FDA & Prescription Drugs

• Reports of Adverse Drug Effects on the Rise

  Chrissie Cole | September 15, 2007 1:57 PM | 0 CommentsOrange County, CA

  According to a new study, reports of adverse drug affects reported to the Food and Drug Administration has doubled over the past decade. Deaths associated with serious adverse drug effects also doubled."A change of this magnitude ought to be cause for alarm," says Thomas J. Moore, senior scientist, drug safety and policy, for the Institute for Safe Medication Practices in Huntingdon Valley, Pa.,...

• Drugs Causing More Fatal Reactions

  Shannon Weidemann | September 14, 2007 9:07 AM | 0 CommentsCorpus Christi, TX

  The FDA created a reporting system for doctors and health professionals to use in 1998 in order to report adverse and fatal drug reactions. A list of the top harmful drugs has been published showing that painkillers cause the most injuries. Clozapine is in the top five and it is an antipsychotic drug. The system is called MedWatch. Five of the top six drugs causing deaths were...

• Cephalon Criticized for Aggressive Marketing Tactics with Actiq

  Staff Writer | September 14, 2007 6:48 AM | 0 CommentsPinellas, FL

  Cephalon had already been criticized for its inappropriate and aggressive marketing techniques when it sent a "Dear Doctor" letter to physicians warning them about the possible side effects in Fentora. These side effects include 4 deaths, one a suicide. Actiq and Fentora were approved for cancer patients only. Yet, as we've seen before, the drugs are marketed more broadly than their intended...

• Fentora Painkiller Tied to Deaths

  Chrissie Cole | September 14, 2007 6:34 AM | 0 CommentsLas Vegas, NV

  Four fatalities have been linked to the recently approved drug, Fentora, a powerful painkiller intended for cancer pain, according to Cephalon Inc., the drug manufacturer Thursday.It appears all four deaths are the result of improper use of the drug, Fentora, manufacturer Cephalon Inc. said. The drug was approved in September by the FDA for use by cancer patients. Fentora contains fentanyl, a...

• Avandia May Raise Heart Attack Risk

  Shannon Weidemann | September 14, 2007 2:31 AM | 0 CommentsBrownsville , TX

  A new study that was published recently shows that Avandia, a popular diabetes drug, may increase the risk of heart failure and heart attacks. The study also looked at the diabetes drug Actos. The study is in the Journal of American Medical Association. According to studies involving some 19,000 people, Actos can cut the rate of heart attacks, stroke, and even death from heart disease by...

• Fentora Linked to Four Deaths

  Jenny Albano | September 14, 2007 1:09 AM | 0 CommentsGainesville, Ocala & Daytona Beach, FL

  Four deaths have been linked to the recently approved painkiller Fentora. The deaths are said to be due to improper use, and the FDA says it is monitoring the situation.The FDA approved the drug in September for use only by cancer patients already taking morphine or other prescription narcotics for their pain. Fentora contains fentanyl, which is similar to morphine, but far more potent.Two of...

• Fentora Kills Four People

  Shannon Weidemann | September 14, 2007 12:16 AM | 0 CommentsMcAllen, TX

  A painkiller used by cancer patients has killed four people that were using the drug improperly. The harmful drug, Fentora, is to be used when morphine or other narcotics do not work for pain relief. One of the people that died after taking the drug was trying to commit suicide. Fentora is manufactured by Cephalon Inc. Fentanyl is classified as a Schedule II controlled substance with an...

• Fentanyl Tablets Warning From FDA, Cephalon Oncology

  Courtney Mills | 2007-09-13T13:28:27 | 0 Comments

  The FDA has issued on its MedWatch page an announcement about the publication of two "Dear Healthcare Professional" letters from Cephalon Oncology about potential dangers of their fentanyl buccal tablets.Fentora is manufactured by Cephalon oncology and is indicated in the treatment of breakthrough cancer pains. Fentanyl tablets are not appropriate for patients suffering from post-operative...

• Avandia Linked to 42% Greater Risk of Heart Attack

  Richard Schulte | 2007-09-13T11:21:59 | 0 Comments

  Users of Avandia, appear to be at increased risk for a heart attack or heart failure. Regulators should seriously consider whether the drug should be allowed to remain on the market.The pooled data from the trials indicated that Avandia, compared with controls, significantly increased the risk of heart attack by 42 percent (94 of 6,421 patients who received Avandia vs. 83 of 7,870 patients who...

• NuvaRing Birth Control-Another Risky Birth Control Method

  Staff Writer | 2007-09-13T05:50:38 | 0 Comments

  NuvaRing has been associated with venous thromboembolic (VTE) events such as pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) as well as ischemic stroke (CVA) and myocardial infarction (MI), or heart attack.Like OrthoEvra, NuvaRing has shown to cause serious adverse health risks for consumers of the product. This vaginal ring contains a relatively high dose of etonogestrel.