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FDA & Prescription Drugs
Judge Carol Higbee, a state judge in New Jersey, who presided over the first Vioxx trial in the state, threw out a defense verdict that had favored Merck in a case brought by 60-year-old postal worker Frederick Humeston, who claimed Vioxx caused his heart attack. That jury ruled that Merck & Co., ha
FDA & Prescription Drugs
In the second federal Vioxx trial, a New Orleans jury awarded Gerald Barnett $51 million in compensatory and punitive damages after finding Vioxx contributed to his heart attack in July of 2002. The jury found Merck and Co., “knowingly misrepresented or failed to disclose information” about the drug
FDA & Prescription Drugs
Closing arguments have been heard in the second federal Vioxx trial in Louisiana which focuses on a 62 year-old former FBI agent who blames the drug for his heart attack in July of 2002 after using Vioxx for 31 months prior. The jury is made up of 8 middle aged men who will be left to decide if Viox
FDA & Prescription Drugs
Zyprexa (Olanzapine), a drug primarily prescribed for the treatment of schizophrenia has been attributed to causing to diabetes mellitus, hyperglycemia, pancreatitis and blood sugar disorders in many of its consumers. The manufacturer of the drug, Eli Lilly & Co., previously promoted Zyprexa as a sa
FDA & Prescription Drugs
In a follow up to my recent posts invloving free lunches and biased reports concerning the measures drug manufactures go to push their products on doctors and the medical industry as a whole, a new report by the Annals of Internal Medicine shows some of the more subtle and less discussed measures th
FDA & Prescription Drugs
In a recent study, one in five women who took the epilepsy drug Valproate during pregnancy resulted in birth defects or fetal death. The drug, sold by Abbott Laboratories, Inc., under the brand name Depakote, was found to be substantially riskier than any of the other three main epilepsy available o
FDA & Prescription Drugs
The Federal Government recently broadened the eligibility criteria for its overseas medical treatment program by allowing a woman who developed toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) to seek treatment in Singapore for her sight related injuries. The deadly allergic reaction is commonly associated with cau
FDA & Prescription Drugs
Over the last year or so the connection between so called “independent” researchers and the pharmaceutical companies they review have drawn a lot of attention and criticism. The main reason for this is because of the fear of biased reports and reviews from well known researchers who receive benefits
FDA & Prescription Drugs
The Food and Drug Administration has requested that manufactures of leading anti-depressants add warnings to their labels to address recently discovered risks in newborns and migraine sufferers. The FDA’s concerns stem from a life threatening condition called serotonin syndrome, which has been linke
FDA & Prescription Drugs
Ever wonder why some doctors prescribe one particular brand of drug over another similar drug in the class? The answer may very well be because of incentives the drug manufacturers are providing to doctors and their offices to encourage it. In a recent article in the New York Times, drug manufacture
FDA & Prescription Drugs
Both parties involved in the second federal Vioxx trial got their first chance to tell the jury what issues they will ultimately be asked to decide in the Louisiana case. The Case involves Gerald Barnett, a 62 year old former FBI agent, who blames Merck and Co. for his Vioxx related heart attack in
FDA & Prescription Drugs
The FDA is now warning of new dangers associated with Ketek, the first antibiotic of the ketolide class. Primarily used in treatment for chronic bronchitis, acute bacterial sinusitis and varying levels types of pneumonia, Ketek has been linked to rare cases of serious liver injury and liver failure.