FDA & Prescription Drugs

• Two Parkinson's Drugs Linked to Heart Valve Problems

  Staff Writer | January 04, 2007 2:05 PM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  According to an article published in the Wall St. Journal, the drugs pergolide and cabergoline have been found to cause heart valve damage at an alarmingly high rate (4-7 times). The study was published in the New England Journal of Medicine and has renewed calls for the drugs to be discontinued. Valeant Pharmaceuticals International and Pfizer, manufacturers of the drugs, were less strong in...

• Link Between Some Heartburn Drugs and Hip Injuries

  Staff Writer | December 28, 2006 3:40 PM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  A study published this week in The Jouranl of the American Medical Association, there is a connection between hip fractures and certain heartburn drugs such as Prilosec, Nexium, and Prevacid. All three medications are proton pump inhibitors. The largest risk was found in those taking large doses of the drug for more than a year.

• Kava Kava- A Dangerous Drug

  Staff Writer | December 06, 2006 1:22 PM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  Kava Kava, known for its mood enhancing capacity, is coming under increasing scrutiny after studies have shown it to cause liver toxicity, even death. There are many forms of Kava Kava and it can be ingested in pill form or liquid tea. Its popularity has given rise to various Kava Kava bars popping up. However, GNC ordered the dietary supplement to be removed from its stores as long ago as...

• Bayer's Tardy Report to FDA

  Staff Writer | October 03, 2006 7:49 AM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  Bayer AG has failed to disclose to regulators potentially serious safety concerns about its antibleeding drug Trasylol. The FDA has disclosed that preliminary test results indicate that the drug may cause serious kidney damage, congestive heart failure and strokes and an increased risk of death.

• Docs Told to Avoid Financial Ties to Drug Research

  Staff Writer | September 21, 2006 1:55 PM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  Physicians' financial interests should not overtake the needs of a patient when it comes to dealing with drug and medical device manufacturers. This was the obvious conclusion arrived at by a group of bio-ethicists at a conference hosted by Cleveland Clinic and sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. The recent spate of ethical issues over doctors' involvment with drug and device...

• Glaxo Smith Kline Adds Warning to Drug

  Joe Saunders | August 22, 2006 8:55 AM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  According to a published report in the Wall St. Journal, Glaxo Smith Kline became the latest drug manufacturer to add a warning label to its ADHD drug, Dexedrine. The new warning label will include a warning about cardiac risks and psychiatric side effects. The new warning was posted on the FDA website yesterday.

• Big Defeat for Merck, Maker of Vioxx

  Joe Saunders | August 17, 2006 3:39 PM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  A New Orleans jury returned a $50,000,000 award to a 62 year old plaintiff who had taken Vioxx for 31 months. Mr. Barnett had suffered a heart attack four years earlier and stopped taking the drug shortly before Vioxx was pulled from the market. The jury found that Merck failed to adequately warn doctors about Vioxx's potential harmful side effects and risks for cardiac incidents.

• Jaw Bone Death and Fosamax-an Update

  Joe Saunders | August 16, 2006 9:24 AM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  Since the initial news broke about a link between the arthritis drug Fosamax and jaw bone death or osteonecrosis, a panel of medical and pharmacological experts has been convened to study the issue. In most instances, the resulting jaw bone death has occurred after Fosamax patients have had dental surgery or tooth extraction. As a result of the panel discussions, a new moniker for the...

• Epilepsy Drugs and Birth Defects

  Joe Saunders | August 16, 2006 9:17 AM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  A drug touted as an effective treatment of epilepsy has been shown to cause birth defects or fetal death in cases where mothers were taking the drug during pregnancy. The birth defects include malformed hearts and genitals, cleft palate, and artery deformities among children born to women taking Depakote. The rate of serious adverse outcomes for the other anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs) tested was...

• The 101st Senator

  Joe Saunders | June 12, 2006 6:25 AM | 0 CommentsOrlando, FL

  At a recent political fundraiser I heard a congressman refer to the pharmaceutical industry as the "101st Senator" in the United States Senate. He was commenting on the tremendous influence that this industry holds over our elected officials in Washington. The pharma industry throws its influence and big bucks around the halls of power whenever a bill is introduced for consideration. In a...