Tuberculosis on the increase in Europe: The number of cases of tuberculosis in Europe rose by more than 30% in the five years to 1995 to almost 370000 in 2000. Seven out of 10 new cases occurred in the then newly independent states of the former Soviet Union.
Shops reject company's human genetic testing kits: Thirteen major retailers in the United Kingdom, including Boots, John Lewis, and Marks and Spencer, have decided not to sell the first over the counter genetic test kits from the UK company Sciona. The tests, which can be bought on the internet, test for polymorphisms in nine genes using cells collected from inside the mouth.
FDA allows alosetron back on market: The US Food and Drug Administration announced that it will allow alosetron (Lotronex), GlaxoSmithKline's drug for irritable bowel syndrome, back on the market. GlaxoSmithKline had voluntarily taken alosetron off the market in November 2000—nine months after its approval—because of reports that it precipitated fatal cases of ischaemic colitis as well as severe constipation (4 May, p 1053).
Expansion of doctor numbers under threat: Medical schools in the United Kingdom will be unable to deliver the extra 15000 doctors by 2008 that the government has promised because of cuts in funding, the BMA has warned. Instead of expanding their staff to keep up with rising student numbers, at least half of the United Kingdom's medical schools are planning extensive redundancies as their budgets are slashed for next year.
New deputy editor for the BMJ: Dr Kamran Abbasi, papers editor of the BMJ, has been appointed its third deputy editor, joining Dr Tony Delamothe and Ms Jane Smith. Dr Abbasi, aged 33 years, qualified from Leeds University in 1992 and worked at St Bartholomew's and Royal London hospitals before joining the BMJ in 1997.