FDA & Prescription Drugs

• Subpoenas Issued Over Ketek

  Shannon Weidemann | January 31, 2008 10:02 AM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  The Congressional subcommitte Oversight and Investigations will be issuing subpoenas to FDA investigators over the antibiotic Ketek. They are looking for more information into fraudulant clinical data that was used to gain approval for the drug. Last year the FDA issued a black box warning label for Ketek, the highest safety warning. The subcommittee is investigating drug safety and whether...

• Vytorin No Better than Older Drug

  Shannon Weidemann | January 18, 2008 10:27 AM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  A study performed by Merck & Co. over two years ago showed that Vytorin, a cholesterol lowering and statin drug did not effectively reduce the amount of fatty deposits in arteries. Vytorin is a combination of Zetia, a cholesterol lowering drug, and Zocor, a statin. The study concluded that Zocor and Vytorin had the same affect on fatty deposits. There has been confusion over what that means...

• Blood Sugar Test Strips Recalled

  Shannon Weidemann | December 28, 2007 7:39 PM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  Test strips used by diabetics to test their blood sugar levels have been recalled after it was discovered they were giving false readings. The recalled test strips were manufactured by Bayer and are used with the Contour TS blood glucose meter. The test strips in question are sold predominately through mail order to be used only with the Contour TS meter. The recall covers seven countries --...

• Merck Recalls HIB Vaccine

  Shannon Weidemann | December 12, 2007 7:38 PM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  It was announced today that Merck is recalling 1.2 Million doses of its HIB and Comvax vaccine. The recalled vaccines are used to prevent pnuemonia, meningitis, and hepatitis B and are generally injected into children under the age of five. The plant were the vaccines are manufactured is contaminated, although Merck has not said with what. The recall involves 11 lots of a Hib vaccine,...

• Deadly staph infections on the rise

  Kimberly French | October 18, 2007 10:41 AM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  It's all over the news lately, and yesterday there was a staph infection death in Kern County, Virginia, prompting the entire school district to close. A student reportedly died from a staph infection that proved resistant to antibiotic treatments. The story on MSNBC.com reports that more than a third of the population may carry staphylococcus infection. MRSA is the deadliest variety of staph...

• Diabetes Drug Byetta Linked to Pancreatitis

  Courtney Mills | October 17, 2007 9:42 AM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  The FDA has reviewed 30 cases of acute pancreatitis in patients taking Byetta, a drug used to treat type II diabetes. The agency suspects a link between Byetta and pancreatitis in some of these cases.Amylin Pharmaceuticals will be updating the information about acute pancreatitis in the PRECAUTIONS section of the Byetta label. Patients on Byetta should be alert for any signs of pancreatitis,...

• Child Cold Meds Pulled From Shelves

  Courtney Mills | October 12, 2007 9:18 AM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  Major consumer manufacturers of over-the-counter infant cough and cold medications recalled fourteen different infant cold meds yesterday because of the danger of overdose of these medicines in young children.Consumer groups have long advocated changes in administering cough syrup to young children, especially two and younger. In this age group the risk of toxicity and overdose is much higher...

• Lilly Gives Zyprexa Stronger Warnings for Weight Gain, Hyperglycemia

  Courtney Mills | October 09, 2007 2:25 PM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  Eli Lilly & Company, at long last, has stepped up the Zyprexa warning label on its flagship treatment for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. The warning label for olanzapine, the generic name for Zyprexa, now will read that Zyprexa has a greater propensity to cause weight gain and high blood sugar than other atypical antipsychotics.Physicians have noticed for several years the alarming side...

• China Announces Recall of Cancer Drugs

  Courtney Mills | September 17, 2007 1:13 PM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  Chinese regulatory agencies recalled two drugs used in the fight against leukemia, a blood-borne cancer, out of safety concerns over the weekend. This medical recall is the latest in a series of recalls to plague China and has stirred heated controversy within the country and abroad over what to do about the poor state of quality control of all varieties of consumer goods in China.The Xinhua...

• Do ADHD drugs have heart risks?

  Staff Writer | September 17, 2007 12:12 PM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  Forbes magazine and the Associated Press report that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality announced today that it will take a closer look at data from children who have been using ADHD drugs to determine whether these medications can cause heart problems. Apparently there have been a number of reports of deaths, heart attacks and strokes among...