South Carolina updates in category: FDA & Prescription Drugs

CNBC has an interesting story about how doctors believe lawsuits serve as a "vital deterrent" to protect consumers from unsafe drugs. Lawsuits protect consumers if drug companies do not disclose...

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Another glaring example of why the drug industry and President Bush will lobby for pre-emption is found in recent developments with regard to a Baxter International drug. On April 15, 2008, the FDA...

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The United States Food and Drug Administration announced that Bayer Pharmaceuticals Corporation has agreed to suspend marketing of the drug Trasyol until preliminary results from a Canadian study suggesting an increased risk for death can be reviewed.Trasyol is used to control bleeding during heart surgery in patients with an increased risk for blood loss. In 2006, the FDA strengthened the...

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Health officials announced this week that the diabetes drugs Avandia and Actos will contain "black box" warnings. "Black box" warnings are the most severe warnings that a prescription drug can receive.The new warnings will alert consumers that the drugs may cause or worsen heart problems and that patients should be carefully monitored. The new warnings come just weeks after the Food and Drug...

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Avandia, a drug prescribed for diabetes patients to control blood sugar levels, has been linked to an increased risk of heart attacks and heart-related deaths, studies show. The Federal Drug Administration released a safety alert in May, warning of the increased heart associated risks linked to Avandia. According to the FDA's release, patients on Avandia who also take insulin, particularly...

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Helen Rush of Little Rock, AR is suing drug manufacturer Wyeth on the allegation that the drug Prempro caused her to develop breast cancer. She sued the company in 2005 and the jury is now being selected. Prempro is a combination of estrogen and progestin, used for hormone replacement therapy in menopausal women. Rush took the drug for nine years and was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1999. ...

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Actiq is a drug approved for use in cancer patients who have bouts with severe pain that cannot be relieved with other pain killers. However, there is a growing trend that shows the majority of Actiq prescriptions being written are for patients who don't have cancer. The drug comes in the form of a lozenge on the end of a stick, much like a lollipop.Off-label prescribing isn't illegal, but it...

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Tom Lamb over at druginjurywatch.com has been running a series about how providing more information to patients and doctors can help prevent sever adverse drug reactions. Tom has done a great job providing recommendations.Part IPart IIPart IIIPart IV

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