HEALTH

FDA Panel Recommends Approval of New Merck Drug: A panel of medical experts endorsed Merck & Co.’s Proscar as the first drug to shrink enlarged prostate, a painful condition that occurs in the majority of men over age 50 that causes difficulty in urination and pressure on the bladder. The only treatment for the condition is surgery. The panel voted 6-1 that the benefits of the drug outweigh the risks after tests found that it had virtually no side effects and helped 30% of the men tested. While advisory recommendations are not binding, they carry great weight in the FDA’s decision on whether a drug should be approved for marketing.