Blood Thinner Xarelto is Convenient but Controversial
Intended Benefits of Xarelto. Johnson & Johnson (J&J) subsidiary Janssen Pharmaceuticals, along with Bayer Corporation, manufactures the anticoagulant, Xarelto. Xarelto (rivaroxaban) is part of a new generation of drugs that is touted as more convenient, offering freedom from mandatory blood level monitoring and stringent … [Read more...] about Blood Thinner Xarelto is Convenient but Controversial
Avandia Study Has Few Takers
Controversial Avandia Safety Concerns. A much maligned Avandia trial is having problems recruiting participants, according to The Wall Street Journal. The study, called TIDE, has already faced criticism from some medical ethicists, and as we have reported previously, there is speculation that the U.S. Food & Drug … [Read more...] about Avandia Study Has Few Takers
CPSC Head Steps Down
Nord Acting Chair of CPSC Is Stepping Down. Nancy Nord, the controversial acting chair at the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is finally stepping down. Nord will leave her post next week, but will continue on the CPSC’s board until 2012, when her term is up, reported the Bradenton Herald. Until the Senate confirms a … [Read more...] about CPSC Head Steps Down
Avandia Disappoints Again
Avandia Does Not Reduce Arterial Plaque. Avandia, GlaxoSmithKline's controversial diabetes drug, does not reduce arterial plaque buildup in any significant way, according to a new study. This news only adds to the uncertainty surrounding Avandia, which has been the subject of safety worries since it was tied to an increased risk of … [Read more...] about Avandia Disappoints Again
Congress Questions FDA on BPA
FDA Declares BPA Safe. Despite overwhelming skepticism and mounting evidence to the contrary, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently declared the controversial, estrogenic chemical bisphenol A (BPA) safe. Consumer groups criticize the findings used by the FDA in the face of hundreds of scientific studies suggesting … [Read more...] about Congress Questions FDA on BPA
Gardasil Immigration Rule Proving Controversial
Gardasil Immigration Rule Proving Controversial. A new rule that makes the Gardasil vaccine mandatory for young women seeking U.S. citizenship has sparked anger and protest from immigration advocates and healthcare policy experts. Immigration groups call the Gardasil rule discriminatory, and charge that it places an unfair … [Read more...] about Gardasil Immigration Rule Proving Controversial
Amgen Ends Aranesp Marketing Practices
Amgen Ends Aranesp Marketing Practices. The maker of Aranesp is halting marketing practices that critics said encouraged over-use of the anemia drug. Criticism of the policies, in which Amgen paid rebates to doctors for the purchase of Aranesp, had grown along with questions about the drug's safety. Aranesp is an … [Read more...] about Amgen Ends Aranesp Marketing Practices
Controversial Antibiotic Debated
Controversial Antibiotic Debated. A Food and Drug Administration advisory committee will decide Friday whether to recommend that a widely used but controversial antibiotic be removed from the market. The drug, known as Ketek, is used to treat respiratory tract infections such as bronchitis, sinusitis, and pneumonia. U.S. Doctors … [Read more...] about Controversial Antibiotic Debated
Controversial Antibiotic Ketek Will Face More FDA Scrutiny
Controversial Antibiotic Ketek. As antibiotics go, Ketek has had a pretty high profile. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, tried in vain last week to block Andrew von Eschenbach's confirmation as Food and Drug Administration commissioner, partly because of what the senator views as FDA efforts to hinder his investigation of … [Read more...] about Controversial Antibiotic Ketek Will Face More FDA Scrutiny
Mom Wants ‘SUICIDAL’ Drug Banned
Suicidal Drug Are Being Banned. June 14, 2003 -- A New Jersey mother whose daughter mutilated herself while on the controversial anti-depressant drug Paxil called yesterday for a ban on its use to treat children. The call for a ban comes hot on the heels of alarming new research released earlier this week that claims depressed … [Read more...] about Mom Wants ‘SUICIDAL’ Drug Banned
Four Suffer Arthritis After Controversial Treatment
Lyme Disease Vaccine Can Cause Arthritis. Researchers have reported four cases of temporary arthritis they believe are associated with a controversial Lyme disease vaccine. Since the vaccine LYMErix was approved in December 1998, there have been questions about whether it might cause arthritis in some people. … [Read more...] about Four Suffer Arthritis After Controversial Treatment
