FDA & Prescription Drugs

• Information about drug-induced diseases

  Staff Writer | November 30, 2006 9:01 AM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  Worstpills.org has an interesting article posted on drug-induced diseases and the problem of adverse drug interactions. The article reports that more than 9.6 million drug reactions each year affect older Americans, and a study also found that 37% of these adverse reactions were not reported to doctors. This may be, in part, because patients do not know that their symptoms are related to...

• Deaths linked to Ketek prompt FDA discussion

  Staff Writer | November 24, 2006 9:34 AM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  A USA Today article last week showcases the problems associated with a drug called Ketek, which has been known to cause serious liver damage and death. The antibiotic Ketek (telithromycin) carries a warning with it about the reports of liver failure, severe injury and death associated with the drug. Through April, the FDA received at least a dozen reports of acute liver failure, including four...

• 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...

• Philadelphia judge rules against drug companies

  Staff Writer | November 01, 2006 9:59 AM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  On Oct. 17, 2006, victims of drug companies' failure to warn were victorious in a Philadelphia U.S. District Court ruling. Judge Stewart Dalzell ruled against the claims by drug maker Novartis that FDA regulations and the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act "preempt state failure ot warn tort claims."An Association of Trial Lawyers Association memo details the issues at hand:The issue of FDA...

• Vioxx litigation costly for Merck

  Staff Writer | October 30, 2006 12:00 PM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  Last week The Wall Street Journal online's Law Blog reported that Merck & Company spends more than $1 million a day in legal costs, primarily on exploding Vioxx litigation. In 2006 alone, Merck has spent $325 million on Vioxx legal bills. Third quarter earnings were down 34 percent from this time last year. How long will Merck be able to keep up these costly bills? An excerpt from the blog...

• Drug Firms Push Industry Agenda at FDA

  Tom Methvin | October 24, 2006 2:16 PM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  The drug industry should never be allowed to have its way with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by way of its funding of agency programs. Yet, that has happened on a continuing basis for at least the past ten years. Now, the FDA is bargaining with the industry for an increase in fees, giving the industry an even greater role in shaping the priorities of its supposed regulator. If this...

• Long-Standing Problems At FDA Confirmed

  Tom Methvin | October 24, 2006 2:07 PM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  Over the past few years, we have frequently written about the many problems at the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Recently, a survey by the Union of Concerned Scientists confirmed what many medical and healthcare experts have felt relating to the performance of the FDA. Dr. Sidney Wolfe, Director of Public Citizen's Health Research Group, issued the following statement relating to...

• Statins Work As Well As Vytorin

  Shannon Weidemann | March 30, 2008 7:22 PM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  A new study just released has confirmed that Vytorin does not lower the risk of heart disease. Vytorin is a combination of a statin and a cholesterol lowering drug. The Enhance study showed that while Vytorin lowered cholesterol, it did not reduce plaque in arteries.Doctors had embraced the drug because it does such a great job of lowering low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, the so-called bad...

• FDA advisers say Ketek too risky

  Staff Writer | December 21, 2006 8:03 PM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  According to a December 16 report, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisers recommended that Ketek, an antibiotic manufactured by Sanofi-Aventis, should no longer be marketed for bronchitis or sinusitis due to the risks involved in using the drug.Patients using Ketek have reported liver damage, liver failure, blurred vision, loss of consciousness and other side effects. IMS Health...

• Safe drug use tips

  Staff Writer | December 01, 2006 9:21 AM | 0 CommentsMontgomery, AL

  Many older Americans are prescribed a number of medications each year by their doctors. Often, these drugs may cause adverse reactions that patients do not realized are caused by their medications. WorstPills.org has composed a helpful list of "Ten Rules for Safer Drug Use."The list includes:Rule 1: Have "Brown Bag Sessions" with Your Primary Doctor; Fill Out a Drug Worksheet.Rule 2: Make Sure...