The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the Zilver PTX Drug-Eluting Peripheral Stent (Zilver PTX Stent), the first drug-eluting stent indicated to re-open a particular artery in the thigh (femoropopliteal artery) when narrowed or blocked as a result of peripheral artery disease (PAD).

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Xeljanz (tofacitinib) to treat adults with moderately to severely active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who have had an inadequate response to, or who are intolerant of, methotrexate.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today issued a Warning Letter to The Avalon Effect Inc., a company based in Franklin, Tenn., for its marketing of a light therapy product that claims to cure or treat symptoms of fungal meningitis, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), concussions, Lyme disease, and other diseases.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today expanded the approved use of Xarelto (rivaroxaban) to include treating deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE), and to reduce the risk of recurrent DVT and PE following initial treatment.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today that Ameridose, LLC, based in Westborough, Mass., is voluntarily recalling all of its unexpired products in circulation. Products from Ameridose can be identified by markings that indicate Ameridose by name or by its company logo. A complete list of all products subject to this recall can be accessed at www.ameridose.com.

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration released a copy of the FDA Form 483 issued to the New England Compounding Center (NECC). The FDA observed and has since confirmed contaminated products and listed a number of observations regarding conditions in the clean room at NECC’s Framingham, Mass. facility.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Synribo (omacetaxine mepesuccinate) to treat adults with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), a blood and bone marrow disease.

Venus Pharmaceuticals International Inc., of Hauppauge, N.Y., and Bharat Kakumanu, its chief executive officer, have agreed to stop production and distribution of dietary supplements into U.S. commerce and recall and destroy affected product produced prior to January 2012, due to repeated violations of current good manufacturing practice (cGMP) regulations. In addition, the firm is prohibited from exporting products unless such activity is in compliance with FDA laws and regulations.

A federal judge has granted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration a permanent injunction against Truman J. Berst, doing business as Alternative Health & Herbs Remedies of Albany, Ore., for selling products represented as herbs and supplements with claims for treating diseases.

At the request of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Marshals recently seized dietary supplements and unapproved drugs from Confidence, Inc., of Port Washington, N.Y.