FDA panel says Merck's allergy drug effective

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FDA panel says Merck's allergy drug effective

<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/fda-panel-says-merck-39-allergy-drug-effective-202737434--finance.html"><img src="http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/IuIdTbQjUEAgbC7BWsOmJA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9NzU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2013-12-12T202737Z_1_CBRE9BB1KUF00_RTROPTP_2_VERTEX.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="Branch of drugs and chemicals group Merck is pictured in central German city of Darmstadt" align="left" title="Branch of drugs and chemicals group Merck is pictured in central German city of Darmstadt" border="0" /></a>(Reuters) - A panel of experts advising the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said an oral drug made by Merck &amp; Co was effective in treating grass pollen allergy but expressed concerns about the drug's safety in children. The advisory panel voted 9-0 that available data supported the efficacy of the immunotherapy drug, Grastek, in treating Timothy grass pollen allergy in patients 5 years or older. The committee also voted unanimously in favor of the drug's safety, on the condition that patients taking the drug have easy access to epinephrine - a medicine used to treat serious allergic reaction such as ones that can result from the use of immunotherapies. Panelists recommended post-approval studies of the drug to test its safety in children aged 5 to 11 years, citing side effects such as lip swelling, throat irritation and tightness and oral blistering.</p><br clear="all"/>

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