FDA OKS LOTION AGAINST POISON PLANTS.Byline: Associated Press Associated Press: see news agency. Associated Press (AP) Cooperative news agency, the oldest and largest in the U.S. and long the largest in the world. People plagued by itchy itch·y adj. Having or causing an itching sensation. poison ivy poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac, woody vines and trailing or erect shrubs of the family Anacardiaceae (sumac family), native to North America. just got some help: the first government-backed drug to prevent the rash. The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved IvyBlock, a nonprescription non·pre·scrip·tion adj. Sold legally without a physician's prescription; over-the-counter. lotion that dries to form a white, claylike barrier against poison ivy, oak or sumac. Until now, the only proven help was avoiding the poisonous plants or wearing protective - often hot - clothing. But the FDA FDA abbr. Food and Drug Administration FDA, n.pr See Food and Drug Administration. FDA, n.pr the abbreviation for the Food and Drug Administration. said rubbing on IvyBlock at least 15 minutes before exposure to the poisonous plants can protect people. In a test of 144 people known to be allergic to poison ivy, the lotion protected 68 percent from developing any rash, and those who did itch had a less-severe rash than they developed when they didn't use the drug. More than 9 million Americans sought remedies for the irritation caused by poison ivy, oak or sumac in 1994, and 15 percent of people sensitive to poison ivy alone can experience severe allergic reactions. Hikers, park rangers, forest firefighters and others who work outdoors are most prone to repeated rashes. And they're among the first people manufacturer EnviroDerm Pharmaceuticals Inc. hopes to sell IvyBlock to. The lotion will be available in three to six months and will cost less than $10 per bottle, Louisville, Ky.-based EnviroDerm said Wednesday. |
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