Category Archives: Drug Side Effects

Remote-controlled drug implant Medication via remote-control instead of a shot? Scientists implanted microchips in seven women that did just that, oozing out the right dose of a bone-strengthening drug once a day without them even noticing. Implanted medicine is a hot field, aiming to help patients better stick to their medications and to deliver those drugs straight to the body part that needs them. But Thursday's study is believed to be the first attempt at using a wirelessly controlled drug chip in people. If this early-stage testing eventually pans out, the idea is that doctors one day might program dose changes from afar with the push of a button, or time them for when the patient is sleeping to minimise side effects. The implant initially is being studied to treat severe bone-thinning osteoporosis. But it could be filled with other types of medication, said co-inventor Robert Langer of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "It's like Star Trek," said Langer, referring to a science fiction television series. He co-authored the study appearing on Thursday in the journal, Science Translational Medicine. "Just send a signal over a special radio wave, and out comes the drug." Today's medication implants continuously emit their drugs … Continue reading →

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- The quit-smoking drug Chantix may also help problem drinkers cut their alcohol consumption, a small new study suggests. Exactly how this drug curbs drinking is not fully understood, but its use may increase blood pressure, heart rate and feelings of sadness and nausea, thereby blunting the pleasurable effects of alcohol, the researchers said. "Chantix might reduce alcohol consumption by reducing overall enjoyment of the alcohol drinking experience," said study author Emma Childs, a research associate at the University of Chicago. "Chantix increased the unpleasant effects of alcohol, for example feeling drowsy and irritable, [and] participants also reported that they didn't like the alcohol effects as much," Childs said. Approved to help smokers quit in 2006, Chantix (varenicline) has its share of potential side effects. In July 2009, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration mandated that Chantix carry a "black box" warning about the potential risks of depression and suicidal thoughts. Recently, the drug was linked to a small but significant risk of heart attack and stroke among people with pre-existing heart disease. Chantix costs roughly $3 per pill. The results of the new study were released online in Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research prior … Continue reading →

MolecularHealth said this week that it has signed a five-year agreement with the US Food and Drug Administration under which the agency will "evaluate and refine" it's Molecular Analysis of Side Effects, or MASE, software, which supports mechanism-based drug safety assessment and prediction. Specifically, the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research will work with MolecularHealth to add molecular and clinical endpoints of regulatory interest into MASE, along with information on patient populations, drug promiscuity, molecular modes of action, and mechanisms of disease. MolecularHealth, which recently changed its name from Life Biosystems, launched the software-as-a-service offering last month (BI 1/20/2012). The tool uses information about drug modes of action and the molecular implications of interacting treatments, co-morbidities, and genetic profiles to assess drug safety. It also enables the exploration and analysis of adverse event information from statistical and molecular perspectives and provides analytical and visualization tools to support the detection and validation of drug-related safety issues. See the rest here: MolecularHealth, FDA Sign Five-Year Pact to Improve Drug Safety Assessment Software … Continue reading →

NEW YORK, Feb. 14, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- MolecularHealth, Inc., a leader in clinico-molecular informatics™, today announced the establishment of a five-year research collaboration agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to evaluate and refine MolecularHealth's Molecular Analysis of Side Effects (MASE), a software system intended to support mechanism-based drug safety assessment and prediction. The FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) will work with MolecularHealth to incorporate non-proprietary molecular and clinical endpoints of regulatory interest into MASE, along with non-proprietary information on patient populations, drug promiscuity, molecular modes of action and mechanisms of disease. "We are pleased to collaborate with the FDA to obtain their input into the evaluation of the analytical power of MASE for assessing drug safety in the U.S.," said Jeffrey D. Marrazzo, chief business officer of MolecularHealth. "MASE has the potential to benefit pharmaceutical developers, regulators and clinicians alike, helping them to develop and monitor drugs in a safer, more efficient manner." MASE uses information about drug modes of action and the molecular implications of interacting treatments, co-morbidities and genetic profiles to enable a more precise assessment of drug safety. MASE enables the exploration and analysis of adverse event information from both statistical and … 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 the possibility that a new process will improve bone growth. New York, NY (PRWEB) February 14, 2012 According to a press release from the University of California, “[a] research team led by UC Davis Health System scientists has developed a novel technique to enhance bone growth by using a molecule which, when injected into the bloodstream, directs the body's stem cells to travel to the surface of bones.” The results of the study were published in Nature Medicine. Wei Yao, the principal investigator and lead author of the study, remarked that while there are many step cells, even in the elderly, those stem cells “'do not readily migrate to bone.'” Discovering a molecule that attaches to stem cells and guides them to desired targets “'is a real breakthrough.'” “Osteoporosis is a major public health problem for 44 million Americans,” the release notes. “One in two women will suffer a fracture due to osteoporosis in their lifetime. Although effective medications are available to help prevent fracture risk, including alendronate, their use is limited by potential harmful effects of … Continue reading →

Posted by Michael MonheitFebruary 14, 2012 5:58 AM Patients who are taking the anticoagulant drug Pradaxa need to be particularly alert to a dangerous—and potentially life-threatening—side effect: excessive bleeding. The FDA announced in December that it is evaluating a number of reports of serious bleeding events in patients taking Pradaxa. While bleeding is a well-recognized complication for all anticoagulant drugs, the FDA is specifically trying to determine whether those risks are greater for patients taking Pradaxa. Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate mesylate) was approved for use in October 2010 and since that time hundreds of thousands of patients have been prescribed the drug. Pradaxa acts as a blood thinning agent to reduce the risk of stroke in patients who suffer non-valvular arterial fibrillation. But these anticoagulant medications carry the risk of excessive bleeding, including internal bleeding, ulcers, and cerebral hemorrhages. These events of excessive bleeding are the current concern with Pradaxa. In just one year of being on the market, the maker of the drug disclosed that there were 260 deaths caused by internal bleeding; which doesn’t include other bleeding events that did not result in death. The FDA received 307 adverse event reports in just the first three months that the … Continue reading →

With new Thermobalancing Therapy men will not only save money by not purchasing kilograms of medicines but will feel better, Fine Treatment reveals. Why is a man so quickly turn to drugs to treat prostate enlargement? Before he goes to a drug, why not treat BPH with the Thermobalancing Therapy naturally? Why do waste thousands of dollars? London, UK (PRWEB) February 12, 2012 There is no need for men to rush to take BPH drugs and to deal with side effects later when he can use new Thermobalancing Therapy, Fine Treatment reveals. Men should be aware that the longer-term use of prescription drugs to the treatment of prostate enlargement can have serious negative side effects. Furthermore, men won’t have to spend money to the useless pills. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), “treatments with medication usually start at a low dose. Later on the dose gradually increases as medication typically cannot improve the condition of a growing prostate gland. Consequently, it increases the risk of side effects, such as erectile dysfunction or impotence, headache and fatigue, weight gain and depression.” However, according to the Consumer Reports, treating BPH with medication can run more … Continue reading →

The regulatory violations by pharma companies are best seen as regular business challenges than as some conspiracy from a Robin Cook novel. February 11, 2012:   What's common between Ranbaxy, Sun Pharma, Dr Reddy's, Cadila Healthcare and Aurobindo Pharma? Well, aside of the fact that they are Indian pharmaceutical companies, there's another commonality — they have all been rapped on their knuckles by the United States Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) for having transgressed regulatory norms. And behold, the list isn't exhaustive. There are many more Indian companies that have erred on FDA's wrong side, albeit for reasons varying in their severity. While some have managed to right the wrongs that the regulator had highlighted, the others are in the process of doing so. So, what do these increasing instances of regulatory non-compliance say about Indian pharmaceutical companies? Here's a look at the ramifications of the growing non-compliance issues on the Indian pharma industry. Industry's Achilles Heel With power comes responsibility. But with growth comes greater attention. This is something that Indian companies have increasingly come to realise. Having scaled up very aggressively in the last few years, be it in terms of the number of manufacturing plants they operate … Continue reading →

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) - Lots of people were surprised to hear last month that a study found certain cholesterol-lowering drugs, known as statins, had dangerous side-effects in women. So, the 22News I-Team decided to dig deeper and reveal other commonly used drugs with side-effects you may not know about. Studies have shown, Americans are living longer today than they were say 10 years ago. That's the good news. The bad news is, we're taking on more medications to help us live longer, which can lead to its own set of problems. "They have a lot of adverse effects and could actually become life-threatening in those patients," said Anthony Zimmermann, WENU Pharmacy Practice. The 22News I-Team called on Western New England University drug experts after a UMass Medical School and Mayo Clinic study found statin cholesterol-lowering drugs could increase a woman's chances of developing diabetes. Turns out there are side-effects to be aware of in a number of other common drugs. For example, lots of people take long-acting beta agonist to relieve their asthma, but don't take it by itself. "The problem with those is its been found they can actually exacerbate and worsen your asthma is they're use alone by … Continue reading →

10-06-2011 12:36 http://www.facebook.com http://www.facebook.com http://www.facebook.com The Blame Society Facebook App: apps.facebook.com Original post: Pill Side Effects - Dr. Moley - Video … Continue reading →