FDA & Prescription Drugs

• Alzheimer's Drug May Help with Memory Loss Resulting from Traumatic Brain Injuries

  Staff Writer | December 26, 2006 5:26 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  Traumatic brain injuries (TBI's) are among the most common brain disorders in the US. TBI's occur when a sudden force makes contact with the head and causes damage to the brain. Every year, nearly 1.5 million Americans suffer from a TBI. Memory loss is the most common injury sustained after a TBI and currently over 5 million Americans are living with some sort of memory loss linked to a TBI....

• Merck wins Alabama Vioxx verdict

  Staff Writer | December 18, 2006 2:02 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  Vioxx manufacturer Merck & Co. experienced a courtroom victory last week in Alabama. The jury in the product liability trial found that the Vioxx makers did not hide the serious risks associated with the drug in the case of a man who accused the company of causing his heart attack. CNNMoney.com reports on the verdict:"This plaintiff did have many pre-existing risk factors" and the heart attack...

• Elidel and Protopic Label Warnings

  Staff Writer | December 15, 2006 10:30 AM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  On January 19, 2006 the FDA approved an updated label for Elidel and Protopic. Elidel and Protopic are drugs used to treat atopic dermatitis. Both drugs are calcineurin inhibitor drugs that are used topically to target cells that cause atopic dermatitis in patients. More commonly known as eczema, atopic dermatitis is a non-life-threatening skin condition that causes dry, scaly skin and severe...

• Anemia Drugs Associated with Higher Risk of Death, Heart Attack and Stroke

  Staff Writer | December 08, 2006 6:06 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  Three anemia drugs were the subject of a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine which concluded that there was a higher chance of death, heart attack, hospitalizations for heart failure and stroke in patients with chronic kidney disease who are not on dialysis and were treated with Procrit to raise their hemoglobin levels higher than what the labeling for the product...

• Paxil and Other Antidepressants Associated with Birth Defects

  Staff Writer | December 05, 2006 1:04 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) has recently published an opinion regarding the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and selective norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors for treatment of depression during pregnancy. ACOG warns that a particular SSRI known as Paxil (generic: paroxetine) should be avoided when possible by pregnant women or women who...

• FDA Reports New Cases of Rare Neurological Disorder After Administration of Vaccine(2)

  Staff Writer | November 22, 2006 4:06 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  The FDA and CDC have updated an alert issued last year after receiving more reports of a rare neurological disorder, Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) following administration of a vaccine (trade name Menactra) designed to prevent meningococcal disease, a major cause of bacterial meningitis and blood stream infections.To date, a total of 15 confirmed cases of GBS have been reported among individuals...

• Additional Contact Solution Recalled

  Staff Writer | November 22, 2006 3:59 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  FDA's Medwatch announced a recall today of 18 lots of Complete (R) MoisturePLUS multipurpose contact lens care solution and Active Packs which were distributed in the U.S. Certain lots were contaminated with bacteria that compromised sterility, which can carry serious health consequences, including eye infection and microbial keratitis.If you have the recalled product, you should discontinue...

• Flu Vaccine May Cause Dangerous Behavior

  Staff Writer | November 15, 2006 11:10 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  The FDA has recommended that the label of Roche's popular flu drug, Tamiflu, be updated to carry warnings about possible "neuropsychiatric adverse events," particularly in pediatric patients. The recommendation follows a 10-month review of 103 cases of unsafe behavior, 67 percent of which occurred in pediatric patients. Most of the events, 95 percent, occurred in Japan, which is Tamiflu's...

• FDA Reports New Cases of Rare Neurological Disorder After Administration of Vaccine

  Staff Writer | November 01, 2006 11:14 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  The FDA and CDC have updated an alert issued last year after receiving more reports of a rare neurological disorder, Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) following administration of a vaccine (trade name Menactra) designed to prevent meningococcal disease, a major cause of bacterial meningitis and blood stream infections.To date, a total of 15 confirmed cases of GBS have been reported among individuals...

• More Bad News for Natrecor

  Staff Writer | October 12, 2006 8:25 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  Two researchers have published data supporting the conclusions reached in their study last year that the heart drug Natrecor (generic name nesiritide) poses an increased risk of death. The study showed that 7.8 percent of patients taking Natrecor died within 30 days of using it; but only 3.9 percent of patients taking other drugs died within the same 30 day period. The study, which was...