Covidien announced that the Puritan Bennett™ 560 ventilator is now available in Europe. The Puritan Bennett 560 ventilator is compact and portable, weighing just 4.5 kg. This lightweight device provides mobile respiratory support, enabling ventilated adult and pediatric patients to pursue regular activities with peace of mind. The Puritan Bennett 560 ventilator is designed for patient comfort, safety and maneuverability.

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The FDA has asked the makers of Singulair, Accolate, Zyflo and Zyflo CR drugs to include the precaution regarding the reported changes in behavior and mood on their label. All these drugs are used to treat asthma and are leukotriene inhibitors, which affect the leukotriene pathway involved in the body’s response to inflammatory stimuli.

Spiration, Inc. has made an announcement that its IBV® Valve System has been launched by Olympus in the European markets. The minimally invasive device is used for the treatment of various chronic lung problems. The system has already received the CE Mark for use in the treatment of serious diseases of the lung such as emphysema. Initially, the device will be presented to select physicians of Europe. The system may prove to be a boon for  patients who can not or do not undergo surgical operation. Spiration® will continue with manufacturing while Olympus does the distribution.

Teva Pharmaceutical’s ProAir HFA, an albuterol sulfate inhalation solution has received an expanded indication from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for treating bronchospasm in children suffering with reversible obstructive airway disease. Previously approved for patients above 12 years of age, ProAir HFA is now recommended for patients older than 4 years. The indication was expandedc on the basis of a 3-week long study which concluded that 2 inhalations of the solution 4 times a day treated the symptoms significantly.

Schering-Plough Corp. has received FDA approval for Asmanex Twisthaler, 110 micrograms, as a preventive therapy for asthma in kids between 4 and 11 years of age. This treatment is the first once-daily inhaler that can be used for treating children as young as 4. The FDA had approved Asmanex 220 micrograms on March 31, 2005, for preventing asthma flare-ups in patients who are 12 years or older.