FDA & Prescription Drugs

• Lyrica added to Worst Pills do not use list

  Staff Writer | February 05, 2007 10:17 AM | 0 CommentsColorado Springs, CO

  WorstPills.org posted in January an alert saying that consumers should not used Lyrica to treat neuropathic pain because of the potential risks and side effects.Lyrica (pregabalin), manufactured by Pfizer, is often used to treat epilepsy. WorsPills.org specifically recommends not to use this drug until 2012, or seven years after FDA approval. This means that they believe the drug needs more...

• Ortho Evra Heat Precautions

  Staff Writer | January 16, 2007 6:20 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  It was already know that Ortho Evra can cause blood clots. Now the maker of the patch is saying that overweight women using the patch are at a particularly high risk of developing blood clots. Janssen-Ortho Inc. (subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson) also warns that women should not expose the Ortho Evra patch to sources of heat such as saunas and whirlpools. The company believes there is a...

• Parkinson's Drugs Found to Harm Heart Valves

  Staff Writer | January 10, 2007 2:53 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  A recent study by Italian researches found that about one-fourth of patients taking pergolide (Permax) or cabergoline (Dostinex) had moderate to severe heart valve problems. Another study by German doctors found that people using either drug were five to seven times more likely to develop leaky heart valves than those using other types of Parkinson's medications. "This is an extraordinarily...

• FDA Panel Recommends Approval of Celebrex for Children Despite Safety Concerns

  Staff Writer | December 28, 2006 5:35 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  An FDA Advisory Committee has recommended that Pfizer be allowed to market Celebrex to children ages 2 and older who suffer from Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA). The panel voted 15-1 that the drug was an effective treatment and that its benefits outweighed its risks. The panel members split on the issue of safety, voting 8-7 (with one abstention) that available data does not demonstrate...

• FDA Advisory Committee Recommends New Limits and Warnings for Ketek

  Staff Writer | December 27, 2006 5:33 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  Two FDA advisory committees agreed on December 15, 2006, that the antibiotic Ketek (telithromycin) should have new black box warnings added to its label about several serious side effects which have been associated with it. "Black box" is the strongest warning the FDA can mandate. Further, the committees recommended that Ketek be limited to second-line therapy for community-acquired pneumonia...

• Drug interactions growing problem for seniors

  Staff Writer | December 27, 2006 9:17 AM | 0 CommentsGrand Junction, CO

  As the baby boomer population ages and the senior population continues to grow, drug interactions and overmedicating are becoming bigger problems for the oldest Americans. New services by workingcaregiver.com and others provide pharmacist tsupport to help manage medications among seniors.A pharmacist expert or specialist can help make sure a patient doesn't experience drug interactions, which...

• Alcohol May Aid in the Survival of Head Injuries

  Staff Writer | December 26, 2006 5:29 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  Although alcohol consumption is the cause of over 30% of traumatic brain injuries (TBI's), a new study indicates that low to moderate blood alcohol levels may decrease the chance of death after a head trauma. The study published today in the Archives of Surgery show results that link low to moderate levels of alcohol to TBI recovery. TBI patients with high levels of alcohol are more likely to...

• Alzheimer's Drug May Help with Memory Loss Resulting from Traumatic Brain Injuries

  Staff Writer | December 26, 2006 5:26 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  Traumatic brain injuries (TBI's) are among the most common brain disorders in the US. TBI's occur when a sudden force makes contact with the head and causes damage to the brain. Every year, nearly 1.5 million Americans suffer from a TBI. Memory loss is the most common injury sustained after a TBI and currently over 5 million Americans are living with some sort of memory loss linked to a TBI....

• Merck wins Alabama Vioxx verdict

  Staff Writer | December 18, 2006 2:02 PM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  Vioxx manufacturer Merck & Co. experienced a courtroom victory last week in Alabama. The jury in the product liability trial found that the Vioxx makers did not hide the serious risks associated with the drug in the case of a man who accused the company of causing his heart attack. CNNMoney.com reports on the verdict:"This plaintiff did have many pre-existing risk factors" and the heart attack...

• Elidel and Protopic Label Warnings

  Staff Writer | December 15, 2006 10:30 AM | 0 CommentsDenver, CO

  On January 19, 2006 the FDA approved an updated label for Elidel and Protopic. Elidel and Protopic are drugs used to treat atopic dermatitis. Both drugs are calcineurin inhibitor drugs that are used topically to target cells that cause atopic dermatitis in patients. More commonly known as eczema, atopic dermatitis is a non-life-threatening skin condition that causes dry, scaly skin and severe...