FDA & Prescription Drugs

• Safety of Advair in Children Being Evaluated

  Scott Kappes | November 26, 2007 9:47 AM | 0 CommentsHouston, TX

  British drug maker GlaxoSmithKline is under fire again, this time concerning the safety of popular asthma medications Advair and Serevent. The top-selling drugs have been blockbusters for GSK, with Advair alone accounting for almost seven billion in sales in 2006. Concerns about the drugs' safety stem from reports of rare and potentially life-threatening side effects in children under the age of...

• FDA Warns of Strange Behavior Associated with Flu Medications

  Scott Kappes | November 26, 2007 9:37 AM | 0 CommentsGalveston Bay, TX

  Flu medications have been under fire in other countries, particularly Japan, for years now. Patients in Japan have frequently complained of very uncharacteristic behavior while taking drugs like Roche's Tamiflu and GlaxoSmithKline's Relenza. The behaviors reported include hallucinations and other strange reactions. The FDA has recently received similar reports from patients in the United States....

• FDA Urges New Safety Review for Children's Asthma Drugs

  Joe Saunders | November 26, 2007 8:17 AM | 0 CommentsPinellas, FL

  The FDA is recommending additional safety reviews of three children's asthma drugs. The drugs Serevent, Advair, and Foradil are considered beta agonists and are used for long term prevention of asthma. The three drugs drew a black box warning from the FDA last year. According to a Wall St. Journal article, "a safety review conducted by FDA staff found nine adverse-event reports in children...

• Vioxx Settlement Rattles Conservatives

  Robert Blanchard | November 25, 2007 10:02 AM | 0 CommentsPensacola, FL

  I watched in amazement as Neil Covuto failed to conceal his anguish and outrage as he interviewed a Vioxx trial lawyer about the recent announced settlement of Vioxx case litigation. Neil had no concern about the horrible things that the drug company was willing to do to make a profit, including hiding and distorting important safety data from the medical community and the FDA. Nor was Neil...

• FDA Issues Early Communication to Pfizer for the Drug Chantix

  Chrissie Cole | November 22, 2007 12:30 AM | 0 CommentsMobile, AL

  Chantix, a prescription drug aide to help adults quit smoking, is being evaluated by the FDA for adverse health effects.Pfizer Inc., the manufacturer, recently submitted reports to the FDA describing suicidal ideation (thoughts). In the aftermath of a recent case that reported erratic behavior while taking Chantix, the FDA also requested any additonal information on cases with any...

• Chantix Side Effects Being Investigated by FDA

  Scott Kappes | November 21, 2007 12:18 PM | 0 CommentsHouston, TX

  Yesterday the FDA published an article on their website informing the public and physicians that they are currently reviewing the smoking cessation drug Chantix. The FDA says that they have received reports of erratic behavior and suicidal thoughts from Chantix users. The manufacturer, Pfizer, has submitted postmarketing cases of suicidal ideation and behavior. Preliminary observations reveal...

• FDA Reviewing Chantix

  Scott Kappes | November 21, 2007 9:07 AM | 0 CommentsGalveston Bay, TX

  The Food and Drug Administration is currently is the process of further review of the smoking cessation drug Chantix. This review comes in response to numerous complaints of erratic behavior and suicidal ideation from users of the drug. Pfizer, the manufacturer, was hoping that Chantix could become a blockbuster drug recognized as the common treatment for smoking cessation. By looking at sales...

• Chantix Linked to Depression, Suicidal Thoughts and Aggressive Behavior

  RLF Staff | November 21, 2007 6:30 AM | 0 CommentsDallas, TX

  The US Food and Drug Administraion is reviewing reports of suicidal thoughts and aggressive behavior in people who have taken Chantix, a prescription medication used to quit smoking. Chantix works on specific areas of the brain, helps people give up smoking by providing some satisfaction that nicotine gives intended to lessen withdrawal symptoms. It also blocks the nicotine from entering the...

• Setback for Celebrex Plaintiffs

  Scott Kappes | November 20, 2007 1:29 PM | 0 CommentsHouston, TX

  Pfizer is breathing a big sigh of relief as a federal judge in San Francisco ruled yesterday that plaintiff's attorneys have not produced reliable evidence that 200mg dosage of the painkiller Celebrex caused heart attacks or strokes. It is currently unclear how many of the 3,000 claims against Pfizer involved the 200mg medium dosage. Regardless how much of dent this places in the legal headaches...

• Actos Marketed as Safer than Avandia

  Joe Saunders | November 20, 2007 8:04 AM | 0 CommentsPinellas, FL

  Takeda Pharmaceutical Co., maker of the diabetes drug Actos, has launched a new marketing campaign designed to take advantage of Avandia's recent woes. In the new print edition advertisements, the marketing execs state that Actos lowers blood sugar without increasing the risk of heart attack. The ad copy cites "studies" to bolster its argument. However, as is often the case, no scientific...