Drug Updates

Young adults face an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior when they first begin taking antidepressants and should be warned about the danger, federal health officials said Wednesday. The Food and Drug Administration asked makers of the drugs to expand its warning labels to include adults age 18-24.

Two research reports suggest a possible link between two bone-building drugs and irregular heart rhythms in a small number of women who take the medicine. The signs of a problem were more pronounced with Reclast, a drug made by Novartis AG, but there was a hint of similar trouble in a few women who took the leading osteoporosis pill, Fosamax by Merck & Co.