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6/20/2006 10:32:00 PM | Parker & Waichman, LLP Files Suit Against Ortho-McNeil ... 
=(0) A lawsuit has been filed against Ortho-McNeil, the maker of the Ortho Evra Birth Control Patch, by a woman who claims she had blood clots in both lungs as a result of using the patch for a year. The woman was hospitalized with the blood clots in June 2005, but it was not until November 2005 that Ortho issued a warning about the risk of blood c...
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6/20/2006 10:16:00 PM | Studies To Date Say Erectile Dysfunction Drugs Affect Other ... =(0) Researchers have found that ED drugs such as Viagra affect more than one organ system, and most of its effects are beneficial. For example, the medication in Viagra has also been approved for primary pulmonary hypertension, or high blood pressure in the lungs, a serious condition that can cause heart failure and death. It is also being studied for ...
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6/20/2006 7:11:00 PM | New Study: Pine Bark Extract Reduces ADHD Symptoms In Children =(0) A European study suggests that symptoms of ADHD in children can be reduced with Pycnogenol supplements. Pcynogenol is an extract from a pine tree that grows near the coast of France. It has antioxidant properties and is widely used in food supplements. Traditional ADHD treatment involves stimulant drugs that have potentially serious side ...
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6/20/2006 11:30:00 AM | Lower is better for diabetics' bad cholesterol =(0) A study out of the UK suggests that higher doses of cholesterol-lowering drugs such as Lipitor may provide benefits to patients who already have heart disease and diabetes. That is, lowering LDL ("bad") cholesterol even further than the levels now recommended would protect these patients from stroke or heart attack even more. Lowering the aver...
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6/20/2006 8:15:00 AM | Painkillers may pose risk after heart attack =(0) Patients who have already suffered a heart attack need to be especially careful about the type of painkillers they take. A new study shows that taking Cox-2 inhibitors or even older NSAIDs such as ibuprofen raises the risk of a repeat heart attack, and raises the risk of dying of that repeat heart attack even more. The risk increased with...
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6/20/2006 6:36:00 AM | Health Canada Approves Unique Rheumatoid Arthritis Treatment =(0) Health Canada has approved a new medication, rituximab (Rituxan) for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, to be used in combination with Methotrexate for patients resistant to other therapies. Rituxan selectively binds to "B" cells which are thought to play a large role in the disease. Rituxan has already been used to treat Non-Hodgkins...
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6/19/2006 5:07:00 AM | Fosamax risk weighed =(0) This article is about a Massachusetts woman's decision to stop taking Fosamax after being informed of the risk of osteonecrosis of the jaw by her dental surgeon. The woman's dental work was elective, and another way to accomplish it was found, but in many cases extractions or other oral surgery is necessary even for patients on osteoporosis me...
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6/18/2006 6:39:00 AM | Generic Zocor to challenge Lipitor =(0) June 23, 2006 is the day that the cholesterol-lowering drug Zocor may go generic in the US. Losing patent protection is bad financial news for the maker of the drug but in this case it might also be bad news for Zocor's competitors, as doctors might be inclined to switch patients from Lipitor (for example) to cheaper generic versions of Zocor....
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6/16/2006 4:00:00 PM | Lawyer: Merck Scrapped Study on Vioxx =(0) Evidence presented in the current Vioxx trial going on in New Jersey, suggests that Merck cancelled a study of the drug's heart safety the day after a labelling issue was settled with the FDA. A Merck official testified that the timing was a coincidence. Evidence was also presented concerning Merck's efforts to counterbalance doctors' con...
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6/15/2006 12:01:00 AM | Merck CEO optimistic about outlook for Gardasil =(0) Merck is optimistic about its new cervical cancer vaccine, Gardasil. The vaccine was approved by the FDA last week. It is the first of its kind, although GlaxoSmithKline has one in development. The vaccine protects against 70% of the viruses that cause cervical cancer, and is intended for females between the ages of 9 and 26 and males between ...
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6/14/2006 6:23:00 AM | Onyx drug gets 'fast track' status =(0) A drug that is currently in use for kidney cancer will received "fast track" review by the FDA for treating liver cancer patients. That means that Nexavar, made by Onyx Pharmaceuticals, may be available for this use sooner than would normally be the case. The FDA confers fast track status on drugs that are intended for life-threatening conditi...
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6/13/2006 6:07:00 PM | Acetaminophen Cross-Sensitivity Possible in Children Who React to ... =(0) Doctors and parents should be aware that children who are allergic to NSAID drugs such as ibuprofen may also have reactions to acetaminophen (Tylenol). This is known to occur in adults but has not been studied in children until now. Cox-2 inhibitors are also likely to pose a problem with these children. Pain and fever reduction are...
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6/13/2006 5:42:00 PM | Prozac Fails to Prevent Anorexia Relapse =(0) A new study shows that giving the drug Prozac to recovering anorexia nervosa patients does not prevent a relapse. The rate of relapse in the study between those on Prozac and those on a placebo was not significantly different. Other studies have shown that Prozac does not help treatment of acute anorexia either, yet many patients are pres...
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6/13/2006 9:29:00 AM | Pricey New Bone Drug Brings No Added Benefit =(0) A government-funded study indicates that a new osteoporosis medication, Teriparatide (Forteo) works no better than alendronate (Fosamax) but is eight times more expensive. There may be patients for whom the new drug is indicated, for example, those with severe disease or who do not respond to standard treatment, but for most, the benefit does ...
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6/12/2006 5:50:00 PM | Number Of Kids Taking Anti-Psychotic Drugs Rising =(0) Parents of children with serious mental disorders face a challenging dilemma. Drugs are available to treat symptoms such as spontaneous acts of violence, but they come with side effects that also cause concern. More children are now taking antipsychotic drugs as they are prescribed for a greater number of disorders, including autism, ADHD...
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6/11/2006 1:03:00 AM | New Data Demonstrate Benefits of Initial Use of Avandaryl(R) ... =(0) Avandaryl, a new combination therapy for type II diabetes is found to lower blood sugar and increase insulin sensitivity better than either treatment alone. Researchers combined rosiglitazone maleate (Avandia) with glimepiride (Amaryl) and reported results of their study to the American Diabetes Association. Some improvement in markers fo...
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6/9/2006 2:11:00 PM | Lipitor suits create 'undue concern': Pfizer =(0) Pfizer reacted to the lawsuits recently filed concerning Lipitor by stating that the suits would cause "undue concern" to doctors and patients, and that Lipitor has been used since 1997 with an established safety record. The company asserts that it does publish warnings about the rare side effect that causes muscle pain and weakness, but that ...
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6/9/2006 5:25:00 AM | Lifting the curse =(0) This article examines a new controversial trend among women to use hormonal birth control, such as the Ortho Evra Patch, to suppress their monthly cycle. Women are opting to adjust the hormone doses to have only four periods per year in some cases, and in other cases, none at all. While some research shows that the practice is safe, other prof...
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6/8/2006 4:31:00 PM | Lawsuits Filed Over Lipitor Side Effects =(0) Two men are suing drugmaker Pfizer over side effects they claim were caused by the cholesterol-lowering drug, Lipitor. The men attribute their pain, muscle weakness, and memory problems to the drug, and claim that Pfizer did not adequately publicize the risk associated with Lipitor. The company intends to fight the allegations and says th...
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6/8/2006 2:52:00 PM | Timeline: The Rise and Fall of Vioxx =(0) This is an excellent summary of the events surrounding the approval and eventual withdrawal of Vioxx, from 1998 to the present (June 2006). It outlines how evidence of heart and stroke complications existed from the beginning, and how conflict of interest and witholding of data might have impacted decisions regarding clinical studies. It...
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