The UCLA Health System has launched the new UCLA Hand Transplantation Program, the first of its kind on the West Coast and only the fourth such center in the United States. The program will help those who have suffered the traumatic loss of a hand or forearm and allow them to regain function and improve their quality of life. Qualified candidates are now being sought for a clinical study of the procedure.

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Revised labeling for prescription and over-the-counter proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) will warn that these stomach acid–reducing medications could increase patients’ risk of hip, wrist, and spine fractures, US health authorities announced. The FDA’s decision to add new precautionary information to PPI labeling is based on data from 7 epidemiological studies published since 2006. Six of the 7 showed a relationship between PPI use and an increased risk of fractures. Most of the patients in the studies were aged 50 years or older; the increased risk of fracture was seen primarily in this group.

The FDA has warned that high dose of a class of drugs known as Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs), for conditions such as heartburn, acid reflux and gastric ulcers, for a long term carries an increased risk of bone fractures in the wrist, hip and spine. In their warning to consumers and health care professionals, the FDA said the product labeling will be changed to include a safety warning about the increased potential risk.

Auxilium Pharma is awaiting a decision from the FDA on its key pipeline candidate, Xiaflex, for the treatment of Dupuytren’s Contracture. The drug has received favorable recommendation from the FDA’s Arthritis Advisory Committee. Dupuytren’s Contracture is a condition that affects the connective tissue in the palm known as palmar fascia. The company estimates that about 240,000 people suffer from Dupuytren’s in the US and the EU. This represents significant commercial opportunity for Auxilium.