Posts tagged drug products

• So what is an MDL?

  Staff Writer | April 19, 2006 9:31 AM | 2 CommentsDenver, CO Category: FDA & Prescription Drugs
  

  Many folks have recently seen or perhaps heard of the Vioxx, Celebrex, Bextra, Ortho Evra, Guidant and Medtronic "MDLs" in the media. So what is an "MDL"? Well, its shorthand for multidistrict litigation. The first thing you need to know about multidistrict litigation is that its not the same thing as a class action. A class action is a lawsuit where a few people sue on behalf of themselves and...

• Zyprexa Litigation

  Staff Writer | June 14, 2006 8:00 PM | 1 CommentDenver, CO Category: FDA & Prescription Drugs
  

  On June 8th, Judge Weinstein (the federal judge overseeing the Zyprexa litigation and $700 million settlement) issued an order that if claimants in the settlement do not have their claims submitted to the Special Masters with the necessary documents to support their claim "conforming to the guidelines agreed upon in the Final Settlement Protocol" by July 17th, their claims will be deemed...

• Ambien Users Report Binge Eating, Memory Loss

  Staff Writer | April 28, 2006 8:26 PM | 1 CommentDenver, CO Category: FDA & Prescription Drugs
  

  More and more, we're hearing stories about people who are engaging in unusual behaviors while on Ambien, an anti-insomnia medication made by Sanofi-Aventis. Many people are reporting short-term memory loss as well. Both MSNBC.com and the New York Times have reported behaviors that are even more bizarre and disturbing, involving Ambien users who drank and drove in their sleep and remembered...

• Pharmaceutical Companies Spend Twice as Much on Marketing than on Research and Development

  Linda Snyder | March 11, 2008 7:42 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO Category: FDA & Prescription Drugs
  

  PLOS Medicine, an online medical journal conducted a study using numbers from 2004 and concluded that pharmaceutical companies spent almost twice as much on marketing than on their research and development for their United States markets.As a marketing person, on the one hand I am in awe of these marketing budgets, in excess of $57.5 billion dollars. But as a consumer, I'm a bit dismayed that...

• Fentanyl Patches Made by Actavis Recalled

  Jenny Albano | February 19, 2008 12:11 AM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO Category: FDA & Prescription Drugs
  

  Actavis Inc., in conjunction with the FDA, is recalling 14 lots of its Fentanyl transdermal system CII patches because the patches have a defect that can cause them to leak. The Fentanyl patches were available from wholesalers and pharmacies throughout the United States. Fentanyl patches sold in Europe are not affected by this recall.The 14 lots of Fentanyl transdermal system patches being...

• Medication Abuse a Problem Among Young Adults

  Linda Snyder | January 14, 2008 11:12 AM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO Category: FDA & Prescription Drugs
  

  A staggering new report released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration stated that 3.1 million Americans ages 12 to 25 have used an over-the-counter cough and cold medicine in order get high.Cough syrups and cold pills are being used in large doses to get high and induce hallucinations for young people. The 2006 survey was completed with 45,000 people ages 12 to 25...

• Merck Takes Responsibility For Vioxx Through $4.85 Billion Settlement(2)

  Linda Snyder | November 14, 2007 12:17 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO Category: FDA & Prescription Drugs
  

  It's been since 2004 that Merck & Co., one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, has taken the pain medication Vioxx off of the shelves. Finally, on November 9th, Merck settled the numerous Vioxx lawsuits with agreeing to pay $4.85 billion. It appears that the Vioxx manufacturer finally recognized, after obtaining mixed results in the early Vioxx cases it forced to trial, that a...

• Trasylol Pulled From Market

  Shannon Weidemann | November 05, 2007 1:17 PM | 0 CommentsColorado Springs, CO Category: FDA & Prescription Drugs
  

  The antibleeding drug Trasylol has been pulled from the market around the world after a study has shown there may be an increased risk of death from use. The drug is used during heart bypass surgery. The announcement came as a Canadian study comparing the safety and efficacy of Trasylol with two others was halted. Preliminary results from that trial also suggested Trasylol increased the risk...

• Fentanyl Tablets Warning From FDA, Cephalon Oncology

  Courtney Mills | 2007-09-13T13:28:27 | 0 Comments Category: FDA & Prescription Drugs
  

  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...

• Counterfeit Drug Sales through the Internet a Growing Problem

  Courtney Mills | 2007-09-05T14:49:13 | 0 Comments Category: FDA & Prescription Drugs
  

  Last month a federal grand jury indicted 18 people on charges stemming from fraud to racketeering over their participation in an international online pharmaceutical sales ring. The company's name was Affpower, and by the time the federal government had shut the sales operation down, Affpower had moved over $126 million in illegally prescribed pharmaceuticals.The arrests haven't managed to stem...