FDA & Prescription Drugs

• Deadly staph infections on the rise

  Kimberly French | October 18, 2007 10:41 AM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  It's all over the news lately, and yesterday there was a staph infection death in Kern County, Virginia, prompting the entire school district to close. A student reportedly died from a staph infection that proved resistant to antibiotic treatments. The story on MSNBC.com reports that more than a third of the population may carry staphylococcus infection. MRSA is the deadliest variety of staph...

• Diabetes Drug Byetta Linked to Pancreatitis

  Courtney Mills | 2007-10-17T09:42:50 | 0 Comments

  The FDA has reviewed 30 cases of acute pancreatitis in patients taking Byetta, a drug used to treat type II diabetes. The agency suspects a link between Byetta and pancreatitis in some of these cases.Amylin Pharmaceuticals will be updating the information about acute pancreatitis in the PRECAUTIONS section of the Byetta label. Patients on Byetta should be alert for any signs of pancreatitis,...

• Micro-bubble Contrast Agents Linked to 11 Deaths

  Scott Kappes | 2007-10-16T09:13:23 | 0 Comments

  Friday the FDA announced increased warnings for ultrasound micro-bubble contrast agents after receiving several reports of serious cardiopulmonary reactions and 11 deaths related to the contrast agents. These contrast agents are used in conjunction with an echocardiograph to enhance the image, allowing doctors greater ability to see potentially dangerous cardiovascular conditions. There have...

• Gadolinium Contrast Dye and Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis

  Joe Saunders | 2007-10-15T05:04:49 | 0 Comments

  Gadolinium, a contrast dye drug used to enhance MRIs, has been linked to a serious and sometimes fatal disease called nephrogenic systemic fibrosis. The skin disease affecting the kidneys is particularly dangerous for those with severe or acute kidney insufficiencies. The threat is serious enough that the FDA required a boxed warning for the drug and warned healthcare officials to screen...

• Jury Awards $7 Million in Accutane Trial

  Gerry McGill | 2007-10-12T14:00:53 | 0 Comments

  A Pensacola, Florida jury yesterday awarded $7 million to a Pensacola man who said that the manufacturer of Accutane failed to warn him that the use of the controversial acne drug could cause a gastrointestinal disease. The Pensacola jury deliberated for two days before finding that Swiss drug-maker Hoffman-La Roche failed to warn that use of Accutane could potentially lead to a condition known...

• Cough and Cold Products May Injure Infants

  Amy Schauers | 2007-10-12T11:09:58 | 0 Comments

  Makers of cough and cold medication for infants announced Thursday that they are pulling their drugs off the self. According to the F.D.A from 1969 to 2006, at least 45 children died in the United States after taking decongestants, and 69 children died after taking antihistamines. The reason these medications can be deadly to infants is due to the risk of overdosing. Many of these drugs come...

• Child Cold Meds Pulled From Shelves

  Courtney Mills | 2007-10-12T09:18:03 | 0 Comments

  Major consumer manufacturers of over-the-counter infant cough and cold medications recalled fourteen different infant cold meds yesterday because of the danger of overdose of these medicines in young children.Consumer groups have long advocated changes in administering cough syrup to young children, especially two and younger. In this age group the risk of toxicity and overdose is much higher...

• Infant Cold Medicines Recalled

  Scott Kappes | 2007-10-11T09:30:21 | 0 Comments

  Drugmakers have announced that they are recalling several infants' cold and cough medicines because of a risk of overdose. Serious injury and death have been reported in association with these over the counter drugs and there has been very little confidence in their effectiveness in such young children. Children under two years of age are at particular risk from these medications as their tiny...

• Winn-Dixie Pulls Mislabeled Ice Cream from Shelves

  Courtney Mills | 2007-10-09T16:47:43 | 0 Comments

  Winn-Dixie Grocery Stores has issued a recall on Prestige Chocolate Ice Cream because of possible mislabeled packaging. Some of the Prestige Ice Cream product shipped by Winn-Dixie may have actually been Chocolate Almond flavor ice cream instead of Chocolate.Persons who suffer from nut allergies or from sensitivity to almonds may risk life-threatening complications from eating the product, and...

• Lilly Gives Zyprexa Stronger Warnings for Weight Gain, Hyperglycemia

  Courtney Mills | 2007-10-09T14:25:03 | 0 Comments

  Eli Lilly & Company, at long last, has stepped up the Zyprexa warning label on its flagship treatment for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The warning label for olanzapine, the generic name for Zyprexa, now will read that Zyprexa has a greater propensity to cause weight gain and high blood sugar than other atypical antipsychotics.Physicians have noticed for several years the alarming side...