FDA & Prescription Drugs

• Merck Trying To Sever Vioxx Defective Drug Cases

  Jamie Sheller | February 24, 2006 8:39 AM | 1 CommentPhiladelphia, PA

  Merck Pharmaceutical Company is attempting to sever two Vioxx defective drug cases scheduled to begin trial on February 27, 2006. Thomas Cona and John McDarby both allege to have suffered heart attacks after taking Vioxx for more than two years, and their cases are set to be tried together in Atlantic City, New Jersey. However, in a motion to sever the cases, Merck argues that the facts are...

• Adderrall:Is it Worth the Risk?

  Staff Writer | February 24, 2006 8:12 AM | 1 CommentDallas, TX

  It's a scary a thing. Why all of a sudden are more and more of our children being diagnosed daily with attention deficit disorder and hyperactivity and being prescribed so called "cure-all" drugs. A staggering 29 million prescriptions were written in 2004 for stimulant drugs such Adderall, Ritalin and other similar drugs to treat this so called epidemic disease, most of them for children. Two...

• Fosamax - Why no Osteonecrosis Warning?

  Robert Blanchard | February 20, 2006 3:19 PM | 0 CommentsPensacola, FL

  What can be worse than your jaw rotting away and dying while it is still in your face? Other drugs in the same class as Fosamax(R) warn of this potential outcome. See article at Cancer Drug Causes Bone Problems in Jaw. In the U.S. Package Inserts for both Aredia and Zometa, the following information on osteonecrosis had previously been added to the Adverse Reactions section under Post-Marketing...

• Ortho Evra Birth Control Patch - Admits to Problem

  Robert Blanchard | February 20, 2006 3:14 PM | 0 CommentsPensacola, FL

  The makers of the only birth control patch announced last week that new studies have shown that their Ortho Evra birth Control Patch is having twice the problems of the standard oral dose. Ortho Women's Health & Urology is the maker of the ORTHO EVRA (R) (norelgestromin/ethinyl estradiol transdermal system) birth control patch and it has received findings from two separate studies that were...

• Kava Kava Feels Good but May Produce Harmful Consequences

  Joe Saunders | February 19, 2006 10:46 AM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising consumers of the potential risk of severe liver injury associated with the use of kava-containing dietary supplements. Kava (Piper methysticum) is a plant indigenous to the islands in the South Pacific where it is commonly used to prepare a traditional beverage. Supplements containing the herbal ingredient kava are promoted for relaxation (e.g.,...

• FDA to Put Warning on Ortho Evra

  Joe Saunders | February 19, 2006 10:42 AM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  The FDA will put a new warning on the Ortho Evra birth control patch in order to warn consumers and healthcare professionals that users may be at a much greater risk of blood clots when using the patch.Dr. Daniel Shames, director of the FDA's division of reproductive and urologic drug products, says updated labeling has been approved for the product to warn healthcare providers and patients that...

• Ortho Evra Patch Maker Says Blood Clot Risk Doubles with Birth Control Patch

  Joe Saunders | February 17, 2006 8:49 AM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  Women who use the Ortho Evra birth-control patch face twice the risk of developing blood clots as those who take the Pill, the patch's manufacturer said late Thursday, citing recent company-funded research.The finding comes from one of two studies comparing the patch and Pill, said Ortho Women's Health & Urology, maker of the once-a-week patch, based in Raritan, N.J.

• FDA Panel Recommends Strongest Warning for ADHD Drugs

  Jamie Sheller | February 15, 2006 1:26 PM | 0 CommentsPhiladelphia, PA

  An advisory panel of the FDA voted to recommend "black box" warnings on popular drugs used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The warning would indicate that the drugs may be linked to an increased risk of death and injury. A "black box" warning is the strongest warning available for prescription drugs, and this recommendation comes after reports of 25 deaths, including 19...

• FDA: Certain Parkinson's Drugs Lead to Greater Risk of Gambling

  Joe Saunders | February 15, 2006 8:34 AM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  The FDA is reporting that certain drugs used to treat tremors associated with Parkinson's disease actually increase the risk of pathological gambling. The latest results are consistent with earlier observations and add to evidence that Parkinson's drugs may lead to impulsive behavior as they make up for depleted dopamine, a brain chemical whose deficiency marks the disease. The researchers...

• "Black Box" Drug Warnings Often Ignored by Healthcare Providers

  Joe Saunders | February 14, 2006 2:58 PM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  In a Wall St. Journal article published today, many patients are told to use drugs with black box warning in spite of these drugs being unsuitable for them. A new study of medicines prescribed in the U.S. has found that many patients are told to use drugs with "black box" warnings even though those drugs aren't suitable for their medical needs.In a study to be published in today's Archives of...