FDA approval of Rochester Medical's FemSoft insert for female stress urinary incontinence on Sept. 30, the final day of the federal government's fiscal year, apparently put the agency's total number of approved, original premarket approval applications for the year at 33, down from 42 in 1998 and 46 in 1997.

While endocrine-disrupting evidence was inconclusive, the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety recommends more conservative limits on use of homosalate, octocrylene and benzophenone-3 in cosmetic products compared with current requirements under the European Cosmetics Product Regulation.