Colorado updates in category: FDA & Prescription Drugs

The FDA has issued that the diabetes drug Avandia should carry a black box warning label for possible heart failure related to taking the drug. The warning labels will appear on all drugs in the thiazolidinedione class. GlaxoSmithKline is the manufacturer of Avandia. "This new boxed warning addresses FDA's concerns that despite the warnings and information already listed in the drug labels,...

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The drug Zelnorm, manufactured by Novatis, was taken of the market in March because of a high risk of heart attacks, stroke, and chest pain. But now the FDA is allowing the irritable bowel syndrome drug to become available again, but only for a restricted access program. Zelnorm will remain off the market for the general public.The program is for women in the US under 55 years of age who...

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Public Citizen, a consumer advocacy group, decided advertise a class action suit a little differently. The group of lawyers used You Tube, a popular video website, to announce a $48 million class action settlement for people who had purchased Paxil for their kids.There are two videos up on the website. The first video that shows a teenager wandering around looking confused, and then a news...

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According to consumer advocacy group Public Citizen, the FDA knew about the link between the Diabetes drug Avandia and heart attacks as long as five years ago.In 2002, U.S. Food and Drug Administration staff scientists called for reports of congestive heart failure to be included on the label of Avandia as well as Actos, made by Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., the group said, citing an internal...

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OxyContin is an incredibly addicting painkiller. Until today, however, few realized that the pharmaceutical company which manufactures the drug actually promoted an OxyContin addiction. Roughly 6.3 million Americans report that they're currently using prescription drugs for nonmedical reasons, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Prescription drug abuse knows no age....

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Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceutical, Inc. is recalling glass bottles of GRIFULVIN V(R) griseofulvin oral suspension (liquid) due to glass fragments found in some bottles. The recall is only for the liquid form of the drug. Consumers should call their pharmarcy to see if their prescription is included in the recall. The two reports of glass fragments are believed to be the result of bottle breakage...

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WorstPills.org recommends that patients using levalbuterol (Xopenex HFA) consider using the older and less expensive asthma inhaler albuterol (Proventil, Ventolin).They also recommend that before stopping use of any drug, you should consult your physician. WorstPills.org reports that levalbuterol does not offer any benefits over albuterol; it just costs more.The editors of the highly respected...

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WorstPills.org posted in January an alert saying that consumers should not used Lyrica to treat neuropathic pain because of the potential risks and side effects.Lyrica (pregabalin), manufactured by Pfizer, is often used to treat epilepsy. WorsPills.org specifically recommends not to use this drug until 2012, or seven years after FDA approval. This means that they believe the drug needs more...

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It was already know that Ortho Evra can cause blood clots. Now the maker of the patch is saying that overweight women using the patch are at a particularly high risk of developing blood clots. Janssen-Ortho Inc. (subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson) also warns that women should not expose the Ortho Evra patch to sources of heat such as saunas and whirlpools. The company believes there is a...

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A recent study by Italian researches found that about one-fourth of patients taking pergolide (Permax) or cabergoline (Dostinex) had moderate to severe heart valve problems. Another study by German doctors found that people using either drug were five to seven times more likely to develop leaky heart valves than those using other types of Parkinson's medications. "This is an extraordinarily...

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An FDA Advisory Committee has recommended that Pfizer be allowed to market Celebrex to children ages 2 and older who suffer from Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA). The panel voted 15-1 that the drug was an effective treatment and that its benefits outweighed its risks. The panel members split on the issue of safety, voting 8-7 (with one abstention) that available data does not demonstrate...

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Two FDA advisory committees agreed on December 15, 2006, that the antibiotic Ketek (telithromycin) should have new black box warnings added to its label about several serious side effects which have been associated with it. "Black box" is the strongest warning the FDA can mandate. Further, the committees recommended that Ketek be limited to second-line therapy for community-acquired pneumonia...

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As the baby boomer population ages and the senior population continues to grow, drug interactions and overmedicating are becoming bigger problems for the oldest Americans. New services by workingcaregiver.com and others provide pharmacist tsupport to help manage medications among seniors.A pharmacist expert or specialist can help make sure a patient doesn't experience drug interactions, which...

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Although alcohol consumption is the cause of over 30% of traumatic brain injuries (TBI's), a new study indicates that low to moderate blood alcohol levels may decrease the chance of death after a head trauma. The study published today in the Archives of Surgery show results that link low to moderate levels of alcohol to TBI recovery. TBI patients with high levels of alcohol are more likely to...

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Traumatic brain injuries (TBI's) are among the most common brain disorders in the US. TBI's occur when a sudden force makes contact with the head and causes damage to the brain. Every year, nearly 1.5 million Americans suffer from a TBI. Memory loss is the most common injury sustained after a TBI and currently over 5 million Americans are living with some sort of memory loss linked to a TBI....

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