FDA & Prescription Drugs

• Congress Tries to Limit Drug Company Advertising to Consumers

  Staff Writer | April 18, 2007 11:11 AM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  A bill working its way through Congress could limit the advertising pharmaceutical companies can do directly to consumers. Advocates of the bill argue that such a restriction is necessary given the fact that too often drugs already on the market prove to be harmful to consumers. The proposed legislation would restrict drugs from being advertised for the first two years they are on the market. ...

• FDA Calls for Ditropan Warnings

  Staff Writer | April 11, 2007 9:18 AM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  The FDA has called on Johnson & Johnson, the manufacturer of Ditropan, to publish a stronger warning regarding the potential hallucinogenic risks for children and the elderly. Ditropan is used for bladder problems. The drug, also known as oxybutynin, already lists insomnia, nervousness, confusion and other central nervous system risks on its label, but FDA staff reviewers said more explicit...

• Zelnorm Suspended for Heart Risk

  Staff Writer | March 31, 2007 8:36 AM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  The irritable bowel drug Zelnorm has been been suspended due to links with such heart related ailments as angina, heart attacks, and strokes. Zelnorm, manufactured by Novartis, is the second drug in two days to come off the market for links to heart problems.

• Parkinson's Drug Permax Pulled from Market

  Staff Writer | March 30, 2007 12:44 PM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  Permax will be pulled from the market after the FDA asked Valeant Pharmaceuticals International to stop marketing the drug which had been used to treat Parkinson's disease. Permax has been linked to heart valve damage in two recent stuides. According to the FDA, approximately 12,000 to 25,000 people now take the drug. If you've taken Permax, please consult your healthcare physician for...

• Natural Remedies Can Prove Lethal for Kidney Patients

  Staff Writer | March 17, 2007 10:48 AM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  While the homeopathic medicine market is booming, the effects of such remedies can prove fatal if not properly monitored by health experts. The problem with some homepathic remedies is that they are sold over the counter and are not monitored by the FDA or prescribed by doctors. Researchers writing in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases stated that, "results suggest that routine...

• Government Probes J&J Prescription Drug Marketing Practices

  Staff Writer | March 13, 2007 9:55 AM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  The federal government has widened its probe of prescription drug maker Johnson & Johnson for its marketing practices. Specifically, the company is coming under further scrutiny for its antipsychotic Risperdal; Topamax, a treatment for epilepsy and migraines; and Natrecor, for patients suffering from severe heart failure.

• Jury Awards Vioxx Victim $47.5 Million

  Staff Writer | March 12, 2007 9:59 PM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  An Atlantic City jury has awarded an Idaho man $47.5 million, $27.5 million of the total comprised punitive damages in the ongoing litigation against the pharmaceutical giant Merck. The verdict in the case of Frederick "Mike" Humeston, who was granted a second trial in light of new evidence, means Merck has now won nine cases and lost five in the mushrooming litigation over its former...

• Fatal Drug Overdoses Double in Last Five Years

  Staff Writer | February 12, 2007 10:50 AM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  Fatal drug overdoses have overtaken every type of accidental death other than auto crashes in the last five years. The prevalence of poorly tested, poorly administered, and aggressively marketed drugs plays a large role in the jump. Drug companies such as Eli Lilly have overly promoted their products in pursuit of greater profits to the detriment of the consumer. The latest, most egregious...

• Trasylol Risks Outweigh Rewards

  Staff Writer | February 08, 2007 8:26 AM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  Trasylol, the anti-bleeding agent used with patients undergoing cardiac surgery, has been found to increase the risk of death by 50%. A five-year study of 3876 patients given aprotinin also had a significantly higher death rate than those given two similar drugs to prevent bleeding. Researchers from the Ischemia Research and Education Foundation in San Bruno, California, assessed survival rates...

• Potential Link Between Heart Drugs and Parkinson's Leads to Investigation

  Staff Writer | January 16, 2007 1:31 PM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  Recent research linking statin heart drugs with Parkinson's disease has led to an investigation involving tens of thousands of new patients. Researchers in the US are sufficiently troubled by the potential link that they will launch a full trial involving upwards of 16,000 participants. If the link is proven, it will cause a major shift in the manner in which heart related issues such as high...