Combination Ear Infection Drug OK'd

For swimmer's ear and other ills

TUESDAY, July 22, 2003 (HealthDayNews) -- Alcon Inc. says it's received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for Ciprodex Otic -- drops for treating ear infections.

The combination drug includes the anti-inflammatory dexamethasone and the antibiotic Cipro (ciprofloxacin), which gained fame during the anthrax-by-mail attacks in the fall of 2001.

The Alcon drug is approved for youngsters with tympanostomy tubes used to treat frequent middle ear infections. The FDA also sanctioned the medication as a topical treatment for children and adults with acute otitis externa, an infection more commonly known as swimmer's ear.

Each year, millions of children suffer middle ear infections, second only to the common cold, Alcon says.

For more information about ear infections and children, visit the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. For more on swimmer's ear, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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