Posts tagged drug products

• Eli Lilly Pulling the Plug on Blood Thinning Drug Prasugrel

  Joe Saunders | October 25, 2007 8:01 AM | 0 CommentsPinellas, FL Category: FDA & Prescription Drugs
  

  Until Eli Lilly abruptly pulled patients off of prasugrel, the blood thinning drug had been one of the more promising drugs for the large pharmaceutical company. A. Michael Lincoff, director of cardiovascular research at the Cleveland Clinic, was quoted in the Wall St. Journal as stating that in all likelihood the drug trial was suspended for safety reasons with bleeding the most likely safety...

• FDA Seizes Dietary Supplements at Boca Raton Company

  Joe Saunders | October 24, 2007 10:44 AM | 0 CommentsPinellas, FL Category: FDA & Prescription Drugs
  

  The FDA has seized $71,000 worth of dietary supplements from FulLife Natural Options, Inc., a company located in Boca Raton, Florida. The seizure highlighted the FDA's efforts to curb the misbranding, mislabeling of dietary supplements that claim to cure medical diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and anemia. The seized products include Charantea Ampalaya Capsules and Charantea Ampalaya...

• Avoid the Flu - Get Vaccinated!

  Patricia Doherty | October 22, 2007 4:25 PM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL Category: FDA & Prescription Drugs
  

  It's time to get your flu shot. Flu season starts in October and comes to a peak in January and February. Once you receive your flu shot it takes two weeks from the time of the vaccination to obtain protection from the influenza virus. So, the sooner you get your flu shot, the sooner you will be protected. Some physicians think that if you don't get vaccinated for the flu by November then its...

• FDA Panel Votes to Withdraw Youth Cold Meds

  Courtney Mills | 2007-10-22T14:36:53 | 0 Comments Category: FDA & Prescription Drugs
  

  An FDA panel took a vote last week to ban cough and cold products for children under six years of age. According to the experts who testified before the panel, these cough and cold medicines are wholly ineffective in the treatment of cough and colds and have far more risks than benefits.This recommendation comes just a few weeks after drug companies pulled pediatric formulations of cough and...

• Children's Cold Medicines Face Scrutiny

  Joe Saunders | 2007-10-21T10:42:53 | 0 Comments Category: FDA & Prescription Drugs
  

  Multi-symptom cold medicines for children have come under increasing fire recently from public health advocates as well as the FDA. In a few instances, these cold medicines have been linked to children's deaths. Now, some advocates are calling on an outright ban of the products. The problem with the multi-symptom products is that they contain a wide variety of drugs used to treat different...

• Gadolinium Contrast Dye and Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis

  Joe Saunders | 2007-10-15T05:04:49 | 0 Comments Category: FDA & Prescription Drugs
  

  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...

• Ultrasound Imaging Drugs to Get Black Box Warning from FDA

  Joe Saunders | 2007-10-09T06:57:59 | 0 Comments Category: FDA & Prescription Drugs
  

  Ultrasound imaging drugs, particularly Definity made by Bristol-Myers Squibb and Optison from General Electric have drawn the attention of the FDA due to reports of deaths and serious cardiopulmonary reactions. These drugs are used to help doctors with difficult ultrasound tests that prove inconclusive in attempting to diagnose cardiac problems. The new black boxes will alert doctors to avoid...

• Novartis Chief Executive Says FDA Succumbing to Political Pressure in its Attempt to Increase Drug Safety

  Joe Saunders | 2007-10-09T05:09:39 | 0 Comments Category: FDA & Prescription Drugs
  

  During the three day Clinton Global Initiative, Novartis Chief Executive Dan Vasella said that the FDA was buckling under political pressure to monitor the safety and efficacy of new pharmaceuticals. HIs comments were made in the wake of rising awareness of overly aggressive marketing tacticts by pharmaceutical companies at the expense of consumer safety. Two Novartis drugs, Prexige and Galvus...

• Pharmaceutical Companies Find Allies with Media Firms

  Brenda Fulmer | 2007-10-08T09:37:58 | 0 Comments Category: FDA & Prescription Drugs
  

  A new bill was recently passed which gives the FDA power to require drug companies to submit TV ads for review before they run. The bill doesn't go far enough, however, since the Agency can only recommend changes, not demand them. Early drafts of the bill gave the FDA authority to block a drug company from advertising medications that contained serious safety concerns. Consumer drug ads have...

• Finally, Lilly Adds Strong Warning Re. Zyprexa

  Joe Saunders | 2007-10-08T06:24:14 | 0 Comments Category: FDA & Prescription Drugs
  

  After years of mounting evidence that their schizophrenic drug Zyprexa had harmful side effects, drug manufacturer Eli Lilly added a strong warning on the label for Zyprexa. Critics of the drug Zyprexa have been arguing since 2004 that the drug causes significant weight gain as well as elevated blood sugar levels, elevating the risk for diabetes in users. Zyprexa has been heavily marketed in...