Category Archives: Drug Side Effects

Public release date: 27-Aug-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ] Contact: Andrea Teixeira Carvalho atcteixeira@gmail.com Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine Scientists at the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation and Federal University of Minas Gerais, led by Dr. Andra Teixeira-Carvalho and Dr. Mnica Cristina de Oliveira, have developed and characterized a circulating and pH-sensitive liposome containing cisplatin (SpHL-CDDP) aiming to promote the release of cisplatin near the tumor as well as decreasing toxicity. The development of analog drugs and new formulations are current strategies for increasing the effectiveness and safety of cisplatin as an anti-peritoneal carcinomatosis drug. The results, which appear in the August 2012 issue of Experimental Biology and Medicine demonstrate that the treatment of initial or disseminated Ehrlich ascitic tumor-bearing Swiss mice with SpHL-CDDP improved the antitumor efficacy and decreased renal and bone marrow toxicity of cisplatin-based therapy. "Peritoneal carcinomatosis is a serious concern in the treatment of abdominal tumors such as hepatic, gastric and gynecological tumors", says Dr. Oliveira. "The strategy of local chemotherapy is interesting due to the possibility to increase the therapeutic efficacy while minimizing systemic side-effects. SpHL-CDDP treatment was able to reduce cancer cell proliferation and increase survival, in the animal model, with no known toxicity … Continue reading →

''He used to wake up and have so much energy, then crash and fall asleep by 9am'' ... Harrison White with his mother, Tracy. Mrs White says Harrison's condition improved almost immediately he took modafinil. Photo: Sahlan Hayes CHILDREN with a severe brain disorder are being denied subsidies for a highly effective medication because the government insists they first try a riskier drug, say specialists who refuse to prescribe what they say is an outdated treatment. Chris Seton,a paediatrician at the Children's Hospital at Westmead, said children with narcolepsy - a condition that causes them to fall asleep without warning, gives sudden bouts of muscle weakness and makes concentration difficult - could suffer life-threatening side effects, including psychosis, high blood pressure and heart palpitations, if they took the drug, dexamphetamine. The stimulant is the only therapy routinely subsidised for the condition through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. ''I will not risk a child suffering the potential side effects,'' Dr Seton said. ''Faced with a choice between the two drugs to treat narcolepsy, nobody on the planet would chose the amphetamine.'' Advertisement Dr Seton said he once admitted a 13-year-old girl to hospital suffering psychosis after she took dexamphetamine before the new … Continue reading →

Say you have high blood pressure. Theres a new blockbuster drug on the market, and your doctor lets you know about a new clinical trial you can join that is testing the new treatment against an old tried-and-true one. Whats not to like? Youre going to be taking, under the care of experts, one of two U.S. Food and Drug Administrationapproved medications. What you might not knoweven after you sign up for the trial and have inked the informed-consent formis that scattered reports are starting to suggest that the new medication might occasionally cause severe side effects. And the real reason the trial is being conducted with these previously released drugs is to test whether the new medication really is a lot riskier to everyone or just to a subset of patients. If you found that out, would you still sign up for the trial? The problem is that many patientsand often even the institutional review boards that approve the trialsare never informed of these lingering questions. This is one of the big ethical holes often left open in post-market trials, says Ruth Faden, director of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics, who co-authored a new essay on this … Continue reading →

Contributor (888) 633-0360 Last Friday, the FDA approved a generic version of type 2 diabetes drug Actos. Even if you dont suffer from the adult-onset disease, youve likely heard the name Actos in the news. Hundreds of people have sued the drugs manufacturer, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, for failing to warn of serious adverse side effects, including the risk of bladder cancer. As you may have also heard, and as MedicineNet states, Generic drugs are copies of brand-name drugs that have exactly the same dosage, intended use, effects, side effects, route of administration, risks, safety, and strength as the original drug. In other words, their pharmacological effects are exactly the same as those of their brand-name counterparts. That being said, West Virginia-based Mylan Pharmaceuticals, the maker of the generic Actos, was forced to add a bladder cancer warning to its label. And since studies have also shown that Actos may cause heart failure in some individuals, the generic versions label warns of this as well. If your doctor prescribes the generic version of Actos, if your insurance company only approves your pharmacy to give you the generic version of Actos, or if you take the generic version because its less expensive, please … Continue reading →

Story Created: Aug 22, 2012 at 3:33 PM EDT Story Updated: Aug 22, 2012 at 3:33 PM EDT The agency has issued a safety alert to warn consumers about the dangers of the supplements. They are both marketed as natural dietary supplements but the FDA claims they have potentially dangerous active ingredients that aren't listed on their labels. The supplements are used to treat arthritis, osteoporosis, muscle pain, bone cancer and a host of other ailments. They are manufactured in Mexico by Riger Naturals, but sold in the United States in some stores, Internet sites and flea markets. Most are labeled in Spanish but there could be versions with English labels. The FDA is working closely with the Mexican government and says the Mexican Ministry of Health issued a health warning to the public and ordered Riger Naturals to recall the products. In June, the FDA issued its first initial warning to consumers about Reumofan Plus based on preliminary laboratory tests. But after receiving increased reports of health problems, confirming drug ingredients and finding similar ingredients in Reumofan Plus Premium, officials decided to issue a second warning. "Consumers taking these products are urged to immediately consult with their doctor to … Continue reading →

Dr Kylie Mason, who survived leukaemia as a teenager, now treats and researches blood cancers. Photo: Justin McManus MORE than most doctors, Kylie Mason knows the debilitating side effects of cancer treatment. Diagnosed at 15 with leukaemia, the experience set her on a path that last night saw her awarded the L'Oreal For Women in Science Fellowship. ''I actually wanted to be a coroner,'' she said. ''But my experience at the Royal Children's as a teenager meant all of my role models were doctors and nurses and specialists.'' She now works both treating and researching blood cancers, including leukaemia, at Parkville's Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research and the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Advertisement ''I feel like I have a unique empathy with my patients,'' she said. In the laboratory she works with a team developing an anti-cancer drug that has now reached human trials. With colleagues, Dr Mason was able to establish a link between the drug and a drop in the number of platelets in the blood. ''Working from that we discovered the mechanism behind what makes platelets live and die,'' she said. ''This drug targets [that mechanism] and tells the cancer cell to die.'' View original … Continue reading →

DEKALB CO., Ind. (WANE) - DeKalb County medics are finding it difficult to treat people that have side effects of synthetic marijuana, such as K2 or Spice. DeKalb Health EMS Director, Randy Fox, said it can be harder to treat someone who has taken these drugs as most people do not know what is actually in the drugs. Officials say some synthetic drugs can contain up to as much as 400 different chemical compounds. Most people don't know what they're taking," he said. "They don't know the strength, they don't know anything about it, they just take it." Fox said when medics arrive, most of the time, people dont understand what has happened to them. From an EMS stand point, we have to treat systematically because we really don't know if we're treating for a particular disease or medication overdose, said Fox. Butler Police Chief James Nichols said he has seen the bizarre effects of synthetic drugs up close. This last winter, where an individual walked 20 degrees weather to his mother's house with no clothes on and when we got there, he was having seizures," said Chief Nichols. Seizures are just one of the many results that can be … Continue reading →

A certain inherited trait could prove fatal for some children treated with codeine for post-operative pain, according to a new warning from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). At least three children died, while one other suffered an episode of non-fatal but life-threatening respiratory depression, after taking codeine to treat pain following a tonsillectomy and/or adenoidectomy for obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. It is believed that all of the children, who were between the ages of 2 and 5, shared a genetic trait which made them ultra-rapid metabolizers of the drug. When codeine is ingested, it is converted to morphine in the liver by an enzyme called cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6). Some people have DNA variations that make this enzyme more active, causing codeine to be converted to morphine faster and more completely than in other people, the FDA said. This results in higher than normal amounts of morphine in their blood after taking codeine. All of the children received normal doses of codeine, and suffered the reactions within a day or two of taking the drug. According to the FDA, one to seven in every 100 people are ultra-rapid metabolizers, but they are more common among some ethnic groups, … Continue reading →

In spite of serious concerns that Actos (pioglitazone) can cause bladder cancer and other serious side effects, the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first generic version of the type 2 diabetes drug for sale in the U.S. According to a statement from the agency, Mylan Pharmaceuticals, based in Morgantown, West Virginia, has been granted approval to market 15, 30, and 45 milligram pioglitazone tablets. Actos is one of the top selling type 2 diabetes medications in the world. According to the FDA, generic versions of Actos will offer affordable treatment options for patients who must manage this chronic and potentially serious condition. However, critics of the FDA will surely raise concerns that widely available generic versions of Actos will put more patients at risk for its serious side effects, including bladder cancer. Last June, the FDA issued a safety communication stating that use of Actos for more than one year may be associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer. That same month, the French and German governments decided to suspend sales of Actos in those countries after a separate study commissioned by French regulators demonstrated an increased risk of bladder cancer associated with Actos in people … Continue reading →

Dancers enjoy the Ultra Music Festival in March in Miami. STORY HIGHLIGHTS Editor's note: Pseudonyms are used for the names of young people. (CNN) -- "Have you heard of molly?" the girl next to me asked. She was swaying from side to side, bobbing her head to the bass vibrating throughout the sold-out venue. The room around us was buzzing with anticipation. Music was blasting. People were dancing and laughing and taking pictures. There was less than an hour until showtime, and I was about to see one of my favorite artists, so I was feeling pretty good. The girl next to me, Jessica, was obviously feeling better. I turned to my fellow concertgoers, watching as they met Jessica's eyes, nodding their heads knowingly. Of course they had heard of molly. Turns out, molly is a pretty popular lady these days. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, molly is the powder or crystal form of MDMA -- or 3, 4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine, a chemical drug most commonly known for its use in the pressed pill Ecstasy. Unlike Ecstasy, which has a reputation for being laced with everything from caffeine to methamphetamine, molly -- a name shortened from "molecule" -- is thought of … Continue reading →