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A pill a day gives renewed hope for breast cancer victims

A new breast cancer 'wonder drug' could be available to British women within a matter of months.

9 Oct 2006

Schizophrenia drug to be used to treat autism

A drug normally used to treat schizophrenia has been given approval by the U.S. the Food and Drug Administration for use in treating the symptoms of autism in children and adolescents.

9 Oct 2006

Generic hypertension drug a suspect in 19 deaths in Panama

As a result of a mystery illness that has claimed the lives of 19 people, officials in Panama have withdrawn all stocks of a hypertension drug used by thousands to treat high blood pressure.

9 Oct 2006

U.S. Court of Appeals sets January for arguments over erroneously sent Medicare premium reimbursements after holding lower court's decision

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Wednesday issued a temporary hold on an order by a lower court that CMS must inform 230,000 Medicare beneficiaries who received erroneous reimbursements of their Medicare prescription drug benefit premiums of their right to request a waiver of recovery of the funds, the Washington Post reports.

8 Oct 2006

FDA approves Zolinza for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Zolinza (vorinostat) capsules for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), a type of skin cancer, to be used when the disease persists, gets worse, or comes back during or after treatment with other medicines.

8 Oct 2006

FDA approves Risperdal to treat irritability associated with autism

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Risperdal (risperidone) orally disintegrating tablets, an adult antipsychotic drug, for the symptomatic treatment of irritability in autistic children and adolescents.

8 Oct 2006

New York Times examines efforts to obtain FDA approval for Abraxane to treat earlier-stage cancer

The New York Times has examined efforts by the pharmaceutical company Abraxis BioScience to obtain FDA approval for its late-stage breast cancer drug Abraxane as a treatment for earlier-stage breast cancer.

5 Oct 2006

U.S. Customs to stop seizing Canadian drugs

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials on Tuesday said that as of Oct. 9 they will no longer seize prescription drugs sent by mail to U.S. residents from Canadian pharmacies, the Wall Street Journal reports (Carreyrou, Wall Street Journal, 10/4).

5 Oct 2006

U.S. must do more to protect integrity of pharmaceuticals

The business of counterfeit prescription drugs "has grown to frightening proportions," and the U.S. must do more to "protect the integrity of pharmaceuticals dispensed" in the nation, Henry Miller, a physician and Hoover Institution fellow, writes in a Washington Times opinion piece.

5 Oct 2006

Rhode Island plan to collect prescription drug copayments from some Medicaid beneficiaries requires change to State Law

Superior Court Judge Stephen Fortunato on Tuesday ruled that Rhode Island's plan to begin collecting prescription drug copayments from about 14,000 Medicaid beneficiaries requires a revision of state law, the Providence Journal reports (Freyer, Providence Journal, 10/4).

5 Oct 2006

FDA approves FluLaval

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today approved FluLaval, an influenza vaccine to immunize people 18 years of age and older against the disease caused by strains of influenza virus judged likely to cause seasonal flu in the Northern Hemisphere in 2006-2007.

5 Oct 2006

Feeling stressed? have a cuppa...then have another!

According to the latest research regular cups of tea can help speed recovery from stress.

5 Oct 2006

New drug a breakthrough in the treatment of AMD

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), is a common cause of vision loss and often affects older people.

5 Oct 2006

Now OK to get prescription drugs from Canada, but is it really?

According to the consumer group that sponsored "Rx Express" trains to Canada, the U.S. Customs announcement that it will no longer seize prescription drugs being shipped to the U.S. is not the solution that patients need.

5 Oct 2006

FDA more cautious in approving new drugs after Vioxx

Many pharmaceutical companies and industry observers say that FDA is "quietly becoming more assertive about keeping new drugs off the market or refusing to approve new uses for existing medications" in response to criticism since the 2004 Vioxx recall, the New York Times reports.

3 Oct 2006

2007 Medicare prescription drug plans

Private health insurers that market Medicare prescription drug plans in 2007 will offer more plans, several of which will have lower premiums and more of which will provide coverage during the so-called "doughnut hole," Bush administration officials said on Friday, the New York Times reports.

3 Oct 2006

Bayer forgot to tell risks of heart surgery drug

According to the German drug giant Bayer AG, the reason the company failed to inform U.S. regulators about a study on the risks of the heart-surgery drug Trasylol was a mistake.

2 Oct 2006

FDA issues guidance for development of cell-based viral vaccines

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued new guidance to aid manufacturers in developing safe and effective cell-based viral vaccines.

28 Sep 2006

Michigan Senate approves bills that would require girls to receive HPV vaccine before entering sixth grade

The Michigan Senate on Wednesday voted 36-1 to approve two bills (SB 1416, SB 1417) that would require girls in the state entering the sixth grade in the 2007-2008 school year and beyond to have received Merck's human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil, the AP/Detroit Free Press reports (AP/Detroit Free Press, 9/20).

26 Sep 2006

HPV vaccine Gardasil approved for sale in EU

The European Commission on Friday approved Merck's human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil for sale and marketing in the European Union, London's Guardian reports (Batty, Guardian, 9/22).

26 Sep 2006