FDA & Prescription Drugs

• Diabetes Drug Gets Stronger Warning

  Scott Kappes | November 16, 2007 4:11 PM | 0 CommentsHouston, TX

  The once blockbuster drug Avandia has been at the center of controversy over the past several months. In May of this year an article was published in the New England Journal of Medicine linking the drug to a 43 percent increased risk of heart attack. The article was based on an analysis of 42 studies that suggested the possible increased risk. Wednesday the FDA added an additional "black box"...

• Broken bones could be side effect of antidepressants in people over fifty

  Christen Wiese | February 05, 2007 5:36 PM | 0 CommentsHouston, TX

  A study conducted in Canada has found that people over fifty who take antidepressants could have an increased risk of broken bones. The study concluded that people who take antidepressants over fifty faced double the risk of a broken bone compared to those who did not use the drugs. One of the researchers stated that more research needed to be done to link the two components but the study...

• Drug-coated Stents Receive Approval from FDA Panel

  Tiffany Farr | December 15, 2006 10:33 AM | 0 CommentsHouston, TX

  Despite recent findings regarding the safety of new drug-coated stents, an FDA panel has given the thumbs up for their use in the some 3 million people who currently already have them implanted. This panel concluded that while there is "unequivocal evidence" that these drug-eluting stents may cause blood clots in patients, the benefits outweigh any safety concerns. More than 60 percent of the...

• Warning for Reglan Users

  Ashley Davis | May 28, 2009 6:30 PM | 0 CommentsHouston, TX

  Reglan is popular medication containing metoclopramide used to treat gastrointestinal disorders. Metoclopramide is a substance that helps to speed the stomach muscles, thereby shortening the time it...

• Chinese Imports to be More Closely Monitored

  Scott Kappes | August 25, 2008 5:17 PM | 0 CommentsHouston, TX

  Over the past year problems with Chinese products being imported to the United States have been well documented. Whether it was the seemingly never-ending recalls of Chinese-made toys...

• Antidepressants Linked to Gastrointestinal Bleeding

  Scott Kappes | July 08, 2008 1:34 PM | 0 CommentsHouston, TX

  A new study out of Spain has tied a popular class of antidepressant medications, which includes Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa, and Prozac, to yet another dangerous side effect. The class known as...

• Pharmaceutical Industry Spent Over $168M on Lobbying in 2007

  Scott Kappes | June 24, 2008 6:29 PM | 0 CommentsHouston, TX

  According to a report released today the pharmaceutical industry was once again the largest lobbying presence in Washington in 2007. Collectively the industry dumped some $168 million...

• Claritin-Singulair Combo Pill Rejected by FDA

  Scott Kappes | April 28, 2008 1:57 PM | 0 CommentsHouston, TX

  Late Friday the makers of Claritin and Singulair announced that the FDA has rejected an application for a pill combining the two drugs. Singulair, sold by Merck, is a popular medication used to...

• FDA Criticized for Foreign Inspection Problems

  Scott Kappes | April 23, 2008 1:42 PM | 0 CommentsHouston, TX

  Yesterday a House panel reprimanded the FDA for their poor performance when inspecting foreign-made medications, in the aftermath of the recall of contaminated batches of the blood thinner...

• Heart Screening Encouraged for Children with ADHD

  Scott Kappes | April 21, 2008 6:35 PM | 1 CommentHouston, TX

  Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common disorders among children. Physicians often prescribe medications to treat the symptoms of ADHD with very limited proof...