Category Archives: Drug Side Effects

London, Jan 12 (IBNS) A drug for bipolar disorder that works like lithium, the most common and effective treatment for the condition, but without lithium's toxicity and problem side-effects has been identified by Oxford University researchers in a study in mice. A drug that mimics the effect of lithium but without its side-effects would be a great improvement for patients, and has long been sought after. While the study has been conducted in mice, the newly identified drug is an existing compound called ebselen. It is known to be safe in humans and so its use for bipolar disorder can begin to be tested in clinical trials straight away. "Lithium has been used for over 60 years and remains the most effective treatment for bipolar disorder, but suffers from toxicity and has many side effects," says co-principal investigator Dr Grant Churchill of the Department of Pharmacology at Oxford University. "In mice, ebselen works like lithium. Most importantly, ebselen is an experimental drug that has been tested in people for other conditions, and does not have problematic side effects like lithium does." He adds: "We urgently need to test if ebselen works like lithium in people." The researchers report their findings … Continue reading →

By Daily Mail Reporter PUBLISHED: 21:01 EST, 11 January 2013 | UPDATED: 12:24 EST, 12 January 2013 Doctors have been told to stop prescribing an anti-cholesterol drug because it doesn't work and can trigger serious side effects. The European drug watchdog yesterday suspended Tredaptive after safety concerns.. Around 3,000 Britons with high cholesterol levels are taking it, usually in addition to standard cholesterol-lowering statins. The European drug watchdog has told doctors to stop prescribing an anti-cholesterol drug because it doesn't work and can trigger serious side effects US manufacturer Merck announced it is withdrawing Tredaptive from sales in 40 countries - it is not marketed in the US - where it trades under different names. The European Medicine Agency (EMA) said it had reviewed new data from a large a large, long-term study involving over 25,000 patients, which cast doubt on the drug's benefits. The preliminary results of the study found adding it to statins did not reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke compared with statins alone. See more here: Tredaptive: Cholesterol drug axed over safety fears it can trigger serious side effects … Continue reading →

Massage Therapy: Chinese Massage Therapy http://www.djorin.com - Medicomat Massage Therapy Device - Medical Automat Series - The World's Best Healthcare - Distributors Wanted for Chinese Massage Therapy Devices. Learn about new solutions, different cure methods, and how it works with expert Massage. Chinese Therapy tips in this free online World's Best Apparatus video clip. Hypertension is divided into two groups primary and secondary hypertension. Primary hypertension accounts for the majority of cases where the exact Massage of the condition is unknown. Secondary hypertension is caused by a variety of disorders, which include Massage kidney diseases, endocrine disorders, cancer, and drug side effects. By: Nik Ana … Continue reading →

Tredaptive, a booster of good cholesterol, is dead. Tredaptive, a booster of good cholesterol, is dead. Drugmaker Merck just stuck a fork in a vitamin-based drug to prevent heart disease and stroke. The company is withdrawing Tredaptive, a long-acting pill combining niacin (No. 3 in the long list of B vitamins) and laropiprant, a chemical that reduces the unpleasant skin flushing caused by high doses of niacin. Tredaptive was never approved in the U.S. the Food and Drug Administration rejected the drug under another name in 2008. But now Merck is taking the medicine off the market in 40 countries where it has been sold. The company also told doctors to stop prescribing it. Merck said in December that a big study found the drug didn't work. What's more, people taking it had more serious side effects than those who got a placebo. People in both groups also got simvastatin (sold under the brand-name Zocor) to lower their bad cholesterol, or LDL. Tredaptive seemed like a great idea on paper. Niacin is one of the few ways to boost good cholesterol, or HDL. People whose HDL is too low are at a higher risk of having heart attacks and strokes, … Continue reading →

By Justin Loiseau | More Articles January 11, 2013 | Merck (NYSE: MRK) announced today that it is taking steps to suspend the availability of Tredaptive, a cholesterol drug that is less effective and has more potential side effects than previously expected. The drug,extended-release niacin/laropiprant, is not sold in the U.S. After receiving a recommendation from a European medical regulatory agency, the pharmaceutical company is officially recommending physicians stop prescribing Tredaptive. Merck Chief Medical Officer Dr. Michael Rosenblatt was quoted in a company press release as saying: "Patients currently taking Tredaptive are our priority, and we are committed to continue to work with regulatory agencies around the world to ensure that physicians have appropriate information as we take steps to suspend the availability of Tredaptive." Although the drug is not approved for use in the U.S., it is currently approved in approximately 70 countries and sold in about 40 countries. At the time of the company's last quarterly report in November, Merck had planned to file applications for U.S. and EU approval in 2013. For the first three quarters of 2012, sales of the drug were approximately $13 million. More Expert Advice from The Motley Fool Excerpt from: Merck Tells … Continue reading →

Drugmaker Merck & Co. is suspending its sale of the cholesterol drug Tredaptive after initial results from a study showed that it wasn't effective and could raise the risk of some serious side effects. The Whitehouse Station, N.J., company said Friday it is telling doctors to quit prescribing the tablets, which are not approved in the United States, and it also is advising patients to stop taking the medication only after talking to a physician. The drug is sold in about 40 countries, including Europe. A company spokeswoman said Friday it will take a few months to implement the suspension worldwide. Merck said last month initial results from a big, late-stage study showed that adding Tredaptive to traditional statin therapy failed to lower the risk of heart attack, stroke and related problems. The drugmaker said then that doctors should stop prescribing Tredaptive to new patients. Results also showed that patients taking the cholesterol combination pill were more likely to suffer some serious, non-fatal adverse events that fall into several broad categories: blood and lymphatic, gastrointestinal, infections, metabolism, musculoskeletal, respiratory and skin. The company said researchers are still analyzing the adverse events, and it offered no additional details. Merck said it … Continue reading →

(Reuters) - Doctors relying on studies published in top journals for guidance on treating women with breast cancer may not be getting the most accurate information, with the side effects of various treatments downplayed, according to a North American study. "Investigators want to go overboard to make their studies look positive," said Ian Tannock, senior author of the study that appeared in the Annals of Oncology. In two-thirds of the 164 studies that Tannock and his colleagues scrutinized, that meant not listing serious side effects, whether of chemotherapy, radiation or surgery, in the paper's abstract. Such abstracts summarize the findings, and run a few hundred words. That's important, said Tannock, at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, because doctors have little time to read. "Most of us are so damn busy, we only read the abstract and skim the tables and figures," he added. In fact, a fifth of the studies didn't include serious side effects in results tables, and about a third failed to mention them in either the abstract or the discussion section. Most surprising, said Tannock, was that in a third of the studies, if the treatment didn't work as well as one might hope, researchers moved the … Continue reading →

The US Drug Watchdog says, "If you, a friend, or a loved one was using birth control pills called Yaz, Yasmin, or their generic version Ocella, and then developed a life threatening severe medical side effect such a pulmonary embolism, a heart attack, a stroke, or other severe medical conditions please contact The Johnson Law Group immediately at 1-800-996-9900. http://www.johnsonlawgroup.com/ (PRWEB) January 10, 2013 Possible Side Effects Yaz/Yasmin Birth Control Pills The US Drug Watchdog says, "One of the biggest problems we have with respect to our drug initiative work, is the average US consumer never hears about a drug recall, or serious side effects related to a specific drug's use. We are attempting to change this very sad fact with aggressive initiatives focused on increasing public awareness, and hopefully suggesting possible help for victims." http://USDrugWatchdog.Com MDL No. 2100 (3:09-md-02100-DRH-PMF) M Thomas Martin Americas Watchdog 866-714-6466 Email Information Originally posted here: US Drug Watchdog Now Urges Users of Yaz or Yasmin Birth Control Pills Who Suffered A Life Threatening Medical Problem ... … Continue reading →

Orlando, FL (PRWEB) January 10, 2013 The prescription resource center DrugRisk.com has added information to its comprehensive database for women using the vaginal ring contraceptive NuvaRing which shows the number of claims filed over blood clot injuries has increased. The mission of DrugRisk is to improve patient safety through education, including the latest drug warnings, recalls, studies and litigation news. In many cases visitors want litigation information to know if others are experiencing similar problems and whether they have any options, explains DrugRisk representative Ryan Mayer. DrugRisk previously added warnings from experts that vaginal rings like NuvaRing may be linked to higher blood clot risks than traditional birth control pills. The British Medical Journal published a Danish study on May 10, 2012 linking vaginal rings like NuvaRing to as much as a 90% increased risk of blood clots over oral contraceptives. On June 14, 2012, the New England Journal of Medicine also published a study finding vaginal ring contraceptives could relate to a 2.5 to 3-fold increased risk of blood clots. Now, the resource center has learned that the number of NuvaRing lawsuits filed over blood clots has risen by nearly 5% to 1076 from the last report, according to … Continue reading →

New York, NY (PRWEB) January 10, 2013 The prescription drug resource center DrugRisk.com is alerting patients who have taken the birth control drugs Yaz or Yasmin of the adition of new information to the site showing Switzerlands largest health insurer has joined in a lawsuit over allegations that Yasmin caused blood clots and pulmonary embolism. The mission of DrugRisk is to improve patient safety through education, including the latest medication warnings, recalls, studies and litigation news. Many visitors dont yet know the extent of health warnings and litigation surrounding the birth control drugs Yaz and Yasmin, explains DrugRisk representative Ryan Mayer. DrugRisk previously advised that thousands of Yaz lawsuits over blood clots filed in the U.S. have been consolidated to a special federal Multi-District Litigation court in Illinois. The formal case is known as Yasmin and Yaz (Drospirenone) Marketing, Sales Practices and Products Liability Litigation (MDL No. 2100, Southern District Illinois). The resource center reported on Bayers most recent financial statements, which show the company has spent nearly $750 million so far to settle approximately 3,500 of these claims, at an average of or around $214,000 per case.* Bayer confirmed they are only settling claims involving blood clot injuries, such … Continue reading →