Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Feb 10, 2012, 11:32 am
The anti-blood clot regimen that adds the drug clopidogrel (Plavix) to aspirin treatment is unlikely to prevent recurrent strokes and may actually increase the risk of bleeding and death in patients with subcortical stroke, according to late-breaking research presented at the American Stroke Associa...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Feb 9, 2012, 5:00 pm
Doctors have known for several years that some hip devices, in which both the ball and cup are made of metal, were failing at faster rates than other hip implants.  Now, new research is confirming this information and claiming that the problem can cause trouble for many years to come, even after re...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Feb 9, 2012, 8:00 am
As we previously reported, Pfizer recalled 1 million packages of birth control pills, that included 14 lots of Lo/Ovral-28 tablets and 14 lots of generic Norgestrel and Ethinyl Estradiol tablets.  The recall was after uncovering a packaging error that included too many active tablets in some packet...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Feb 8, 2012, 4:00 pm
In lieu of 2 soldier deaths last year that could have possibly been caused by dietary supplements containing dimethylamylamine (DMAA), the US Army has pulled the supplements from the military bases, and is now investigating whether or not the supplements resulted in the deaths. According to Fox New...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Feb 8, 2012, 8:26 am
On June 15, 2011, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (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. The June safety communication was a follow-up to one the agency issued in September 2010 after prelim...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Feb 7, 2012, 2:00 pm
About 20,000 former Avandia drug users have finally gotten the news they had been desperately waiting on.  Their lawsuits were finally settled with a pharmaceutical giant.  GlaxoSmithKline has agreed to settle the heart attack lawsuits brought by former users of its blockbuster Type 2 diabetes me...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Feb 7, 2012, 8:00 am
A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed against ALZA Corporation by the family of a Utah woman who died in 2010, after using one of the company’s pain patches. According to court documents, Janine Ward died May 4, 2010, after using one of the prescription patches. Toxicology reports later showed ...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Feb 6, 2012, 5:00 pm
Just a few weeks ago, we reported that the FDA had missed a January 15 deadline to submit a new agreement on medical device fees to U.S. lawmakers.  Well, apparently negotiations are over.  The FDA and medical device makers have reached an agreement on the fees. Device makers will double product ...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Feb 6, 2012, 8:00 am
Medical experts are seeking new label warnings for Focalin (dexmethylphenidate), a drug used to treat children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), regarding possible occurrences of suicidal thoughts. According to a Reuters report, several members of a U.S. Food & Drug Administrati...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Feb 3, 2012, 5:00 pm
The reason a woman takes a birth control pill, is to prevent unwanted, or accidental pregnancies.  And, although the pills are not 100% effective, most women assume they will be protected from the life changing event.  But, a manufacturing mix-up is leaving women at an even greater risk of unwante...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Jan 27, 2012, 5:00 pm
The drug & medical device giant Johnson & Johnson seems to be a name that is coming up a lot lately; from the controversial chemicals found in baby products to the major artificial hip recall surrounding DuPuy Orthopaedic’s, they continually seem to be on the radar. Now, in their just released la...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Jan 27, 2012, 8:00 am
At least 72 more people across the country have filed a lawsuit against the makers of the top-selling anti-blood clot drug Plavix claiming they have either suffered or been put at risk of serious bleeding episodes, strokes, heart attacks and death. According to a report from madisonrecord.com, the ...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Jan 26, 2012, 5:00 pm
Recently we reported about the now defunct French company Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) that manufactured defective silicone implants.  We told you about other countries around the world and how they each are responding to the anxieties over the defective products. Now, as of today, January 26, 2012...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Jan 26, 2012, 12:25 pm
We’ve heard a lot of reasons for and against childhood vaccinations.  Some people don’t think they work, and that they are unnecessary.  Now, another reason you can add to your list of reasons you should consider not vaccinating, apparently according to 1 study, if your child eats microwave po...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Jan 25, 2012, 5:00 pm
The FDA has just issued new information regarding the “last resort” drug Tysabri, that is marketed by Cambridge, Mass-based Biogen Idec and Elan Pharmaceuticals. Tysabri is prescribed as a “last resort” drug because it is widely considered a dangerous prescription drug that carries a risk o...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Jan 25, 2012, 8:00 am
  For the second time, four Democratic lawmakers are seeking hearings into two controversial medical devices, the Lap-Band surgical weight loss device, made by Allergan Inc. and transvaginal meshes made by Johnson & Johnson. In a letter sent last week, the group, led by U.S. Representative Henry ...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Jan 24, 2012, 5:00 pm
We recently reported about a DES Daughter that was suing drug manufacturers for their role in her sickness.  Now, this first of it’s kind lawsuit is going a step further.  The judge in the case has recently ordered the parties to go to mediation, and is also allowing expert testimony for the wom...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Jan 24, 2012, 8:00 am
Johnson & Johnson in the hot seat again, as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just issued a warning to Johnson & Johnson’s DePuy Orthopaedics for marketing a number of unapproved medical device components. The drug and device giant’s subsidiary sold more than a dozen different orthope...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Jan 23, 2012, 5:00 pm
If you’ve ever had to have a surgery, you know the fear that comes along with it.  Will I be ok?  Is this the right thing for me to do?  What will happen if I have trouble?  There are just so many uncertainties, and unfortunately when going under the knife, there is nothing you can do but hope...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Jan 23, 2012, 12:00 pm
A fall for an elderly person can unfortunately turn into a very serious event.  Falls are actually the leading cause of death in people over the age of 65.  Their bones are weaker and the impact can be very traumatic.  Now, based on new research elderly that are taking antidepressants are even mo...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Jan 20, 2012, 5:00 pm
There are numerous birth control options available on the market today.  Various items such as patches, pills, condoms, inner uterine devices, or birth control rings; just to name a few.  But they all have one goal in mind- to prevent pregnancy.  It is a very profitable industry, that is for the ...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Jan 20, 2012, 3:00 am
Knee and hip implant patients face increased risks for blood clots following surgery, according to new study findings published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Doctors have long known that dangerous blood clots can occur after joint replacement surgery of the knees or hip...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Jan 19, 2012, 5:00 pm
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just missed a deadline to submit a new agreement on medical device fees to U.S. lawmakers, as negotiations continue with device makers about what it will cost to quicken product reviews. Last week, the agency announced a number of agreements involving use...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Jan 19, 2012, 12:00 pm
Flu symptoms are nasty.  The fever, coughing, sore throat, ugh, makes for a miserable feeling.  1 way to treat your flu and to reduce your symptoms is to use an FDA-approved antiviral drug recommended by the CDC, called Tamiflu.  By taking this medication according to the CDC it can lessen your f...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Jan 19, 2012, 9:38 am
The authors of the 2003 Million Women Study were wrong to conclude their investigation proved that hormone replacement therapy (HRT) caused cancer, according to a series of articles published this week in the Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health.  The study, long used to establish cau...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Jan 18, 2012, 7:00 am
Last week we reported that there was something fishy going on with the safety panel that was convened in order to review the very controversial drugs, Yaz and Yasmin.  Apparently there were several reviewers that had ties to the drug maker.  The FDA, however, did not disclose the connections to th...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Jan 18, 2012, 3:00 am
Seattle Genetics Inc. said Friday that its cancer drug Adcetris will carry a warning about a deadly type of brain infection that can occur in patients. The company said Adcetris will carry a “black box” or boxed warning, the most serious type of warning label. The label will say that patients w...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Jan 17, 2012, 7:00 am
In the past we have written several articles explaining the potential risks a mother takes when taking anti-depressant drugs while pregnant. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, better known as SSRI’s, have already been linked to septal heart defects, and amphibole.  And, now, yet another stu...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Jan 17, 2012, 3:00 am
For one drug maker this year is not shaping up to be good so far.  Unfortunately according to news reports, Novartis is planning to cut jobs in anticipation of lower sales of 2 of their hypertension drugs. In all the Basel-based pharmaceutical giant Novartis AG said they are cutting 1,960 jobs. Th...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Jan 16, 2012, 7:00 am
Pradaxa, the first drug to gain approval as part of a new generation of blood thinners to lower stroke risk, was associated with an increased risk of heart attack in a new study published last Monday. According to WebMD, Patients taking the new anti-clotting drug Pradaxa have a 33% higher risk of h...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Nov 3, 2011, 2:27 pm
... with severe sepsis and septic shock. Xigris is used solely in ... complications of sepsis and septic shock. They have asked health care ... to begin any new patients on Xigris treatment and to end ... of Xigris efficacy called PROWESS-SHOCK that looked at 1696 patients ... given Xigris ...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Nov 2, 2011, 7:58 pm
Actos is a prescription medication designed to help control symptoms of type 2 diabetes. Actos works by increasing sensitivity to insulin and how the body reacts to insulin. Actos side effects vary based on the individual and their health history and range from mild to life-threatening. Studies demo...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Nov 2, 2011, 7:56 pm
If it’s not one warning, it’s another.  So many contraindications, precautions and warnings for each and every medication nowadays that it’s almost impossible to keep up with all the changes!  The latest warnings and label changes have now been added to what has been called the best selling ...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Nov 1, 2011, 8:19 pm
Although technology is advancing at a very rapid pace, and there are many benefits to it, in the case of birth control, it might just be best to stick with the old, and not try any of the newer forms, until further studies prove that the synthetics they are using to make them are completely safe. A...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Nov 1, 2011, 11:28 am
A panel of outside medical experts has recommended that federal regulators not approve a cardiac ablation system to treat atrial fibrillation being developed by Medtronic, Inc. According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, members of a U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel vote...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Oct 31, 2011, 9:56 pm
There are several drugs associated with causing birth defects in pregnant women.  And, in August, the FDA announced yet another one.  They informed the public in August 2011 that treatment with chronic, high doses (400-800mg/day) of Diflucan (fluconazole) during the first trimester of pregnancy ma...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Oct 31, 2011, 9:53 pm
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning on June 2011 that Actos (pioglitazone) has been associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer. Actos is an antidiabetic medication that is used to treat people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. It is not surprising that Actos lawsuits have s...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Oct 31, 2011, 9:53 pm
A birth in a family is supposed to be one of those milestones that a family never forgets.  It’s supposed to be a happy, joyous time.  Unfortunately, this is not the case in all births.  Sometimes a child enters the world way before he/she is full term.  In hopes of helping the baby survive ou...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Oct 30, 2011, 9:16 pm
SSRI antidepressants taken while pregnant have been linked to birth defects such as congenital heart defects and pulmonary hypertension in the newborn. According to one study, newborns with mothers who took SSRIs during their last trimester have a 60% higher chance of developing congenital heart def...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Oct 29, 2011, 1:36 pm
Both doctors and patients fear medical procedures that result in far more harm than good. Such is the case with a number of shoulder surgeries since 2005. After these procedures, patients treated with an intra-articular infusion of anesthetics through a shoulder pain pump began developing Chondrolys...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Oct 20, 2011, 10:09 pm
A group of U.S. lawmakers are calling for an investigation into a growing number of reported problems with 2 medical devices that are causing major concerns for many, metal-on-metal artificial hips, as well as Wingspan brain stents. Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee wrote a lette...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Oct 20, 2011, 10:06 pm
A Virginia woman has filed a medical malpractice lawsuit against an OB/GYN clinic and her doctor for allegedly leaving a Mirena IUD (intra-uterine device) birth control floating in her system. The Mirena IUD was approved by FDA in 2000 as a birth control device. In addition to preventing sperm and ...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Oct 20, 2011, 10:05 pm
We have heard for years that the only way to prevent HIV, Herpes, and any other sexually transmitted diseases is to practice abstinence or at least safe sex.  But, what does “safe sex” actually mean?  Birth control, condoms, other forms of protection? And, what if you contract a disease, and ...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Oct 15, 2011, 8:06 pm
Somebody needs to be responsible for the deaths of innocent people!  We here in the United States call this justice, and it appears that in France, officials are trying to do just that in regards to the deaths of several hundred innocent people. According to media reports, Magistrates in France ar...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Oct 15, 2011, 8:04 pm
... for erectile dysfunction (ED) drugs in the class that includes ...FDA issued a Class I Recall of Medtronic Inc, SynchroMed EL Implantable Infusion Pump FDA issued a Class I Recall of Medtronic Inc, SynchroMed EL Implantable Infusion Pump Models 8626-10, 8626L-10, 8626-18, 8626L-18, 8627-10, .....
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Oct 15, 2011, 7:51 pm
According to an article found at News Medical, Type 2 diabetes treatments Byetta and Januvia could be linked to a significantly increased risk of developing pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer, and one could also be linked to an increased risk of thyroid cancer, based on a new UCLA study. Research...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Oct 15, 2011, 7:44 pm
According to a statement issued on the US Food and Drug Administration website, September 16, 2011 a pharmaceutical company has issued a voluntary recall for multiple lots of an oral contraceptive, at the retail level, effective immediately. The contraceptives have been recalled by Qualitest Pharma...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Oct 15, 2011, 7:43 pm
On September 15, 2011 The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a Drug & Medical Device Recall and/or Safety Alert for a very common anti-nausea medication. The FDA notified healthcare professionals and patients of an ongoing safety review and labeling changes for the anti-nausea drug Zofran...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Oct 15, 2011, 12:02 pm
With bladder cancer, cells in the lining of the bladder (transitional cells) begin to produce abnormal tissue growth which continues to multiply and eventually spread to other organs without treatment. The prostate, uterus, vagina, and urinary tract are usually the first organs to be affected by a m...
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Mark S. posted an article on Pharma Watch Dog - Sep 22, 2011, 12:48 pm
Here we go again.  If the risk of birth defects wasn’t enough, one study states that pregnant women taking antidepressants are putting their child at risk for developing autism or autism spectrum disorders.  The study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry suggests there is an associati...
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