Category Archives: Drug Side Effects

New Jersey Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa on Wednesday announced a statewide ban on all forms of synthetic marijuana, the so-called designer drug that mimics the effects of marijuana. The concoction, also known as K2 and Spice, is the third most commonly abused drug by high school seniors, behind marijuana and prescription drugs, according to a 2011 study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Side effects include violent seizures, dangerously elevated heart rates, and hallucinations, according to the institute and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. New Jersey's ban - in an emergency order pending legislative action - prohibits the manufacture, distribution, and sale of any of the hundreds of chemical combinations that mirror marijuana's effect, and is more sweeping than previous efforts. The drug will now be considered a controlled dangerous substance, like cocaine and heroin. Violators could face three to five years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000, officials said. Under state law, officials can reclassify and restrict the availability of chemicals that have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use. Chiesa said authorities wanted to ban all possible variants of the drug to prevent manufacturers and dealers from sidestepping the … Continue reading →

New Jersey Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa on Wednesday announced a statewide ban on all forms of synthetic marijuana, the so-called designer drug that mimics the effects of marijuana. The concoction, also known as "K2" and "Spice," is the drug third-most commonly abused by high school seniors, behind marijuana and prescription drugs, according to a 2011 study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Side effects include violent seizures, dangerous elevated heart rates, and hallucinations, according to the National Institute and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. New Jersey's ban - in an emergency order pending legislative action - prohibits the manufacture, distribution, and sale of any of the hundreds of chemical combinations that mirror marijuana's effect and is more sweeping than previous efforts. The drug will now be considered a controlled dangerous substance - like cocaine and heroin. Violators could face three to five years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000, officials said. Under state law, officials are allowed to reclassify and restrict the availability of chemicals that have a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical use. Chiesa said authorities wanted to ban all possible variants of the drug to prevent manufacturers and dealers … Continue reading →

By Robert BazellChief science and health correspondent NBC News Not long ago, statins were jokingly promoted by some doctorswith a put them in the drinking water argument.Physicians and drug company expertssuggested that the ubiquitous cholesterol-lowering drugs --including Lipitor, Mevacor, Crestor and Zocor -- should be sold over the counter like cold medications, or offered to everyone above a certain age. The medications appeared so beneficial to health and seemed so free of side effects. But on Tuesday, the Food and Drug Administrationissued a new health alert requiring the drugs carrylabels warning about confusion and memory loss, elevated blood sugar leading to Type 2 diabetes, and muscle weakness. These warnings should put an end to the all the silliness about giving the drugs to everyone, says Dr. Garret FitzGerald, chairman of pharmacology at the University of Pennsylvania. Warnings for diabetes, memory loss added to statins There is no question that statins -- the most profitable and among the most prescribed drugs ever -- have saved or prolonged millions of lives and will continue to do so.Most people at elevated risk for heart disease should be taking statins.The big issue now will center on determining whose risk is low to moderate and … Continue reading →

New labels on statins will warn of rare, but potentially serious, side effects. (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times) February 28, 2012, 3:51 p.m. The agency announced it would require improved safety warning labels on statins to warn of the rare risk of liver damage, memory loss and other cognitive problems and increases in blood sugar that can lead to Type 2 diabetes. Moreover, the drug known as lovastatin (which is known by several brand names, including Mevacor) can cause muscle weakness in rare cases. The new warnings are not likely to cause doctors to pull their patients off the medications. Many questions remain about how rare these risks actually are and whether they are more common after many years of use or in certain individuals. The agency eased up on one warning associated with statins. The labels will no longer advise doctors to routinely monitor liver enzymes of patients taking statins. The updated wording on the label will state that liver enzyme tests should be performed when a patient first begins taking statins and when indicated thereafter. The main intent of the label change is to inform consumers of any risks associated with the drugs, according to the FDA. … Continue reading →

The Rottenstein Law Group, which represents clients with claims stemming from the severe side effects of the drug Fosamax, is cautiously optimistic about a new medical device designed to eliminate the need for regular self-injection of medication. (PRWEB) February 28, 2012 Robert Langer and Michael Cima, two MIT researchers working with the company MicroCHIPS, Inc., have developed a microchip implant capable of delivering prescription medications to patients. The chip, in development for about ten years, just completed its first human test, prompting the researchers to claim, It passed with flying colors. The microchip implants were tested on seven women between the ages of 65 and 70 who suffer from osteoporosis. In all seven patients, the chip delivered the correct dose of medication without any adverse side effects. Some bisphosphonate medications are administered by injection, rather than in pill form like Fosamax. The idea behind the microchip implant is to effectively deliver an accurate dosing of medication while ensuring compliance on the part of patients. Many persons cannot, or will not inject themselves with medication. Cima commented in an MIT press release: Compliance is very important in a lot of drug regimens, and it can be very difficult to get patients … Continue reading →

Washington, Feb 28 (IANS) A modified osteoporosis drug may prove to be a boon in fighting malaria, which works at very low concentrations and has no side-effects. Osteoporosis is the thinning of bone tissue and loss of bone density over time, increasing the risk of fractures. Unlike similar compounds tested against other parasitic protozoa, the new drug BPH-703 readily crosses into the red blood cells of malaria-infected mice and kills the malaria parasite. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign researchers found the drug by screening a library of about 1,000 compounds used in targeting a key enzyme in an important biochemical pathway (isoprenoid biosynthesis) in cancer and in disease-causing organisms, the journal proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reports. The new drug lead, BPH-703, inhibits a key enzyme in isoprenoid biosynthesis that enables the malaria parasite to defend itself from the host immune system. The drug has little effect on the same chemical pathway in human or mouse cells, said Illinois chemistry professor Eric Oldfield, who led the study, according to an Illinois statement. The lead compounds are chemically modified forms of the osteoporosis drugs Actonel (Risedronate) and Zometa (Zoledronate), Oldfield said. The World Health Organization estimates that malaria killed … Continue reading →

Alonso Krangle LLP conducting an investigation into Yaz lawsuits due to side effects allegedly caused by Yaz birth control pills, including blood clots, deep vein thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, heart attack, stroke and sudden death. Melville, NY (PRWEB) February 28, 2012 The founding partners of Alonso Krangle LLP, Attorneys Andres Alonso and David Krangle are focused on fighting for the rights of victims due to drug side effects, continue to investigate harmful Yaz side effects allegedly caused by Yaz birth control pills. Alonso Krangle LLP is currently offering free Yaz lawsuit evaluations to any woman, or their family, who may have sustained serious injuries or life-threatening side effects because of Yaz including: Blood clots Heart attack Stroke Sudden death Pulmonary Embolism Deep vein thrombosis If you have been injured and need help regarding a potential Yaz lawsuit claim with one of the compassionate and experienced defective drug lawyers at Alonso Krangle LLP, please contact us at 1-800-403-6191 or visit our website, http://www.FightForVictims.com. Yaz Lawsuits and Yasmin Lawsuits Update Attorney Andres Alonso of Alonso Krangle LLP is presently serving as a member of the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in regards to the present litigation of more than 10,000 personal injury Yaz lawsuits and … Continue reading →

February 27, 2012, 10:27 PM EST By Simeon Bennett Feb. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Takeda Pharmaceutical Co.’s experimental diabetes drug lowered blood sugar as much as an older generic medicine with fewer side effects, a company- sponsored study found. In a trial of 426 patients with Type 2 diabetes, TAK-875 reduced blood sugar below a pre-determined level in as much as 48 percent of those receiving it after 12 weeks, compared with 40 percent of those who got glimepiride, the older drug, according to findings published online by The Lancet medical journal today. The research was presented in June at the American Diabetes Association’s annual meeting in San Diego. Takeda is testing TAK-875 in the third and final stage of patient studies usually required for regulatory approval. The Osaka, Japan-based company seeks products to replace sales of Actos, the world’s best-selling diabetes treatment, that will be lost when the therapy’s patent protection ends this year. About 90 percent of the 285 million people worldwide with diabetes have Type 2, the form that TAK-875 is designed to fight. The pill belongs to a new class of treatments called GPR40 agonists, which activate a receptor that stimulates and regulates insulin production. New treatments … Continue reading →

By Simeon Bennett - Sun Feb 26 23:30:00 GMT 2012 Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. (4502)’s experimental diabetes drug lowered blood sugar as much as an older generic medicine with fewer side effects, a company- sponsored study found. In a trial of 426 patients with Type 2 diabetes, TAK-875 reduced blood sugar below a pre-determined level in as much as 48 percent of those receiving it after 12 weeks, compared with 40 percent of those who got glimepiride, the older drug, according to findings published online by The Lancet medical journal today. The research was presented in June at the American Diabetes Association’s annual meeting in San Diego. Takeda is testing TAK-875 in the third and final stage of patient studies usually required for regulatory approval. The Osaka, Japan-based company seeks products to replace sales of Actos, the world’s best-selling diabetes treatment, that will be lost when the therapy’s patent protection ends this year. About 90 percent of the 285 million people worldwide with diabetes have Type 2, the form that TAK-875 is designed to fight. The pill belongs to a new class of treatments called GPR40 agonists, which activate a receptor that stimulates and regulates insulin production. New treatments are needed … Continue reading →

Shares of Vivus Inc. more than doubled early Thursday after a U.S. FDA advisory panel recommended the agency approve the company's new weight-loss drug Qnexa. Vivus jumped $9.45 to $20, leading other diet-drug developers such as Arena Pharmaceuticals and Orexigen Therapeutics higher. Qnexa is one of three drugs competing for the first U.S. approval of a prescription weight-loss drug since Roche's Xenical in 1999. Data so far indicates the drug is the most effective in helping patients lose up to 10 percent of their body weight, ABC News said. The FDA isn't required to follow the panel's recommendations, although it generally does. An official approval or a rejection of Qnexa is expected by April 17. The panel voted 20-2 vote for approval, saying Qnexa's benefits for the chronically obese outweighed potential risks the drug may pose, according to ABC News. Like us on Facebook Qnexa was presented before the advisory panel in 2010, but it recommended against the drug 10-6 before the FDA rejected it for further testing, according to The New York Times. Here are some things to know about Qnexa. Meaningful Efficacy Benefit "There is an urgent need for better pharmacologic options for individual patients," Elaine H. Morrato, … Continue reading →