FDA & Prescription Drugs

• FDA begins posting list of drugs with potential safety issues on its web site

  Wendi Lewis | September 08, 2008 4:42 PM | 2 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  A list of prescription drugs currently under investigation by the FDA for safety issues is now available online. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration began posting the list on its web site in...

• Recalled Digitek Digoxin Tablets Could Affect Many with Heart Failure and Atrial Fibrillation

  Margaret Embry | April 30, 2009 11:59 AM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  Digoxin is a drug used to treat congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation by making the heart beat stronger and with a more regular rhythm. To understand the importance this drug plays in those who suffer from the above mentioned conditions...

• Vytorin and cancer: real threat?

  Tom Methvin | September 03, 2008 5:35 PM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  Vytorin, manufactured by Merck & Co. and Schering-Plough was introduced as the newest weapon in the fight against “bad” cholesterol. But last week the U.S. Food and Drug Administration dealt...

• 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,...

• FDA shows caution in evaluating new heart drug, delays report

  Wendi Lewis | September 29, 2008 5:31 PM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  Could the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) finally be showing caution in its evaluation of potential new medications? After being thrashed by the media and the public in recent months for...

• Alli Side-Effects May Outweigh Benefits

  Staff Writer | June 18, 2007 9:32 AM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  A new diet drug has hit the shelves with the FDA's approval, but users may want to be wary of the side effects. Alli, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline, is supposed to help people lose 50% more weight than other dietary supplements.Alli blocks enzymes that digest fat, preventing the body from absorbing about a quarter of the fat eaten. The undigested fat is then excreted. One study of Alli showed...

• 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 --...

• 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...

• Merck's general counsel gets a raise

  Staff Writer | November 06, 2006 10:41 AM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  The Philadelphia Inquirer reported today that drug maker Merck & Company's general counsel just earned a promotion and 13 percent raise to $780,000 a year. The general counsel has been instrumental in the company's defense against more than 21,000 Vioxx lawsuits. The defective drug Vioxx was recalled after it was reported to cause heart attacks, strokes, blood clots and other dangerous medical...

• 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...