accustomed to taking dozens of pills and injections a day.
5. Silicone Breast Implants
They’re baaack! Fourteen years after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the implants because of insufficient data regarding cancer and disease risks (not to mention the danger of rupture), the agency has approved them again for women over age 22. Before reaching its decision, the FDA reviewed studies that followed women over a period of four years. Even so, the approval comes with a condition — the two implant makers, Allergan and Mentor, have to conduct a study of 40,000 women with the implants over the next 10 years to ensure that they do not suffer any greater risk of autoimmune disease, connective tissue disorders, or rupture.
